Happy Birthday Party Favors

Birthday parties.  Do these two little words make you a stress ridden, anxiety laced mess when you hear them?  Well, if you've spent anytime on the internet they might.  Especially if you feel like your party needs to look like all the swanky affairs that are posted on blog after blog or can be found by the thousands on Pinterest.

Confession.  I fell into that trap.  Yes, that trap that says you need to have a big party complete with the magnificent dessert table with coordinating backdrop.  I've given these parties my best effort.  Though they would never make their way into any party magazines, I was quite pleased with my son's All Aboard 4th birthday party and even the fun Hoppin' Easter Egg Hunt I threw last year.  The reality that I was stressing myself out for nothing came when my sweet boy said to me that he wasn't interested in having a 'backyard party' this year, that these parties were "boring".  Say what???  He told me he would just like to go to the pool with a few friends.  Is that it!?!  Your wish is my command!

My budget for this party was almost non-existent {we were saving for a Disney cruise} so I needed to find party favors that fit a pool theme and that parents wouldn't chuck straight into the trash.  A trip to the Dollar Tree and I found the most perfect and functional party favor and best of all everything was $1!

I searched the store not knowing what I would get, but the party gods were on my side because sitting on an end cap were these great water bottles.  SOLD!  A sturdy bottle that the kids could bring back to the pool time after time over the summer - what could be better than that?  Now what to put inside?  A little more searching and I found Angry Bird freezer pops and Singles to Go drink packets -- everything that said 'summer time' and 'pool fun'.  I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning.  I knew that I wanted six items in the bottles {six for turning 6...smart, huh?} so that meant I needed something else.  I decided I wanted re-freezable ice cubes which I had to get from Walmart because my wonderful dollar store hadn't stocked these this summer season.  Now that I had everything for the inside of the bottles, I needed to figure out how to personalize them.

Back in April, my best customer sent me a link that she thought I would love and she was right.  A water bottle drink holder tag from Blue Eyed Blessings.  I took this idea and used it for the bottles, with a few tweaks of course.

Using a piece of poster board from the dollar store, I measured and cut out each tag that I needed for the bottles.

Each tag measured 3" x 8"
I scored them 3 inches on one end
Using the bottom of the bottle, I traced a circle on the scored end
Using a straight razor, I cut out each circle which fit over the mouth of the bottle

Now to create the tag itself.  I searched Google for a 'pool' picture and found this one - wonderful!  Once I downloaded it and resized it to fit the tag, it was time to personalize each one.  Using Microsoft Word I added their name and our 'thanks' message along with another smaller tag that told what each bottle contained.

Of course the birthday boy's bottle was slightly different.

Each completed bottle ready to be handed out pool side.  In the end, each one costs roughly $1.80.  An awesomely inexpensive and thoughtful party favor...what can we say, that's the way we roll! {big cheesy smile}