DIY Patterned Papers: Favors

We're feeling a lot of love for our new DIY Collection and one of our most exciting additions is the selection of patterned papers that match your favorite wedding suites. The papers, all 8.5 x 11" and printed on smooth, 80-lb text weight paper are the perfect way to add finishing touches on your big day, from paper drink flags to napkin rings. To add to our series of DIY wedding crafts, we're bringing you easy and adorable paper favors.  These can also be doubled as place cards or escort tags!

These mini paper bags are the simplest way to provide favors for your guests, but there are many ways you can dress them up to match your decor. You can find them in various colors at your local craft supply store, and they come in large and small sizes. They make the perfect grab bag for a casual wedding filled with local treats or handmade gifts. Instructions below!

Mini cardboard boxes may be the most traditional wedding favors around, but they are as versatile as they are practical. We wrapped our patterned paper around them and secured with a label or ribbon to make them match. If you want to get extra crafty, you can even make a favor box out of the patterned paper! Use this favor box template to trace.

And last but not least are these easy tea bag tags. You can wrap them to almost any object, and they can be dressed up or dressed down with some fancy calligraphy or alphabet stamps. Use this favor tag template for easy tracing.

Paper Bags:

Materials: 3.5" x 2" x 6.75" Paper Bags, Patterned Paper, Glue, 1/8" Hole Punch, Ribbon or Twine, Scissors

How To: Cut your patterned paper into 2.5" x 3.5" rectangles. Insert your favor into the bag and fold the top 1.25" down toward the back. Fold your patterned paper in half (the long way - or hot dog style!) Apply some glue to the back side of your patterned paper and stick to both sides of the folded bag. Punch a hole 1.5" from both sides. Loop your ribbon or twine from the back and tie a square knot or bow. Cut the ends of the ribbon at 45 degree angles.

Adhesive Labels:

Materials: 3.5" x 2" x 6.75" Paper Bags, Patterned Paper, Glue, Label Paper, Washi Tape or Stickers

How To: Cut your patterned paper into 2.75" x 3.5" rectangles. Glue to your paper bag. Print a 2.25" x 3" label on label paper and stick on top of your patterned paper. Stuff with a favor and fold 1" from the top. Seal with washi tape or a sticker.

Mini Cardboard Box Wrap:

Materials: 3" x 3" x 2" Boxes, Patterned Paper, Glue or Double-Sided Tape, Label Paper or Ribbon

How To: Cut a 1" x 11" or 1.5" x 11" strip of patterned paper. Wrap around the box and secure with double sided tape or glue. Add a personalized label or piece of ribbon and tie.

Mini Paper Favor Box:

Materials: Patterned Paper, Pencil, Scissors, Glue, Template

How To: Cut out the template with scissors and trace onto the back of your patterned paper. Cut with scissors and fold in places of dotted lines. Apply glue on the two labeled tabs and fold pieces together so the "top" and "bottom" squares are in place.

Tea Bag Tag:

Materials: Patterned Paper, Scissors or Craft Knife, Pencil, Ruler, 1/8" Hole Punch

How To: On the back of your patterned paper, draw a 2" x 3.5" rectangle with a pencil and ruler. Cut out with scissors or craft knife. Cut 1/2" corners off the ends of one side. Punch a hole 1/2" from the top and 1" from the sides to center. Loop with ribbon or twine and tie to your favors! Use this handy template for easy tracing!

Shop all patterned papers here, and to view more paper DIY projects, visit our website!

Teeny Hand-Blown Bottles

How gorgeous and adorable are these! Hand blown borosilicate glass bottles, made from the same sort of glass as Pyrex and your everyday run-of-the-mill scientific glassware. Amazing!

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We have a weakness for miniature things anyhow, so we really have a shine on these. Love green glass!

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Lordy! A wine bottle and a teeny Erlenmeyer flask!  The maker is a pro and has a degree in scientific glass blowing, but the work is surprisingly affordable. The etsy shop is called Kivaford. Imagine our surprise! Wouldn't these be fab as wedding favors, for wee bud vases?

Cute Origami Favor Boxes

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How cute are these little origami boxes?  We found them over on Les Surprises de Fifi Mandirac (these are her super adorable papers - love the mixed patterns). She found this on K.Design, a lovely blog with all kinds of cute origami ideas...

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They would make adorable favor boxes and they look pretty easy to make!  You can find the instructions here (they are very clear, but in French, so a quick translation follows, should you need it!)

Row 1: I used a piece of square origami paper (12  x 12 cm or 15 x 15 cm)

Row 2:  Fold along dotted lines

Row 3: Unfold the left and right sides

Row 4: Raise the left side; bring the flap down and inside

Row 5: Repeat on the right side

Conseil:  Tip: to make a cover, use a slightly larger piece of paper

The Humble, Well-Loved Whoopie Pie

We have a special fondness for whoopie pies at Hello!Lucky. A couple of years back one of our printers, Aaron, had a bake-off with one of our designers, who shall remain nameless. Whoopie pies were the winner— but we wouldn't say that there was any actual competition. Just fun and fabulous home-baked whoopie pies! whoppie1

These dapper down-home delicacies, from WannaHavaCookie.com were mentioned in the New York Times, and most closely resemble the no-frills whoopie pies that Aaron crafted.  The recipe, passed on from generations of Pennsylvania Dutch-ish lineage, is closely guarded among Aaron's sylvan clan.  But we imagine that the WannaHavaCookie whoopies are fairly close to the "real thing."

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Being a purist, Aaron would probably view these red-velvet variants as an abomination, but we bet they'd be pretty darn tasty.

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Even a holiday whoopie pie with peppermint filling! We could go for that!  WannaHavaCookie charmingly touts that whoopie pies would make great wedding favors. And we might just agree!  But could they make a black-tie whoopie pie?

Paulette Macarons

Paulette Macaroons 4 Yesterday at Jessica's 30th birthday party we got a taste of these amazing macarons from Paulette Macarons' new San Francisco bakery (their other one is in Beverly Hills).

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The flavors are amazing -- including rose, columbian coffee, madagascar vanilla, caramel, and sweet wedding almond -- and so is the packaging!

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We got our selection in one of these pretty boxes.

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Each one is artful, delicate and delicious. These would definitely be an amazing treat for wedding favors!! You can order them online here.

Paulette Macarons San Francisco 437 Hayes St, (Cross Street: Gough St) 415.864.2400 Mon  |  12 - 6pm Tue – Sat  |  11am – 7pm Sunday  |  12 - 6pm

Photos from here.