Creative Diy Wedding Favors To Delight Your Guests

Wedding favours are a great way to thank your guests for attending your special day and can add a personal and memorable touch to your celebration. While they can be expensive, there are plenty of ways to make your own wedding favours that are both thoughtful and cost-effective. From edible treats to handmade crafts, the possibilities are endless. So, whether you're a baking enthusiast, a gardening guru, or a DIY novice, read on for inspiration to create unique wedding favours that your guests will cherish.

Homemade baked goods

Choosing the Right Treat

Select a baked good that holds up well over time and can be prepared in advance. Cookies, cupcakes, pies, and cake pops are all excellent options that can be made ahead of time and still taste delicious on the big day. If you're feeling creative, you can even shape treats into hearts or initials for a romantic touch.

Packaging and Presentation

Presentation is key when it comes to homemade wedding favours. Opt for cute boxes, tins, cellophane bags, or vintage handkerchiefs to package your baked goods. You can also add a personalised tag with your family recipe, a heartfelt message, or your wedding date. This adds a special touch and makes your favours feel extra thoughtful.

Enlist Help

Baking for a large number of guests can be a daunting task, so don't hesitate to ask for help. Enlist the assistance of friends, family members, or even a professional baker if you can. Baking in advance and freezing items can also reduce stress as your wedding day approaches, ensuring you have delicious and well-prepared favours.

Matching Your Theme

Consider tailoring your baked goods to match your wedding colour scheme or theme. For example, you can dip cake pops in coloured chocolate or decorate cookies with sprinkles and sugar decorations in your wedding colours. This will make your favours feel even more personalised and integrated into your special day.

Allergies and Dietary Restrictions

It is important to be mindful of any allergies or dietary restrictions your guests may have. Offer a variety of baked goods to accommodate different needs, such as gluten-free or vegan options. This ensures that everyone can enjoy your thoughtful favour.

A Labour of Love

Creating homemade baked goods as wedding favours is a wonderful way to share your love of baking with your guests. It adds a personal and memorable touch to your celebration. With careful planning, the right treats, and thoughtful packaging, your homemade favours are sure to be a hit!

Self-jarred preserves

Choosing the Right Fruit

Think about what type of fruit preserve you would like to make. Select a fruit that is meaningful to you and your fiancé, or choose a fruit that is in season during your wedding month. You could also opt for a combination of fruits that represent each of your home states, blending them together to create a unique flavour.

Ingredients and Preparation

Fruit preserves are relatively easy to make and typically require just a few simple ingredients: fruit, sugar, and sometimes pectin and an acid like lemon juice. Make sure to use fresh, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients to ensure the best flavour and texture.

Sterilising the Jars

Before pouring your preserves into the jars, it is important to sterilise the jars and lids to ensure their longevity and safety. You can do this by washing the jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinsing them thoroughly, and then allowing them to air dry completely.

Adding a Personal Touch

Once your preserves have cooled, it's time to add your own creative flair. Design custom labels or decorative fabric covers that match your wedding theme and colour palette. You can also include a personalised message or a photo of the happy couple.

Presentation and Display

When it comes to presenting your self-jarred preserves, consider how you would like to display them at your wedding. You can arrange them on a beautifully decorated table or create a unique favour bar where guests can help themselves. Don't forget to provide a cute sign inviting guests to take a jar home!

A Memorable Souvenir

By opting for self-jarred preserves as your wedding favour, you are not only giving your guests a delicious treat to enjoy, but also providing them with a heartfelt memento of your special day. It's a wonderful way to share a piece of your relationship with your loved ones.

Eco-friendly plant kits

Seeds of Love

Share the seeds of the same flowers featured in your bouquet or opt for wildflower seeds that will attract bees and butterflies. You can even include seeds for pollinator-friendly flowers or fresh herbs that are easy to grow. Package the seeds in eco-friendly glassine paper bags, which are 100% recyclable and biodegradable, or in small biodegradable boxes. Don't forget to include planting instructions and a custom decorative sticker with your wedding date and a thank-you message.

Potted Succulents

Succulents are a popular choice for wedding favours as they are low-maintenance and can be potted in miniature terracotta pots, wooden boxes, or other eco-friendly planters. You can even propagate your own succulents and pot them in soil, adding a personalised label or mini wooden sign for a sentimental touch. These make for lovely table decorations and are sure to be a hit with your guests.

Air Plants

If you're looking for something even easier to care for than succulents, consider air plants. These rustic beauties make great wedding favours and place holders, even for those without a green thumb. You can find them on Etsy or create your own by wrapping the plants in coloured gravel or sand that matches your wedding theme.

