10 practically free wedding favor ideas

Creative, inexpensive ideas for take home or eat there wedding favors. Ten plus ideas from edible to memorable.

Photo Credit: Mike Bentley

Personalized chocolate bars. Simple chocolate bars wrapped in an overlay of photocopy of couple with wedding date, names etc. Tape it across back, over the original candy wrapper. You could even use one of the wedding colors as paper. Cost of chocolate + photocopies (2 per page 8.5" x 11")…Approx $.25 - $.60 per guest depending on the price of the candy bars.

Photocopy of couple, laminated, with magnet on back and a personalized note or the wedding date etc. Cost: lamination, photocopy, ribbon, magnets. Lamination can be done at large office supply stores as well as local printers. You could use real photos also, or color copies but your price will increase. My area office supply store charges $2.00 a sq ft. to laminate. The cost of your project based on that price, black and white and strip magnets would be approx $.35 - $.50 per magnet for a wallet size magnet.

Tulle (net type material) in a wedding color, full of silver wrapped kisses tied with 2nd wedding color and a tiny wedding flower or heart or other embellishment. The favor will be eaten, but it will add color and a pretty statement to the table. Less than $.20 each for tulle, ribbon and three or four kisses. (Depending on sale prices - look for candy sales several weeks in advance). If you are a real bargain hunter find discounted candies after holidays and then use white or silver tulle.

A small bell sold at bulk party supply centers, or simple jingle bells on a satin wedding color ribbon. Add a heart shaped card with names of couple and wedding date with a small satin flower attached to either card or top of bell. This could be a favor to take, and the noisemaker that is used to get the bride and groom to kiss at the reception. Depending on the materials - $.15 to $.25 each.

Home-made bookmark. Pretty paper/card stock (wedding colors) cut with the fancy craft scissors (scrapbooking section of most major stores, craft stores or scrapbooking shops). A heart shaped hole, threaded with a satin ribbon. A small picture of the couple, or just their names and wedding date in pretty font (you can print 10 or more per page on the cardstock on your computer/printer at home - or have it done at a print shop or large office supply store print shop). The couple could also reprint a meaningful poem or heartfelt message for their friends and family. Approx $.05 each without picture, and do it yourself printing. More with a picture, print shop, lamination or any extra fancy details.

The rest of these ideas should run from $.05 each up to $.50 each depending on how involved you get and the cost of the supplies.

A bulk party supply or craft store should have small plastic containers, round, heart shaped, or tiny boxes. You could fill them with something regarding the theme of the wedding. A single satin flower head with a small card on the back side with the wedding details. Sand and a small seashell with a tag on the outside with the couple's message. Something significant to their courtship or their uniqueness. A bulk party store might have small trinkets that would "scream" the couple's identity. Are they active? Look for little sporty stuff, even erasers or confetti or a combination would be fun. To save even more money, use your own creative idea for containers. Pudding containers, baby food jars, clear film canisters. Cellophane gift bags would work also.

A tea light candle wrapped with a layer of wedding colored ribbon. Be creative. Try beaded, satin, lacy, or two contrasting ribbons. Just make sure that you don't create a fire hazard, the ribbon must not hang over the edge of the cup. A special request from the couple for prayers or a thank you for the special impact the guests have had on their lives could be attached or under the candle.

Spray paint an object with a wedding color, such as flat clean, dry seashells or small plastic cups or baby food jars. (Do the painting weeks in advance.) Fill them with foil wrapped candies or a clear based tea light candle, or mints. (Be very careful that you allow clearance if using candles, try a few with strict supervision before unleashing them on guests who might not be great supervisors.) Tie or attach a complementary colored ribbon or bow around or on the holder.

Harden a silk wedding flower head with decoupage medium or glue (do at least two weeks prior to the reception. You can water the glue down and dip the flower heads and shake off the excess. Lay on waxed paper to dry or brush on the medium) and tie a satin ribbon around the flower and toss them on each table with heart confetti or silver or gold wrapped candies. There are also silk butterflies that you could incorporate.

A scrapbook type card or booklet with different "faces" of the couple or different stories. You could make one and photocopy (even color copy) for every place sitting or make a unique one (chose 4 or 5 styles and duplicate or you'll get frustrated) for each guest.

Make chocolate cups (either white or regular) fill them with candies. (Must be done ahead of time and stored properly). Pour a tablespoon or so of melted chocolate into a foil cupcake or mini-muffin holder, swirl so inside of cup is coated and harden in refrigerator. Carefully peel the chocolate shell out of the cupcake wrapper. You should be able to reuse the wrappers. Put the chocolate shells in a covered container and keep them refrigerated.)

Look at the ideas at your local craft store for additional ideas. Ask people what unique things they've seen at weddings and adapt them for yours.

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