How to Host a Favorite Things Party (plus tons of gift ideas!)
Favorite Things Party = My favorite girls night of the year!
If you’re looking for a fun way to gather your friends, swap some great finds, and have a blast doing it, a Favorite Things Party is the perfect idea! Not only is it easy to plan, but everyone leaves with a few new treasures and a whole lot of laughs. Whether you’re hosting a girls’ night, a holiday get-together, or just want an excuse to celebrate, this party is all about sharing the things you love—and discovering new favorites along the way.
Ready to get started? I’ve got all the tips you need to host the perfect Favorite Things Party, plus tons of gift ideas that are sure to inspire!
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What is a Favorite Things Party?
A Favorite Things Party is a fun, unique twist on a gift exchange! Each guest brings a few of their favorite items—anything from a beauty product they swear by to a kitchen gadget they can’t live without—and shares them with the group. Everyone goes home with new favorite things that their friends love. It’s a chance to bond, discover fun products, and treat each other to little surprises. Plus, it’s a great way to learn about new items you might not have discovered on your own!
How To Throw A Favorite Things Party
Set a Price Limit
We set a price limit of $10-15 and this seems to work best for everyone. I’ve thought about increasing it, but most people have an easy time with this price range and have opted to stick with it.
Some folks I’ve talked to set a higher limit of $25, but do what’s best for the group. You can also set a higher limit and ask each guest to only bring two items instead of three.
Invite Your Guests
When it comes to inviting guests to your Favorite Things Party, you can get as creative as you like! You can send out traditional paper invitations if you want to give it a personal touch, or keep things simple with digital invites through platforms like Evite, Paperless Post, or even a quick group text. Another fun option is creating a private Facebook event, where you can easily share updates, gift ideas, and party details.
Be sure to explain how the party works, including how many favorite items to bring (typically 3-5 of the same item), the price range, and any theme you might have in mind. Keeping the invite fun and informative will get your guests excited and ready to join in!
Purchase Favorite Thing Items
When it comes to choosing your favorite thing to bring, I recommend each guest purchase three of the same item—though if you want to mix it up with different colors or styles of the same thing, go for it! You can make your own rules for how many items and the price range.
Do your guests need ideas on what to pick? Tell them to start by thinking about things they already love! Take a walk around the house and look for items you use every day—a cozy candle, your favorite kitchen gadget, a go-to beauty product, or even a snack you can’t live without. The key is to choose something you’re excited to share, because if you love it, your friends will too!
Decide On Your Party Strategy
I always tell my guests to bring their gifts unwrapped. This allows everyone to see exactly what it is and gives people a chance to choose the item they want. I think this strategy is best because people have different preferences and you want your guests to be excited about what they’re taking home.
If you would prefer your guests bring their gifts wrapped, that’s fine too. This is more of a white elephant style game, where guests don’t know what they’re getting. When it’s their turn to pick a gift, they can either choose one from the table, or steal from another person.
Choose Your Food & Drinks
I like to make things simple by telling my guests exactly what is needed for food and drinks. I break it up into drinks, appetizers, and desserts and let them know how many people are needed for each category. This ensures we have a good variety and not too many of one thing.
If you’re looking for a good party recipe, take a look at this Pepperoni Dip. This is hands-down one of the best dips you’ll ever eat!
The Party
When the guests arrive, I have a couple tables set up for everyone to place their items. I like to give people a chance to mingle for about an hour before getting started with the exchange. This allows time to grab something to eat, get a drink, and have a chance to chat.
Once everyone has settled in, I start things off with a fun game. I think of three things I love, and make each one into a word scramble. I give out small prizes to the winners, and it’s just a fun way to get things going.
Then it’s time for my favorite part! Each person takes turns explaining their favorite thing. As you can see from the pictures below, we like to have a good time, lol. It’s always fun to hear what people have to say and it usually brings a good laugh. If you chose to have your guests bring wrapped gifts, you may want to wait til the end to have them explain what they brought.
No matter which strategy you chose, wrapped or unwrapped, you’ll start out the same way. Put everyone’s name on a piece of paper and place all names in a basket. Draw names one at a time, allowing each person to choose their new gift. Once all names have been called, place them back in the basket and draw again. Repeat the process for rounds 2 and 3, until everyone has three new items to take home.
We do three rounds of drawing names, so that everyone goes home with three different items. Then we usually exchange links, so that others can grab any gifts they may have missed out on. It’s a great opportunity to share things you love with your friends, and an awesome guide as you start Christmas shopping!
Giant List of Favorite Things
Now that you know how a Favorite Things Party works, it’s time for the fun part—choosing the perfect gift to bring! You may already have an idea of what you’d like to bring, but if you need help, check out the items below.
I’ve provided a giant list of items that range in price and category, so there’s something for everyone. From beauty must-haves to kitchen gadgets and cozy home essentials, these ideas will help inspire you as you pick out the perfect gift to share at your party!
Beauty Must-Haves
Teami Exfoliating Konjac Facial Sponge
O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Hand Cream
Invisibobble Original Traceless Spiral Hair Ties
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Organic Lip Balm
Kitchen Gadgets
Electric Milk Frother and Steamer
OXO Good Grips Silicone Cookie Spatula
Just For Fun
1000 piece Magic Puzzle Company
Around The House
Travel Essentials
Samsonite 2-Pack Leather Luggage ID Tag
Clothing & Accessories
Miscellaneous
I love how much thought people put into their gifts each year. It’s always so hard to choose which I items I want, so I usually end up buying some of the others afterwards.
As I said before, there are several variations for how to throw a favorite things party. If you have any questions on how I do it, please ask me. The key is to make it simple and fun for everyone.
And we always have fun!
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How to Throw a Galentine’s Day Party
40 Unique Charcuterie Board Ideas
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