Herb Kits

For foodie and plant lovers, create grow-your-own herb kits. Include biodegradable boxes with seeds, planting instructions, and potting material. You can also offer young herbs in biodegradable planter pots that are ready to be planted. This is a great option for couples on a budget, and you can make them yourself or order them in bulk.

Tree Saplings

Gift your guests with locally seed-sourced, native tree saplings, such as blackthorn, crab apple, or silver birch. Wrap the saplings in organic jute bags and add a personalised tag with your wedding details. Your guests will love watching their wedding favours grow, a constant reminder of your special day.

Something scented

Scented wedding favours are a wonderful way to create lasting olfactory memories of your celebration. You can choose essential oils that capture the essence of your wedding location, like balsam fir for a mountain venue or citrus and coconut for a beachside ceremony. Alternatively, blending you and your partner's favourite scents can symbolise the joining of your lives.

Scented Candles

Scented candles, in particular, are perfect for creating a cosy, intimate atmosphere and make a thoughtful, personalised favour. Start by purchasing eco-friendly soy wax, then melt it and blend in your favourite essential oils for a custom fragrance. Pour the wax into vessels like small jars, teacups or vintage tins, and add a cotton wick. Once the candles are set, personalise the labels with your wedding date or a sweet message. For an extra touch, consider mixing in dried flowers, herbs or a bit of glitter to the wax for a beautiful, unique finish.

Homemade Soaps

Homemade bar soap is a slightly more complex but luxurious DIY wedding favour idea. Begin with a melt-and-pour soap base, such as glycerin or shea butter, and add essential oils, like lavender for relaxation, eucalyptus for refreshment or citrus for energy. You can also incorporate exfoliating ingredients like oatmeal or coffee grounds. Pour the soap into moulds that match your wedding theme, whether simple rectangular bars or custom shapes like initials or hearts, and let them set.

Bath Bombs

Let your guests have some pamper time when they get home with the gift of bath bombs. These bath fizzers with dried flowers are scented with essential oils and come in lavender, peppermint tea, tea tree, rosemary, rose and ylang-ylang.

Mini Bottles of Homemade Liquor

If your wedding includes alcohol, why not add a personal touch by crafting your own homemade liquor to share with your guests? Whether you're passionate about brewing or fermenting your own beverages, bottling a custom drink is a fun and memorable way to involve your guests in your celebration. From moonshine and limoncello to your own craft beer, the options are endless.

Aromatic Salt

Another DIY wedding favour that doesn’t require much time or skill is aromatic rock salt jars. You can add rosemary, sage, pepper, and lemon to your rock salt. Spices like curry or cumin are good too! To add an elegant touch to your gifts, use Himalayan pink salt.

Mini bottles of homemade liquor

Choose Your Liquor

Decide on the type of liquor you want to make. Popular options include moonshine, limoncello, or craft beer. You can also get creative and experiment with different flavours or ingredients that have a special meaning to you. For example, if you're having a destination wedding, you could incorporate local flavours or ingredients from the region.

Source Mini Bottles

You will need to source mini bottles for your liquor. You can find empty mini bottles online or at specialty stores. Look for bottles that are around 50ml in size, which is a standard size for mini liquor bottles. You can also get creative with the bottle shape and design to match your wedding theme or colours.

Brewing/Distilling Process

The brewing or distilling process will depend on the type of liquor you have chosen to make. If you're already experienced in brewing or distilling, you can use your own recipes and methods. If you're a beginner, there are many online resources and step-by-step guides available to help you through the process. It's important to plan ahead and start the brewing or distilling process early to ensure your liquor is ready in time for your wedding.

Bottling and Labelling

Once your liquor is ready, it's time to bottle it! Make sure to clean and sanitise your bottles before filling them. You can also add personalised labels to your bottles, reminding guests of your wedding day. Include your names, the wedding date, or a playful message indicating that the liquor was crafted especially for your big day.

Presentation and Display

Think about how you want to present and display your mini bottles of liquor at your wedding. You can place them at each guest's place setting or create a dedicated table or display area. Add some decorative touches, such as ribbons or personalised tags, to make them stand out. You can also provide additional items, such as shot glasses or cocktail recipe cards, to enhance the presentation.

Creating mini bottles of homemade liquor as wedding favours is a unique and memorable way to share your passions and interests with your guests. It adds a personal touch to your celebration and is sure to be a conversation starter among your guests. Cheers to that!

Frequently asked questions