Bowling Party Favours... with free printable tags

My oldest boy is turning eleven next week, and he decided to forgo having a big party. Instead, he has decided to go bowling with his brothers and a few of his friends. Given that we are going with a "bowling party" theme, my son opted to give his friends a pack of gum and a roll of hockey tape with a simple bowling pin tag. You can check out the adorable bowling party favour (and download the tag I designed) below.

Cute, right?

To download and print the FREE party favour tags: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo. There are three tags per page.

I am really pleased with how these party favours turned out. It is a simple treat, but the tags I designed add a fun flair.

Have you ever hosted a bowling party for your kids? What did you hand out for party favours/ loot bags?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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)

Brownie Pops {from a mix}

On a recent trip to our local Farmer's Market, my boys talked me into buying them brownie pops. They were a huge hit, and I immediately decided to come up with a simple version I could bake at home with my boys. I started with a basic brownie mix, and I ended up with one of the tastiest treats I have ever made.

The secret to my brownie pops was baking them in a muffin tin. Clever, right?

To make brownie pops from a mix:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Make brownie batter according to package directions.

3) Place paper cupcake liners in 12 regular-sized muffin tins, and half fill each baking cup.

4) Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

5) Cool in pan for 20 minutes, and then carefully remove paper liners from the brownies, and allow to cool completely.

6) Dip a paper straw in melted chocolate, and insert straw into the brownie.

7) Dip brownie pop into melted chocolate, and sprinkle with cake decorations.

These brownie pops are fantastic treats to bake with kids. They would make fun party treats or favours too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Party Favor Ideas

I love a simple party favor, don't you? Today I am sharing the cute little loot bags that my son will be handing out at his hockey-themed party next week.

My son played on a hockey team called the "X" Men, so I thought it would be a cute play on words to hand out "Excel" gum with cute tags that say, "Thank you for coming to my party. I hope you had an 'EXCEL'lent time!" Cute, right?

I also made a prize punch (which you can read about here), and I filled the cups with hockey cards. Each of the party guests will have a chance to choose a cup of cards, and then he/she can spend some time at the party trading cards with their friends.

I think my son's friends are going to really like the cute party favors I have put together for them. Do you have a favorite loot bag idea?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Hosting a Half Sleepover

I feel like my boys are too young for sleepovers, but that doesn't mean they have to miss out on the fun associated with this type of celebration.  Today I am sharing one of our favorite party themes, and I am giving you all the info you need to host the perfect DIY Half Sleepover.

First, you need to send out an invite that lets everyone know what to expect from a "half sleepover".  Basically, it's like a regular sleepover, but all the kids go home when it is time to go to bed. Here's the invite I made using a free photo editing software called Picmonkey.com.

Then, you need to set up a fun snack table.  We had a movie theme, so our snacks consisted of traditional movie treats.  We also shared glow sticks and mini flashlights with our guests.

You'll also need party entertainment.  We did an outdoor movie, but you could do games or crafts instead.

Finally, you need a cute party favor for your guests to take home.  We used little boxes of cereal, and we added a spoon and a simple "breakfast for tomorrow" gift tag.

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

All our guests had a great time, and everyone had a fantastic night's sleep in their own beds.  Do you have a little one that would like to host a half sleepover?  It really is an awesome party theme!

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easter Bunny Treats {with free printable tags}

Holidays are the perfect time to share treats with friends and classmates, but many schools discourage kids from bringing sugary snacks.  So, this year, my 5 year old will be sharing this non-candy Easter Bunny "treat" with his class.

Cute, right?  I found some inexpensive stretchable bunnies and bunny jumpers at the Dollar Store and Walmart, and I knew my youngest son would love them.

I packaged the bunnies in clear bags, and I designed a simple tag that said, "Some 'bunny' thinks you are a special friend."

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.

I love this little Easter Bunny party favor, don't you?  It's inexpensive, sugar free, peanut free, and totally adorable!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Pixie Dust Pouches {with free printable tags}

We recently had a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party, and because I think it is fun to send the guests off with some fun party favors, I made some inexpensive pixie dust pouches.

I purchased some little glass jars at the dollar store (6 for $1.00) and half filled them with red and gold glitter.  Then, I put them in small yellow bags, and added a cord necklace.  I finished them off with a cute little tag I designed.

To print your own tags, right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a normal 4 X 6 photo.

Obviously these aren't for unsupervised use or for young children.  Anything that goes around a child's neck can be dangerous if worn while playing.

I think these pixie dust pouches were a fun addition to our little party.  Do you have a little Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan that would enjoy these magical accessories?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more DIY Pirate Party ideas here.

Super-cute Party Favor {Breakfast for Tomorrow}

Here's one last post for 2013... a really quick party favor... breakfast for tomorrow.

I filled a plastic cup with cereal, added a colorful plastic spoon, and tied it up in a clear loot bag with some ribbon and a cute tag.  (You can download the tags here.)  Isn't it sweet?  

It is a great favor for a New Year's Eve party, but I think it would be adorable for a sleepover too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

New Year's Eve Party Favor {Midnight Kisses}

How cute is this {midnight kisses} New Year's Eve party favor?  It's easy, inexpensive, and totally fun!

All I did was fill dollar store champagne flutes with Hershey's kisses and add a "midnight kisses" tags.  You can download the Midnight Kisses Tags {for free} here.  The tags are set up as 4X6 photos, so you can send them for one hour processing and save the ink in your printer. 

Didn't our New Year's Eve party favors turn out cute?  I can't wait to share them with our guests!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS... and if you are looking for some last minute decor, I have some {matching} 4X6 photos you can print and attach to paper straws or craft sticks.  You can download them here and here.

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)

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