I Went To Your Party & All I Got Was This… Perfect Party Favor?

The last party that captured my attention was Rosalia’s thirty second birthday extravaganza that took place at the Hotel Particulier at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week.

Not only did it have a guest list stacked with zeitgeisty names and an Interview feature-worthy playlist, it also came with racks of t-shirts that read “I got BIZCOCHITO’D last night at Rosalia’s birthday party,” custom matchboxes, and silver trays full of loose cigarettes. The attention-seeking part of me was jealous – who wouldn’t want a private merch suite pop up in their name.

And then it dawned on me…our culture at large is so obsessed with personal branding and influencing that we forget about the simple joy of party favors – a sacred party tradition that allows anyone with crafty hands, a good idea, and a few extra bucks to feel like a popstar for a night.

The art of a good party favor is quite intricate: you want it to be thoughtful but not try-hard, funny but not cringy, smart but not so smart that it flies over everyone’s head. Obviously, you can go full Kardashian-Jenner and get your friends something nice and custom. But in my opinion, the best party favors are cheap and effortless – they don’t need to be all that impressive as long as they leave a pleasant aftertaste and commemorate a fun night. Your best bet is to lean into your natural instincts – if you’ve never DIYed anything in your entire life, this is not a good time to start, and if you don’t love being the center of attention, skip the part where I break down how to print a hot picture of yourself on thirty lighters.

With the holiday party season (also known as the giving season) around the corner, I asked some of my most thoughtful, creative, and generous friends to help me come up with a couple of party favor ideas you can easily replicate for your next Friendsgiving, watch party, birthday dinner, or a New Years Eve pregame.

Speed up the bonding with matching (temporary) tattoos

Not everyone has the guts to get a stick-and-poke at a random Bushwick party, but luckily, there are less invasive ways to make the memories from a good night last a little longer. Last month, an MIT student Alissa Serfozo hosted a biker themed birthday party and treated all of her guests to temporary tattoos. “It was such a fun night,” she told me. “A mix of old and new friends who got to know each other pretty quickly after rubbing temporary tattoos on one another.” Alissa went with the classic Americana-style sleeves but you can go with something smaller, like this pack of fine line tattoos, or order something custom.

Keychain for every new door opening in the new year

I don’t know about you but these 831 keychains inspired by the “just one bed” romance novel trope have been all over my feed. Personally, I am rocking this one from Okay to Rest as a reminder to be kind to myself, but you can make something custom to commemorate your annual ski trip or solidify your Gilmore Girls 2024 rewatch club membership.

If winter blues are taking a toll on your creativity, treat your friends with something premade, like this good luck charm for the new year or something to make light of the seasonal depression. Alternatively, you can go for something danglier and pick up a pack of random charms on Etsy or at a local vintage market, throw them together in a big bowl, and let your guests pick their own luck.

Simple favor with a huge potential

Speaking of luck, holidays are the best time to test it – the air is just filled with dreams and possibilities. It feels like anything could happen if you just believe it – a holiday romance, a run-in into an old friend, and maybe even winning the lotto.

So, why not run to the nearest corner store to get your friends a bunch of scratch cards and see which one of you is destined to become a millionaire and fly the crew out somewhere warm? You can design scratch card holders, like these, and tape the lottery tickets to the back for extra fun or host your own lottery with raffle tickets and custom prizes.

Keep the spark alive through the cold months

Cheap, useful, and collectible, matchboxes must be the most popular party favor by far. “They can be reused over and over and will remind you of the party every time,” explains the writer of the Lunch on Friday newsletter Angelina Hazzouri. “I've given these as party favors for my last few birthdays, and I continue to get texts from friends of my matchboxes in the wild.”

Design wise, Angelina recommends going with something that encapsulates the theme of the party. She’s done Marie-Antoinette and Brat-themed matches for the past couple of her birthdays, but you can let your imagination run wild with the right Etsy seller.

Personally, I believe in lighter superiority, and can’t stop thinking about these hot Y2K core Gabbriette lighters from her collaboration with Heaven. There are a couple of ways to go about making your own: you can order them in bulk on Etsy or you can buy a pack of lighters at a local corner store and print out custom wrappers on sticker paper yourself.

If you are feeling extra thankful for your friends and family this holiday season, you can splurge on engraved metal lighters or lighter cases. This one from Sandy Liang and this one from Merit are the chicest.

Commemorate the moment — the analogue way

Nothing can possibly be more memorable than a literal picture from a fun night. Over the years, partygoers have run through several image taking options - from Polaroids and disposables to old-school photo booths filled with goofy props. But there’s still one that feels delightfully refreshing — inviting a caricature artist to capture sweet moments from the night and draw whimsical portraits of your guests. Partiful partnered with @jeffreymarchetti for their holiday extravaganza last year, who left guests with big smiles and fun little portraits as keepsakes.

Leave a sweet aftertaste

The perfect way to end a party (and this year) on a high note is a little sugary treat. Nic Marna, the writer of the Milking It newsletter showed me these insane book cover cookies that a book blogger Maddie Wellington baked for the Intermezzo premier party and these ones she baked for a Page Break reading retreat. Obviously, you don’t have to go this far (unless…you can) because even something easy, like a batch of store-bought cookies, will go over just as well. The writer of Club Reticent Valerie Estrina recently baked an impromptu carrot cake for an office party that her coworkers still can’t stop talking about: “Showing up with a whole tray of cake was so awkward because nobody else brought anything (and also, who wants to show up to the office like that?), but it ended up being the star of the night.” The writer of Apartamento 710 Florencia Orneals recommended going the extra mile and wrapping the sweet treats up with funky ribbons and cute bows.

As the world becomes increasingly more digital, any physical token of love, friendships, and fun times feels that much more special. So, if you are hosting a holiday party this year, I really hope you consider bringing one of these ideas to life. And if you have a heartwarming party favor story, please DM it to @partiful on Instagram – we want to hear all about it!