Puppy Puppet Loot Bag

Who doesn't love an easy, inexpensive, and unique loot bag / party favour? I am so excited to share this fun puppy puppet kit idea with you today. I got the idea from my 12 year old son who started his own business selling these for $6 (with $1 going to charity). The "jar" packaging makes it the perfect party takeaway!

Each jar contains everything necessary to make an adorable sock puppet: 

• a sock (with a piece of cardstock inside to make the puppet stiff and easy to use... and to prevent the sock from sticking together when the pieces are glued on)
• a pom pom for the nose
• brown felt ears
• red felt tongue

Then, you print a cute tag like the one below, and attach it to jar with some twine.

Here is an example of the ones my son assembled and sold. Cute, right?

Then, to make it a loot bag, you can just attach another festive tag that says, "Thanks for coming to my party!"

Isn't this a unique and fun loot bag / goodie bag idea? I love a good, old fashioned craft, and every kid should make at least one sock puppet during his/ her lifetime, don't you think?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find MANY more easy and inexpensive party favor ideas here.

NERF Party Loot Bag... with free printable tags

Every party needs an adorable party favour, and I am loving the fun loot bags I put together for my boys' epic NERF themed birthday party. I created two simple party "take aways", and today I am sharing the details of both of our NERF party goodie bags.

The first treat that goes with our "NERF battle" theme is a bunch of water balloons that you hook up to the hose (for simple and quick filling). I attached a little tag that says, "Thanks for coming to our party! Let the battle continue". Cute, right?

I love how colourful these balloons are, and I know the party guests will have fun with them this summer.

To download a copy of the tag I designed: right-click on the photo below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo. There are two tags on each page. You can add the birthday boy/girl's name before printing, or you can add it later using a Sharpie.

The second treat that we are gifting to our guests is a selection of goodies from a prize punch I created. I have been making these prize punches for many years (using dollar store supplies), and they are always popular with our party guests.

To make a prize punch:

1) Fill plastic cups with treats and trinkets.

2) Use hot glue to cover the tops of the glasses with squares of tissue paper.

3) Use hot glue to attach the cups to pieces of foam core from the dollar store.

You can allow the guests to poke through the tissue to claim their prizes, or you can have them use a NERF gun to shoot through the tissue. Both ways are super fun!

Don't you love a party favour that fits with the theme of the party? My boys are pretty excited about these NERF party loot bags.

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

Find more NERF party ideas here.

For a closer look, check out the video I made here:

Pool party PARTY FAVOR ideas {with free printable tags}

I love a cute and clever party favor that fits perfectly with a party's theme, don't you? Summer is here, and pool parties are plentiful, so today I am sharing three easy and inexpensive pool party treats that your party guests will rave about. I've even included adorable tags that you can download and print for FREE.

The first idea is to "scoop" some cotton candy onto an ice cream cone, and wrap the sweet treat with a cellophane bag and ribbon.

Another (less sugary) option involves replacing the cotton candy with a dollar store splash ball. This pool party treat is just as cute as the cotton candy, but better for the kids' teeth. ;-)

And for something completely different, putting together summer craft kits for the kids to take home is a fun alternative. To make this adorable paper popsicle, kids will need coloured card stock, a craft stick, tape (to attach the stick), and some colourful stickers.

All three party favor ideas are lovely, and they can all be packaged with the adorable tags I designed. There are three tags to a sheet, and you can punch a hole in the corner of each tag and attach with curling ribbon.

To download the tags for free: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Look how cute they look when they are all packaged up together!

What do you think of these pool party favor ideas? Do you have a favorite? I quite like the cones with the splash balls.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

End of Year Class Treats {with "OWL miss you" free printables}

I teach a weekly Preschool Class, and given that it is time for our summer break, I wanted to give my young students a little treat bag. As part of the gift, I designed a cute bookmark and an adorable tag. Today, I am sharing both of these end-of-year printables for FREE.

These book marks and tags would be cute from a teacher, or for a little one to share with their classmates. Aren't they sweet???

To download the bookmarks I designed (for free): right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10. (I printed mine onto card stock at my local copy store for $0.49.)

To download the gift tags I designed (for free): right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10. (I printed mine at my local copy store for $0.39.)

I added a box of crayons and a few trinkets to my goodie bags, and my little Preschoolers were thrilled!

Are you a teacher that would like to give something to your students on the last day of school? Or are you a parent looking for a cute treat for your child to share with their classmates on the last day of school? Either way, these free printables are sure to please!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

40+ {Unique} Loot Bag Ideas

Say good-bye to junky party favors.  I've got you covered with 40 unique loot bag / party favor ideas that are sure to please your little party guests. If you have ever assembling goodie bags for a child's party, you are going to want to read this!

{Here are 15 loot bag ideas for specific party themes and 15 loot bag ideas that can be used for any party.  And I have included lots of links to party details and tutorials.}  

15 loot bags ideas for specific party themes:

1) Art Party - Dollar store canvases, paints, and paint brushes. 

