You’ve picked the theme, ordered the cake, and printed the games. Then someone asks what you’re giving guests to take home, and your brain goes blank. Party favors are the easiest part of a baby shower to overthink and the easiest part to forget until three days before the event.
The good news: a great favor doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. It needs to feel like a genuine thank-you, match the vibe of your shower, and not end up in a junk drawer six months later. Below are 27 ideas split by type, from $1 treats to small keepsakes guests will actually keep on their counter.
Sweet and Edible Treats
Edible favors disappear fast, which means nobody’s stuck figuring out what to do with a trinket they didn’t ask for. These work for almost any theme and any budget.
1. Ready-to-Pop Popcorn Bags
Fill clear cellophane bags with caramel or kettle corn and seal them with a sticker that says “she’s about to pop.” It’s a simple pun, but it lands every time, and popcorn is one of the few snacks almost every guest will eat.
The bags cost next to nothing to assemble and hold up well if the shower runs long, since popcorn doesn’t melt or spoil sitting on a gift table. Buy the popcorn in bulk from a warehouse store and you’re looking at under a dollar per guest.
2. Sweet-as-Can-Bee Honey Jars
Small glass jars of local honey, tied with raffia and a tag that reads “sweet as can bee,” work particularly well for a bee or garden-themed shower. Local honey also gives you a reason to shop at a nearby farm stand or farmers market instead of a big-box store.
Guests use honey in tea, baking, or just on toast, so it doesn’t sit around unused. Mini jars run about $2 to $3 each depending on where you order them.
3. Hot Cocoa Cones
For a fall or winter shower, fill a clear cone bag with hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, and a few chocolate chips, then tie it shut with ribbon. Guests just tip the whole thing into a mug of warm milk when they get home.
These photograph well lined up on a dessert table, which makes them do double duty as both favor and décor. Add a candy cane for a peppermint version if the shower falls near the holidays.
4. S’mores Kits
Pack graham crackers, chocolate squares, and marshmallows into a small kraft bag for a rustic or backyard-themed shower. A handwritten tag that says “thanks for coming” is all the packaging needs.
This one works especially well if the shower itself has a bonfire or patio setup, since the favor mirrors what guests are already doing at the party. Keep portions small — three or four of each item is plenty per bag.
5. Mini Iced Sugar Cookies
Order a dozen or so small sugar cookies iced in your shower’s color palette, or bake them yourself if you have the time. A local bakery can usually match a Pinterest board with a few days’ notice.
Cookies read as more polished than most favors without costing much more, and they work for showers that skip a formal dessert table. Ask the bakery about adding a short icing message like the baby’s initial or due date.
6. Rock Candy Sticks
Individually wrapped rock candy sticks in pink, blue, or a gender-neutral color are an easy grab-and-go favor for showers with a lot of kids or a candy-themed dessert bar. They’re inexpensive even at full retail price, and bulk packs bring the cost down further.
Tie a small tag around the stick with the baby’s name and shower date, and you’ve got a favor that took five minutes to assemble.
Plantable and Eco-Friendly Favors
Guests increasingly prefer favors that don’t turn into clutter. These give them something that grows instead of something that sits on a shelf.
7. Wildflower Seed Packets
Small paper packets of wildflower seeds, labeled “baby in bloom” or “watch me grow,” cost well under $1 each when bought in bulk and work for nearly any season or theme. Guests plant them at home and get a visual reminder of the shower every spring.
Print your own labels on cardstock if you want a specific color match, or order pre-printed packets online if you’re short on time.
8. Mini Succulent Favors
A small potted succulent doubles as table décor during the party and goes home with each guest afterward, so you’re not paying for centerpieces and favors separately. Succulents also survive neglect better than cut flowers, which makes them a safer bet for guests who don’t have a green thumb.
Buy them in bulk from a wholesale nursery and expect to pay $2 to $4 per plant depending on pot size. A simple tag reading “watch me grow” ties it to the baby theme without much effort.
9. Herb Garden Starter Kits
A small pot, a packet of basil or mint seeds, and a bit of soil make a favor that’s genuinely useful rather than decorative. This one leans slightly more premium than a seed packet alone, so it fits showers with a garden brunch or farmhouse theme especially well.
Assemble the kits yourself for around $3 per guest, or order pre-packaged versions if you’d rather skip the DIY step.
10. Seed Paper Bookmarks
These are made from paper embedded with wildflower seeds, so guests can use them as an actual bookmark and then plant the whole thing once it’s served its purpose. They fit a storybook or “new chapter” themed shower particularly well, since the bookmark idea ties directly into the theme.
Order them shaped like a onesie or a simple rectangle, and expect to pay $1 to $2 apiece depending on the design.
Spa and Self-Care Favors
A lot of baby shower guests are parents themselves, and a small self-care item tends to get more use than a decorative trinket.
11. Lavender Sachets
Small muslin bags filled with dried lavender or chamomile, lightly spritzed with essential oil, work as a drawer or closet freshener long after the shower ends. They’re one of the cheapest favors on this list, usually under $1 each when the bags are bought in bulk.
A tag reading “a little something to make life sweeter” adds a personal touch without much extra work.
12. Mini Lip Balms
Lip balm is one of the few favors nearly every guest will actually use, regardless of age or gender. Order a batch with custom labels featuring the baby’s name and shower date, or buy plain tubes and print your own stickers at home.
