Forget cheesy, pricey character-themed party favors. With a touch of imagination, a bit of assembly, and just a little cash, you’ll be able to send guests home with plenty of unique goodies that won’t end up in the garbage bin. Presenting ten great party favor ideas that we love (and think the kids will too):
FOR YOUNGER KIDS
Pop & Go: Pick up some popcorn kernels at the supermarket or off Fresh Direct (try Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Popcorn, $1.99) and set up your own popcorn bar featuring toppings from your spice rack, like cinnamon sugar or seasoned salt. Send guests home with customized flavor combinations in homemade cones made from scrapbook paper (starting at $0.59 at Michael’s).
Pirate Booty: Create your own pirate kits for mini Jack Sparrows. Log onto pearlriver.com for drawstring bags ($2.50), stencil skulls and crossbones onto them, and fill them with bandanas and foam eye patches from Target ($12.99 for a six-pack; $2 for four).
Artsy Favor: Want a more sophisticated artistic experience befitting the nation’s epicenter of culture? Tie a small box of crayons ($0.70 from Staples) to a modern art coloring book—less than $5!—from the Museum of Modern Art for some coloring fun.
Green Goodies: For eco-friendly goodie bags, check out stubbypencilstudio.com, launched by a mom who had trouble finding green art and stationery supplies at local stores. Fun finds include: wooden tops for $1.50, fish-shaped wooden castanets for $5.50, and various packs of stationery.
Crafts Crazed: Not feeling up to any assembling? The Craft Studio on the Upper East Side offers an array of affordable gifts that make super-fun standalones. Look for goodies from a brand called NPW, like a Secret Message Writing Kit ($9) for sending stealthy signals or a mini Desktop Bowling game ($9) for practicing strikes right at home.
FOR OLDER KIDS
Musical Marvels: Enlist your burgeoning DJ to create his or her own playlist and burn it onto CDs as take-home favors. The cases, which you can buy in bulk along with blank CDs, can be personalized for the party. Try Staples, which offers a 10-pack of blank CDs and standard cases for $10.99.
All About Asia: For an Asian-themed experience, fill a colorful plastic Chinese takeout container ($1.75) with fortune cookies ($1.50 for 15) and a colorful pair of chopsticks (from $1.50), all from Pearl River. Alternatively, if you have time to head over to Jackson Height’s Little India, pick up a henna tattoo kit for creating beautiful (and temporary) designs.
Graphic Galore: Rather than pay a premium for merchandise featuring favorite characters from movies and books, give kids authentic comic books ($2.99 for the latest Avengers and Captain America) or manga titles. The twist: Throw in a $0.95 pad from CVS so that they can sketch their own superheroes.
Star Treatment: Marthastewart.com provides sophisticated but lower-cost ideas for filling spa party goodie bags for tweens and teens. Buy inexpensive packages of elastics, bobby pins for less than $3.00, along with travel lotions, miniature soaps, and small plastic combs for less than $2.00. Then wrap a few of each in cellophane tied with a lovely ribbon.
Tricky Treats: Last but not least is local gem State News, an Upper East Side store that has all the party fixings your heart will ever desire. Throw a magical bash with their Deluxe Magic Kit ($3.98), with which Harry Potter wannabes can learn up to 20 tricks like multiplying money and making bottle caps levitate.
