Have you ever attended a favorite things party? It’s similar to a white elephant gift exchange where everyone brings a gift, and at the end of the night, everyone leaves with a gift! The main differences are what types of gifts are exchanged! In a favorite things party, everyone brings a “favorite thing”- usually a newly purchased favorite thing, and usually a budget is set by the party host. This is so easy to shop for because you just go to the store and find something that you LOVE. Or go to your recent Amazon order and repurchase something that you love!
I was finally invited to a Favorite Things party two years ago at Christmas time and it was SO fun. Maybe because my love language is gifts, this type of thing is my JAM. It’s not too high stakes, but everyone leaves with a gift and that makes my heart so happy! After I attended a favorite things party, Tera said she would like to host one for her friends. I told her that we just could not manage one more thing during Christmas time, but we could do it in January when it’s cold and dark and we need a little pick-me-up. So this past weekend, Tera hosted her very own favorite things party. She made the invite on Canva and handed it out to all of her girl classmates and some friends from church. The other nice thing about a party like this is that it can work for 5-20+ people! We asked everyone to bring a favorite thing ($10-$15) and an appetizer to share.
This party was SO fun, and the girls brought the sweetest gifts. It was SO FUN to see what types of favorite things are happening amongst our pre-teen girls. The appetizers were great, too!
Here is a list of some of the favorite things that were brought:
- fuzzy yarn for knitting
- a favorite book
- makeup (blush, mascara)
- a fuzzy blanket
- a notebook and fun pens
- candy/coffee
- a stuffed animal
- a cute cup with some fuzzy socks and chapstick
Here is how it works:
Every attender buys a favorite thing to bring to the party. Our party budget was $10-15. It’s best to bring the item wrapped up. Once all attendees have arrived, cut slips of paper numbered 1-___ (however many attendees you have- if you have 11 attendees, make slips of paper that say 1, 2, 3, 4, through 11). Have each guest pick a slip of paper and this determines who goes first, second, etc.
The first person takes their turn and picks a gift- opens it up, and shows it off. The gifter- the person who brought the gift- is more than welcome to explain why this gift is a favorite- It’s so fun if you really sell why this is a favorite!
The person with #2 goes next- they can either steal the first gift or pick a new gift. If they steal the first gift, the 1st person can pick a new gift.
The third person goes and either picks a new gift or steals one of the already opened gifts. This continues until everyone has picked a gift. Remember that if there is any stealing, the person who was stolen from now gets to either pick a new gift or steal another. Stealing can be so fun- it keeps the gifts moving along.
House rules can be implemented, but we made a rule that a gift can only be stolen twice. Once it has been stolen a second time, it is locked in and no one else can steal it. We also made a rule that you can’t steal the same gift right back again- If person 4 steals your gift, you and now it’s your turn to either pick or steal, you can’t steal that same gift directly back again. But if you have waited for another round- say person 5 steals your new gift, then you can steal the gift back from person 4. Trust me- it gets really fun and can get pretty competitive 🙂
Tips:
- I’ve also seen the party done where everyone brings 12 of their favorite thing, and then everyone leaves with one favorite thing from each attender. This sounds so fun, but also best for those with a much higher budget 🙂
- I love this type of party because it can work for anyone- office staff, church people, teens, pre-teens or younger kids! I’m not sure my husband would be interested, but you could totally do a mens version! Or if you have a bunch of expecting Moms, you could do some sort of baby shower version. The opportunities are endless!
- Follow the budget that the host sets. It’s not as fun if someone brings a $1 thing and someone else brings a $50 gift. It works best when the gifts are all similar value
- During the exchange, don’t pick your own gift. Let someone else enjoy your favorite thing!
- Don’t worry about pleasing everyone with your gift- just pick something that is your favorite and don’t be offended if someone else doesn’t love it. For example, if you love puzzles- bring a puzzle! It’s ok if someone else at the party doesn’t want a puzzle.
- In the same way, just know that you may leave the party without something that is your favorite. That’s ok. Just keep it and regift it to someone else haha.
- I highly recommend stealing- it makes the party more fun and lively!
So fun!
We should do this for our gift exchange next year!
That does sound fun!