Clever Favors
Sending guests home with a little present is part of the shower tradition. Although it is not necessary, it’s a nice sendoff from the hostess. Favors can match the theme, and should be something that all guests, regardless of age or situation, will enjoy and appreciate. When possible, choose favors that can do double duty as both a guest takeaway and a décor item.
Food Items
Favors based on food items are possibly the most popular, versatile, and of course, yummy. Chocolate is a perennial favorite, followed by nut blends, jelly beans, and the like. A food-focused favor allows you to integrate the shower theme in the packaging, while still giving something that everyone will enjoy.
Fact
Many celebrity chefs now sell their products at cooking stores, department stores, and up-scale grocery stores. Ina Garten, Mario Batali, and Emeril Lagasse are just a few of the famous chefs who have developed food product lines. Designer muffin, cake, and cookie mixes, as well as secret sauces, dressings, even wines are available nationally and online.
If you choose to give food as a favor, a good way to integrate it into your shower design is to customize it. You can create personalized labels and packaging on your computer, or go online to order it done for you. A decadent jar of hot fudge sauce with a shipping-tag label stating “Share the cravings” is destined to be a hit with guests.
Consider these food-related ideas:
Candy bars. Customize candy bars for a “sweet” shower favor or birth announcement. Easy and inexpensive, you can create your own candy bar label on the computer, download a design from the Web, or order them with customized designs either online or at candy specialty stores.
Snack packs. Create your own signature snack mix for a unique and interesting take-home gift. Roast cashews with rosemary and place in a labeled tin, blend candied walnuts and Bing cherries for a terrific salad topper, try popcorn and gummy fish in mini-fishbowls tied with cellophane. Homemade garlic-thyme croutons in a wax-paper bag with a Caesar salad recipe, or handmade granola in a tin canister will all be high-impact, low-budget remembrances.
Specialty foods. If sweets don’t suit your shower-favor desires, consider more unusual food products. Olive oil, extra virgin or infused with Meyer lemons or herbs, is a cook’s dream. Or maybe gourmet popcorn packets packaged with a list of popcorn toppers like gruyere cheese and Marcona almonds, orange zest, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Or perhaps beverage-flavoring syrups with a recipe for an Italian soda, exotic coffees or teas, bags of pasta—they now come in unusual shapes, flavors, and colors—with for example, a pomodoro sauce recipe card. Jellies, mustards, tapenades, olives, and lemon or lime curds are available with beautiful packaging in a variety of sizes and price points.
Novelty candies. Baby bottles filled with candy, candy lipsticks, and jewelry can all be incorporated into adorable shower favors. Margarita lollipops, lollipops shaped like dice, and classic old-fashioned swirl pops come prewrapped, so they only need a tag, ribbon, or label to say “thank you and goodbye.”
Should you give a favor at a couples’ shower?
Everyone loves a present, but when men are involved, it is best to stay away from anything too cute or baby related. Think fun—toys like Slinkies, Rubik’s Cube, Koosh balls, or water pistols are big hits. Food is also popular; candy bars, chocolate-covered pretzels, and nuts hit the mark. Sports-related items such as Frisbees, mini footballs, golf balls, as well as hand-held or desktop games will all be well received.
Don’t forget to add a customized label to your favor. They add that extra special touch. Visit Everyday Event Planner for ideas on unique, customized favor labels.
Beauty Products
Since so many baby showers are the exclusive domain of women, beauty products are always a favor favorite. The advantage of a beauty-product present is that one or two tiny items are all you need. If you have the time, you can collect samples from the department-store makeup counters. The local mall or drug emporium carries a dazzling array of products and samples for every conceivable beauty need—from dry-skin cream and scrub to a honey-infused facial mask.
Lotions and creams. Hand creams, eye creams, bleaching creams, smoothing creams, tanning creams, toning creams, wrinkle creams—there is a cream for everything. From fragrance-infused to fragrance-free, you will have dozens of options to choose from, including the now popular “green” products that are environmentally and socially responsible.
Makeup. A shimmery lip gloss, a neutral-toned eye pencil, makeup-remover pads, travel-size brushes, even travel containers for makeup make great favors, and women love the idea of getting something they don’t always buy for themselves.
Fingers and toes. Manicure and pedicure products are always a good bet. Nail polishes in neutrals or fashion colors never go out of style. Emery boards—they now come in leopard, zebra, polka dots, and stripes—paired with toe separators, polish remover, or fancy cotton balls are another good favor.
Stress busters. Anything that enhances the potential to relax is a plus. Eye masks, aroma-therapy bath products, specialty shampoos, even scented candles to put around the tub all make a splash as a favor.