2) Baking Party - Containers filled with treats the children made at the party or packages of cookie mix with cute cookie cutters.  Also, guests can take home their very own homemade chef hats.  {Click on the link for a full tutorial.} 

3) Book-themed Party - When a party is planned around a child's favorite book or author, the loot bag can be a book that fits with that theme.  {e.g. Plan a party with a Dr. Seuss theme or A Hungry Caterpillar theme.}   

4) Circus/Carnival Party {Click on the link for all the fantastic Circus party DIY ideas.} - Clown noses, ring master mustaches on sticks, and face paints.   

5) First Birthday {e.g. a Monkey Party} - Loot bag ideas for "baby" guests:  bibs, rubber duckies and wash cloths, books, and stuffed animals.

6) Movie Party - Popcorn buckets full of popcorn and "movie" treats.

7) Music Party {Click on the link for all the fantastic music party DIY ideas.} -- Back stage passes, homemade instruments and/or dollar store instruments.   

8) Pirate Party {Click on the link for all the fantastic pirate party DIY ideas.} -- Handmade pirate treasure chests filled with treats or Pirate Booty (with cute printable tags you can find here).  

9) Pool Party - Cute beach towels or buckets and shovels.

10) Princess Party - Handmade princess wands.  {Just paint dowels pink and add hand-stitched felt stars to the top.}

11) Race Car Party - Driver's Licences {which you can see here} and matchbox cars.  {Click on the link for all the fantastic race car party DIY ideas.}

12) Sledding Party - "Make your own snowman" kits.  {Get all the supplies you need at the dollar store:  hats, scarfs, and some big buttons.}  Attach notes that say "Just add snow!" or... give out some Snowman Soup or Snowman Parts.

13) Sleepover Party - Homemade pillow cases, or chemical free nail polish.

14)  Star Wars Party {Click on the link for all the fantastic Star Wars party DIY ideas.} -- Pool noodle light sabres.  {They are really fun, easy to make, and you can find a full tutorial here.}  

15) Super Hero Party {Click on the link for all the fantastic Super Hero party DIY ideas.} -- Handmade no-sew super hero Capes & Masks.  {Click on the links for full tutorials.}

15 loot bags ideas that fit any party theme:

16) Homemade Playdough - You can find my favorite {no cook} recipe here.

17) Coloring Books, Crayons & Stickers -  You could even make your own crayons in shapes that go along with the party theme.  {You can find the tutorial for recycled crayons here.}

18) Personalized Clip Boards - You can use scrapbook paper to match the theme of the party, and you can find a full tutorial here.

19) Bubbles - You can give big bubble wands with recipes for homemade bubbles or give "make your own bubbles" kits that include everything they need to make their own bubbles.

20) Cupcakes - Individually packaged cupcakes are delicious and fun.  Adding trinkets {like plastic rings} just makes them better.


21) Cookies - Who doesn't like cookies?  Make your own or purchase them.  {Check out these ones from Noelle's The Custom Cookie Company.  They are super cute!} 

22) Frames - Guests can decorate frames, and pictures of guests can be taken at the party and delivered at a later date.  {You could write something like.... "The content of this frame is currently hollow, but a really cute picture is certain to follow.  Thanks for coming to my party."}

23) Balls - Bags can be filled with balls, and tags can be attached that say "Thanks for coming.  I hope you had a BALL at my party."

24) Labels - Who doesn't love a practical gift... like personalized name labels?  {"Loot bag" packages can be ordered from places like Olivers labels for around $5/person.}

25)  Cookie cutters - Cookie cutters that fit with the theme of the party make great loot bags when you package them with a favorite cookie recipe or cookie mix in a jar.

26) Homemade Hair Clips - Handmade gifts are always a little bit more special than stuff you buy.  Hair clips are easy and inexpensive to make.  {I have a great tutorial for monkey and frog clips that you can find here.}

27) Bookmarks with a picture of the birthday boy/girl - We made bookmarks for Valentine's Day, but they would work for a birthday too.  {You can find the tutorial here.}

28) Journals - Dress up plain journals with cute personalized labels.  {You can find an example of one we made here.}  You could also include homemade flower pens for an extra bit of fun.


29) "Make your own sidewalk paint" kit - Wrap up all the supplies needed to make sidewalk paint, and include paintbrushes and full instructions.  {You can find the "how to" here.}

30) Mugs and hot chocolate - Fill mugs with packages of hot chocolate and some marshmallows, and include notes that say, "It warms my heart to have a friend like you.  Thanks for coming to my party."

More:
click on the links for additional info and free printables...

31) spy kits for a spy party {click link for additional info}

32) LEGO cupcakes for a LEGO party {click link for additional info}

33) pixie dust for a Peter Pan or Jake and the Neverland Pirates party {click link for additional info}

34) special treats for a pool party {click link for additional info}

35) hockey card prize punch for a hockey party {click link for additional info}

36) treats from Honeydukes sweet shop for a Harry Potter party {click link for additional info}

37) breakfast favor for a half sleepover {click link for additional info}

38) midnight kisses for a New Year's Eve party {click link for additional info}

39) bowling party favours {click link for additional info}

40) sock puppet kit party favors {click link for additional info}

41) NERF party favors {click link for additional info}

A fun party favor is a great way to end a party and show your guests how much you appreciate them attending. Do you have a favorite idea for an easy and inexpensive loot bag? I'd love to hear about it.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.