Despite what some people seem to think, party favors aren’t always a necessity. It is nice to thank your guests for taking the time to have come to your party or event with a token of appreciation, but never feel obligated.

There are times that it just isn’t in the budget or you can’t find something that would be appropriate. Wedding receptions are famous for having party favors for each guest. There are some really great favors that people find to give out, but honestly, the majority of favors that people receive are tossed aside within days of receiving them.

If you’re adamant about having party favors for your guests, take some time to figure out something more meaningful or useful that may be memorable enough to not end up in the trash can.

At a recent Christmas party that I attended, adorable ornaments were used as party favors. I’m quite sure that they were inexpensive to purchase but every guest thought that they were just as cute as could be. We took our little reindeer ornament home and hung it on our tree.

It was a simple way of saying thank you and showing appreciation. Plus, it is something that we will keep in the future. You could also use cookie cutters. Almost any holiday of the year has something that could be used for a party favor.

Guests are much more likely to keep something that has a holiday theme than something generic. Don’t get me wrong – people do enjoy getting the little Hershey’s Kisses or mints that their hosts put into little bags for them. For me, they don’t last for more than a few moments. But, at least they don’t get thrown away.

Party favors can be found almost anywhere. The internet has tons of sites that are dedicated to party supplies. Quite honestly, most of the party favors are either worthless or too expensive. If I’m having 100 guests, I’m not willing to spend $15 for engraved mugs for each guest.

That’s just out of my price range. But, obviously, there are people who do that. Of course, if you’re having a small party, that may be feasible. There are lots of different things that can be made for party favors and cost a lot less money and perhaps are more meaningful.

Small candles or vases can be decorated for guests or you can even give out little satchels of potpourri that you put together yourself. The ideas are endless when it comes to party favors. My advice though is to choose something that won’t be tossed into the trash on their way out the door. Put some thought into it.