Ring in the holidays with a favorite things party! This themed gift exchange encourages guests to share the things they love with the people they love. To throw your own favorite things party, check out this guide, brought to you by Evite and Chinet® Cut Crystal®.
Favorite Things Party: The Prep
First, determine the guest list and gift price limit. If you’re aiming for a tight-knit group of four (including you), ask everyone to bring three of their favorite things — one for each guest — with a budget of $10-$20 each. If you want to extend the invitation to 15 people, have guests bring 3 to 5 of their favorite thing and keep the price limit between $5 and $15 apiece.
Favorite Things Party: The Decorations
Primp your place by putting up some of your fave decorations — for example, a tassel garland, bright flowers, nutcrackers (if you’re hosting a holiday party) and trays filled with treats.
Make disposable serveware pop (we like the disposable stemless wine glasses from Chinet® Cut Crystal®) by attaching felt circles to your cups and plates with craft glue. Simply purchase pre-cut felt circles (available at craft stores) or use a hole punch on sheets of colored felt (also available at craft stores) to make your own circles. Then glue them on the outside of cups and underneath clear plastic plates (so the tops remain food friendly) and let dry at least 20 minutes.
Try a white tree this year, and buy or make ornaments representing your favorite things!
Favorite Things Party: Food & Drinks
Donuts? Of course! Bubbly? Yes, please! Ask friends to tell you their favorite foods and drinks so you can add some of their guilty pleasures into the mix. Place these free printable signs in simple matching frames to display your menu. Then snap pics of guests with their favorite treats!
Favorite Things Party: The Exchange
After the catch-up and chitchat, it’s time to get down to the gifts. Provide stockings, small boxes or decorative bags for each guest to hold the treasures they’ll collect. You can have guests place their gifts on a table with printed name cards next to their hand-picked gifts, or have them hold onto their gifts until it’s time to give them away. If it’s a smaller group, you may want to package the boxes, stockings or bags with all the gifts everyone brought while guests mingle. Simply go around the room and have guests share why the gift they brought is their favorite thing, then pass out the presents.
If it’s a larger group and not everyone will be receiving the same gift, you may want to keep the gifts out instead of packaging everything. For five or more guests, write everyone’s name on pieces of paper (three slips per person) and place them in a bowl. Go around the circle and have each guest share what they brought and why it’s their favorite thing, then go back around and have each guest pick three names out of the bowl (if the same person is picked twice for the same gift, pick again). Those three guests will receive that specific gift. Each person should receive three gifts by the end of the exchange. You can also have everyone show all the gifts first, then let guests pick the three gifts they want most, drawing names from a bowl to determine what order they go in. Just decide on your favorite way to proceed, then have fun!
Start inviting your friends to share their favorite things with the free Evite invitation below or another one from our holiday invitation gallery.
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