Making Graduation Party Favors

Ideas for Making Graduation Party Favors

Tassels

A tassel is another popular graduation image that makes a good homemade favor.

1. Wrap a length of yarn, embroidery floss or string around your fingers or a piece of cardboard. The more times you wrap it, the thicker the tassel will be.
2. Tie another piece of string through the top loop. Make sure this piece of string is long enough for what you want to do with the tassel. If the tassel is a standalone favor, the string should be longer so it hangs on the edge of a shelf, dangles from a rearview mirror, or attaches to a key ring. If the tassel will be added to a decorative graduation cap, the string just needs to be short enough to hang over the edge.
3. Tie another piece of string around the width of the tassel, a short distance from the top.
4. Cut the bottom loop to finish your tassel.

If you don't want to make a full tassel to add to a graduation cap favor, another option is to use a single piece of thicker string, such as satin cord intended for jewelry crafts, and fray the ends a bit to look more like a tassel. You can also add beads for a decorative touch.

Graduation Caps

Miniature graduation caps are another popular party favor choice. One option is to make them from egg cartons. Cut out an individual egg cup for the base and a square of cardboard for the mortarboard. Paint the egg cup and cardboard to match, and glue the cardboard on top. Add a tassel, along with additional decorations, such as the graduation year, if desired.

Another option is to use a paper mache box as the base. Paint the box; add a cardboard top, and a tassel. You can fill the box with candy or another favor, or leave it empty as a keepsake box.

Multimedia Options

When you're thinking of handmade favors, don't forget your digital options. A mix CD can be an interesting graduation party favor. Some ideas for the track list include:

• The top song from each year in the graduate's life
• The graduating senior's personal favorites
• Songs chosen by friends and family that best represent the guest of honor
• Popular songs from the past school year
• Songs representing important achievements, such as "We Are the Champions" for a basketball player on the state championship team or "There's No Business Like Show Business" for the lead in the school musical

Digital photos are another option for making graduation party favors. You can create a slide show of photos from throughout the graduate's life, and set it to music. If you have access to a projector from work or school or a laptop to bring to the party venue, play the presentation for guests during the event. Pass burned CDs or DVDs out as favors. There are also many printable photo options, from buttons to mouse pads. In many cases, you can make them entirely at home, but in some cases, you may have to design a personalized image and order the finished product from a specialized store.

Keepsakes

If other graduates will attend your party, they will welcome the chance to take home a favor that is also a special keepsake of their graduation. One option is to set out plain white t-shirts, tank tops, or hats along with fabric paints and markers. Guests can then take home a truly individualized party favor and use the shirt to gather autographs if they wish. Another idea that would allow seniors to share autographs and special memories is to use a desktop publishing program to create a memory book. Include room for signatures and guiding questions, such as "Who was your favorite teacher?", to encourage guests to share their favorite moments from their schooldays.

As a graduate's time in school comes to a close, graduation party favors offer one more way to make the memories last a bit longer.