How to Make Glass Party Favors
- 1). Decorate a jar. Choose clear jars with lids and fill them with candy, seashells, glass marbles, paper shred or whatever strikes your fancy. Use your computer to make labels, such as "Jen's Birthday Party, April 25, 2012," or "Her jar is always half full." Match the contents to the occasion. For instance, use pink bubble gum for a baby shower or black jelly beans for an over-the-hill shindig.
- 2). Decorate wine glasses. Choose a glass friendly paint to stencil the guest-of-honor's name and the date of the party on each glass. Fill the wine glasses with candy treats and use ribbon to tie a tag to the stem of each one so every guest can figure out her reserved table or place assignment.
- 3). Make pen and pencil vases. Choose small glass vases and fill them with glass marbles or candy. Use floral tape to attach silk flower stems to pencils or pens and then poke the flowers into the vase. Add a gift tag--lettered with the occasion and date--by either attaching it to the base or securing it to a coffee stirrer before placing it amid the writing instrument flowers.
- 4). Embellish the backs of hand mirrors with your choice of faux gems or peel-and-stick foam flowers or letters. Attach a beribboned tag to the mirror handle in a matching color. Place mirrors at each table setting to create a terrific reflection of your unique party favor style.
- 5). Choose glass tulip ice cream dishes for your favors. These sundae-making standards make colorful party favors when they're filled with large candy-colored gum balls, fluffy cotton candy, tinted popcorn or rice krispie marshmallow balls. Stick a colorful, long-handled plastic spoon into each, then tie commemorative guest tags to each of these delicious party favors.
- 6). Fill margarita glasses with sand (salt if you're not hosting an army) and fresh or faux mini limes to make glass favors for a party with a tropical theme. Alternately, place an individual bottle of tequila in the center of the glass and circle the mini bottle with fruit-colored citrus jelly candy slices. If you can't find fruity gels, spearmint or orange gumdrops make a good substitute. Again, tag the margarita glass with a small card bearing the name of the honoree, the occasion and the date.
- 7). Select martini glasses or brandy snifters and fill them with clear glass marbles. Place a colorful candle in the center of each one. Tuck a book of personalized matches into the glass that's been imprinted with a customized message, such as "Happy Birthday, Charlie. Keep lighting up our world. July 14, 2012."
- 8). Launch a great frame up by choosing from the wide variety of glass-front picture frames found at dollar stores (see Resources). Choose all the same style, mix and match or choose the same frame in different colors. Put a photo of the honoree or couple into the frame with the date of the party celebrating their special event. Or, use the frames as table place keepers, printing each guest's name onto card stock, inserting cards into the frames, then arranging them at designated tables.