Some favors are completely indicated by the type of party you are having! Consider these ideas, which are copied from Chapter 2. Something here might spark an idea, even if it was originally intended for a party with a different theme than yours!

• Plastic leis to wear

• Packages of food tied in Hawaiian fabric

• Fake sunglasses

• Boxed petit fours

• Filled, sealed plastic champagne glasses

• A red panty “rose”

• Condom wrapped in lace

• A garter belt

• A small decorated straw hat

• Something—small cornbreads? chili mix?—tied up in kerchiefs

• Little bottles of tanning lotion

• Sunglasses

• Bath tea sachets

• Little pots or baskets filled with tea bags

• Anything Fourth of July, New Year's, or other major holiday

• A flower or topiary in a pot

• A cut flower tied with a ribbon

• A seed packet

• A tiny trowel with a bow

• Wooden spoons tied with ribbons or with the bride's name painted on them

• Spice holders made from yarn and cinnamon sticks

• Keychains with tiny hammers or screwdrivers

• A few sheets of writing paper and envelopes, wrapped nicely

• Cupcakes decorated with monopoly houses

• Little containers or bags filled with bath beads

• A discount coupon for a haircut or manicure

• Little alcohol bottles tied with ribbon

• Spools of white thread with a note tied with ribbon through the center that says “Thank you for coming”

• Coupons/tickets to a postwedding party you plan to hold

• Gift certificates to Blockbuster

• Bottles of CD cleaner with ribbons around their necks

• Those big dopey gauze hair bonnets our moms wore—or plastic rainbonnets

• Lace handkerchiefs

• Big floppy sun hats you decorated in advance and everyone wore at the party

• The project guests made at whatever art workshop you took them to (ceramics, stained glass, etc.)

• A map of the state or city, with directions to the wedding drawn on it

• Lots of bubble gum

• A pair of bobby socks

• Little satin pillows

• Sleep masks

• A three-prong adapter you painted with fabric paint

• An extension cord

• A wreath of laurel leaves (silk or real)

• A brightly colored “Egyptian” armband made from electrician's wire

• Something else in keeping with the theme of the costumes for the shower—like quill pens if you did a patriotic shower

• A copy of a book that was featured or read from

• Admission to any class you provided, like a dance class of some type

• A brightly colored cardboard flower or peace sign

• A red gingham checked cloth napkin or two

• Boxed chocolates

• A tiny satin lingerie or jewelry case

• A quilted square

• A sampler of cheeses

• A bottle of wine

• A wine glass with the guest's name on it

• A shower cap

• A set of chopsticks

• A silk lipstick case

Taking Great Pictures of the Shower

Little is more fun than a Polaroid at a party. Catch your guests being funny or sweet and create momentoes they will always cherish. Call local camera shops to see if you can rent a Polaroid. (Polaroid cameras produce the pictures right away. They're more expensive and the emulsion deteriorates more quickly, but they are fun in the moment.)