15 Cool DIY Birthday Party Favor Ideas

Goody bags full of candy and stickers are a thing of the past. Try these fun ways to ramp up the favors at your child’s next birthday party.

Homemade Finger Paint

Mix together: 3 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ cup of cornstarch and two cups of water. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until thick. Pour mixture into mason jars or clean baby food jars. Add different drops of food coloring to each jar to make desired colors. Attach a thank you note around the jar with twine or string and let guests pick a color to take home.

Mini Chalkboards

Kid-sized chalkboards are a great way for guests to practice spelling, numbers or drawing. Buy mini chalk boards from your local craft store and attach packages of chalk to the boards with ribbon. Write the kids’ names on the boards so each person can find their own.

Adopt a Pet Box

Purchase small stuffed animals – puppies and kittens work best – and place inside a wooden crate or basket. Make an “adopt a pet” sign and hang above. Kids will love getting to adopt their very own stuffed animal when leaving the party.

Candy Kabobs

Take a skewer and thread fruit candies such as sour gummy worms or licorice bites until the stick is covered. Wrap the candy in plastic for a finished look, which makes it easy for kids to take home.

Bug Catcher

Fill bug catchers with gummy worms for a snack and give to guests. Kids can use later to catch caterpillars or other critters.

Crayon Letters

Gather scraps of old crayons or new ones, and cut and peel the paper off of them. Arrange by color or make each letter multicolored. Purchase a cookie sheet in the shape of alphabet letters and fill each letter with broken crayon pieces. Place in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes and then let cool for several hours. Fill goody bags with an assortment of letters and tie with ribbon.

Party Favor Bar

Cover a table in different sized bowls and containers. Fill each container or bowl with candies, art supplies, nail polish, mini plastic dinosaurs, toy cars etc. and give each child a small bag. Let them pick items of their choosing and add them to their bag to take home.

Animal Party Favors

Glue plastic animals to the lids of a small mason jars or clean baby food jars and allow to dry. Spray paint the lid and animal a color of your choice, all the same or varying colors. Fill the jars with candy or animal crackers and attach a thank you note to the lid with twine or string. 

Matching Pajamas

If you’re hosting a sleepover party at your house, buy matching pajamas for each girl attending. Fold them in neat stacks tied with ribbon and attach cards that say each girl’s name. Give them to guests before the party begins so they can wear them and take pictures.

Sugar Horns

These favors are a party activity and take-home item all in one. Gather waffle cones, frosting and sprinkles and flip the waffle cones upside down on a plate. Let party guests cover in frosting and sprinkles and then eat or take home.

Rainbow Bags

Fill small bags with assorted colored items including paint, crayons, candies and coloring pages, make sure to have an item in each bag from every color in the rainbow. 

Beach Pail

Fill a child’s sand bucket with items to match the party theme: pool or beach toys for a pool party, action figures, gardening supplies, glow sticks, princess wands. Tie a thank you note to the bucket’s handle.

Potted Plants

Give out clay pots, a packet of seeds and soil. Kids can plant the flowers when they get home and wait for the seeds to grow. As a birthday party activity, decorate the pots with paint pens.

Decorated Flashlights

Gather black flashlights, patterned tape and paint. Cover a table in newspaper or move outside and let them go to town decorating the lights. Do this at the beginning of the party so the paint can dry. Each child can take home their flashlight to use camping, in their rooms for reading or playing outside.

S’mores Kit

What kid doesn’t love s’mores? Take graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars and make a s’mores stack. Take this and place in cellophane bags and wrap with a ribbon. You can even make a printable thanking your friends for attending and attach it to the bags.