I looooove a unique party favor. Something out of the box (hello namesake), different, or just plain surprising! This tutorial will walk you through how to make a small “I <3 NY” bag to stuff with all kinds of fun things. Not only that, but you can get the download at the end of the post! Yay! Let’s get our DIY on….
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Getting Your Party Favor Bag Ready
What you’ll need: The printed bag template, cardstock, scissors, tape (or gluestick), raffia ribbon
First thing’s first, print your template. I used cardstock. I think it’s sturdier and gives a better presentation. Then cut our your template. The dotted edges are the parts you won’t see. But, cut around the very outside. DO NOT cut through the dotted lines. You want it to look like the sides have little wings.
Tip: Fold the big sides (the sides that say I <3 NY) so that the black line shows on the bottom. This way you get the full affect of the outline.
Putting the Party Favor Bag Together
Watch the quick video below to see the folding. Keep in mind, since I used cardstock, I prefolded. Otherwise this video would’ve been hard to watch. Lol. (Also keep in mind it’s my first video! So it’s not perfect…)
Once it’s folded, you’ll see that we need to tape it together. A few things about the tape. You can see in my video that I tape the wings down on the inside. I also suggest folding some tape and putting it under the corners to secure the sides together.
Finally, use scissors or something sharp to puncture holes in the sides. They need to be big enough to get your raffia through, but not so big that the ribbon is flopping around. You’ll see in the video, the relative size for the holes.
Cut your raffia strips and put the ends through the holes from the outside. Then tape down the ends on the inside. The reason raffia is perfect for this project is that it is firm enough to stand up on its own. Ribbon might not keep its shape this way. Watch the whole process here:
Filling Your Party Favor Bag
Now that we have a our bag put together, we need to fill it! This bag is small, so not too much can fit in. But, it’s perfect for things like:
- Candy
- Chapstick
- Stickers
- Lotto Scratchers/Tickets
- Mini Makeup Samples
- Gum
- Gift Cards
- Jewelry
When I originally made this party favor bag, I was creating it for a “Christmas in the City” theme party. I filled it with mini candy canes, a lotto scratch ticket and some chocolates. Everyone loved it. For most adult parties, just the uniqueness or thought that goes into a favor is more appreciated than the typical party favor idea.
It’s also perfect for something like a Friends Theme Party since the show takes place in NY. Just because of that, I’ve included it in my Printable Friends Party Pack.
Here’s a quick video of a few things that can fill it up:
Wrap up
You can get your I Love NY bag template below by signing up for the email fun-letter! You’ll also get periodic updates and freebies from the blog. The free template comes with a few different color combos, including the classic red and black shown throughout the post.
Hope your guests love this unique party favor bag as much as I do!
Other posts you may like:
The One with the Friends Theme Party