What goes into a perfect party bag?
If you ask my children they’d always say, ‘sweets, sweets, sweets, oh and maybe a toy’. And that really is the magic formula.
Making party bags is one of my favourite bits of organising parties for my children. You don’t have to spend much to make it special.
The bag. If you’re having a themed birthday party then it’s great to tie your party bags in with it. You can buy plastic bags printed with themes, but I prefer to choose buy paper bags which can be decorated and customised. A plain brown paper bag looks fantastic with a nice sticker and the child’s name written on it. Another favourite of mine is to buy little candy-stripe paper sweet bags and seal them up with a pretty sticker. Your children can help too!
The toy. I prefer to buy one reasonably durable little toy, rather than fill the bag with lots of little things that’ll break immediately. These could be plastic animals, some wind-up toys, a classic joke or a little puzzle. If you’re not expecting too many guests then Lego minifigures, Beanie Boo keyrings or stationery are perfect – although definitely not budget friendly if you’re inviting the whole class!
The sweets. Like most parents I’m a bit of sweet grinch and groan when one of my boys comes back from a party with a massive hoard. Less is definitely more. I tend to go for one miniature packet of sweets, or a fun size chocolate bar. You can make things more exciting by matching your sweets to your theme and making your own little cellophane bags, like I did with these edible Ewoks (aka jelly bears).
Keeping costs down. If you’re inviting more than ten children, or have booked an expensive venue or entertainer, then don’t go overboard on the party bags. Keep things really simple and just give each child a little paper bag of sweets sealed with a pretty sticker. Or give everyone a bottle of bubble mixture with a decorated luggage label tied round the top.
Leave out the cake wrapped in a napkin. I know this could be scandalous, but I never bother putting cake in the party bags. We just eat it at the party! Hardly anyone ever wants a slice of soggy cake when they get home, do they? A great alternative is to give everyone an iced biscuit wrapped in cellophane when they leave. Much less likely to get squashed on the way home.
Th tilt puzzle, tattoos and practical jokes are all available in the party section of my online shop!
What do you put in your party bags?
Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely says
This is such great advice, Lizzie. I really struggle with party bags … both filling them and also when the boys come home with a mound of sweets and tat which breaks in five minutes. It’s hard to get it right.
Fionnuala Three Sons Later says
Thanks for sharing this Lizzie. I tend to forget about party bags till it is almost too late and end up filling them just before the party ends I am with you on the cake. I much prefer to let the kids eat their fill of it at the party. If there is plenty left, I offer the parents and siblings a slice when they come to collect their child.