They run about $1 to $2 each and pack flat, which makes them easy to include in a larger favor bag alongside something edible.
13. Sugar Scrub Jars
Small jars of homemade sugar scrub, made from sugar, coconut oil, and a few drops of essential oil, feel more elevated than their low cost suggests. A batch makes enough for a dozen or more small jars, so the per-guest cost stays around $1.50.
Add a ribbon and a simple label, and this doubles as a favor that looks like it came from a boutique rather than a kitchen counter.
14. Bamboo Washcloth Roses
Ultra-soft bamboo washcloths, rolled into a rose shape and tied with twine, work as both a decorative touch on the gift table and a genuinely useful item once guests get home. They’re gentle enough to double as a facial cloth or makeup remover.
This favor leans slightly more premium — expect to pay $3 to $5 per cloth — but it’s one guests are unlikely to toss.
Tea and Coffee Favors
For a garden party, brunch, or afternoon shower, a tea or coffee-themed favor fits the mood without needing much extra styling.
15. Tea and Honey Stick Bundles
Pair a bag of your favorite loose-leaf or bagged tea with a honey stick and a cute stirrer, then tie it all together with a tag reading “a baby is brewing.” It’s a favor with a built-in pun, which never hurts.
These cost about $2 per guest assembled at home, less if you buy tea in bulk rather than individually packaged bags.
16. Mini Coffee Bags
For a shower full of coffee drinkers, a small bag of ground coffee with a custom label is a favor people genuinely look forward to using the next morning. Local roasters will often do small custom runs if you ask ahead of time.
Keep the bags small — a single-serving pouch is plenty — since the goal is a nice thank-you, not a full bag of beans.
17. Herbal Tea Sampler Tins
A small tin with two or three herbal tea varieties gives guests some variety instead of a single flavor. This works well as a slightly more premium alternative to the tea-and-honey bundle above, especially for a bridal-adjacent or elegant garden shower.
Order tins pre-filled online, or fill your own from bulk loose-leaf tea for a lower cost per guest.
Keepsake and Practical Favors
Some guests prefer something they’ll actually use around the house rather than something edible or plantable. These land somewhere in between a favor and a small gift.
18. Personalized Fridge Magnets
A small acrylic or epoxy magnet with the baby’s name and shower date sits on a fridge for years, which makes it one of the longer-lasting favors on this list. They run $2 to $4 each depending on the material and finish.
Keep the design simple — a name, a date, and one small illustration — so it doesn’t look cluttered at magnet size.
19. Custom Mini Tote Bags
A small canvas tote printed with the shower date or a short phrase like “the little one is on the way” gives guests something they’ll actually grab for groceries or the beach. It also solves the problem of how they carry their other favors home.
Bulk tote printing runs about $4 to $6 per bag, which puts this toward the higher end of the list, but it replaces the need for separate favor packaging.
20. Engraved Keychains
A small wooden or metal keychain engraved with the baby’s initial or a short phrase works well for showers with a mixed-gender guest list, since it skips the more traditionally feminine packaging some favors lean on. Guests use their keys every day, so the favor stays visible.
Expect to pay $2 to $3 per keychain through most personalization sites.
21. Mini Photo Frame Favors
A small frame, either left empty or holding a printed detail from the invitation, gives guests a keepsake tied specifically to your event rather than a generic baby-themed item. Skip printing the baby’s actual name and photo if the baby hasn’t arrived yet — a shower date or short message works better.
These run $3 to $5 each and photograph nicely lined up on a favor table.
Favors for Kids at the Shower
If siblings, cousins, or a neighbor’s kids are on the guest list, a favor built for adults tends to go unused. A few kid-specific options keep everyone covered.
22. Kids’ Bubble Wands
Mini bubble wands are cheap, easy to find in bulk, and give kids something to do outside if the shower has any outdoor space at all. They cost well under $1 each at most party supply retailers.
Skip the elaborate packaging here — a small basket by the door guests’ kids can grab from works fine.
23. Temporary Tattoo Packs
A small sheet of baby-themed temporary tattoos gives younger guests something fun without any real cost or effort on your end. They pack flat, so they’re easy to tuck into a larger favor bag alongside something for the adults.
Order a themed set — animals, stars, or baby bottles — for around $0.50 per guest in bulk.
24. Personalized Crayon Sets
A small box of crayons with a custom wrapper featuring the shower date gives kids something to do at the table while the adults play shower games. It also doubles as an activity if you set out a coloring page.
These run about $1.50 to $2 per box and can be assembled at home with printable wrappers.
Elegant and Premium Favors
For a shower with a more formal or upscale feel, a slightly higher-end favor fits the tone without needing to go overboard.
25. Mini Scented Candle Jars
A small candle in a labeled jar feels like a proper gift rather than a throwaway favor, and most guests will actually burn it rather than set it aside. Order a scent that isn’t too polarizing — something like vanilla or a light floral works for most crowds.
Mini candle favors typically run $4 to $6 each, which puts this toward the top of the budget range, but it reads as far more expensive than it costs.
26. Macaron Gift Boxes
A small clear box with two macarons and a coordinating ribbon adds a touch of polish to any shower without requiring a full dessert table. Order the ribbon in a color that matches your shower palette for a pulled-together look.
These run about $3 to $5 per box depending on the bakery, and they work especially well for a smaller, more intimate guest list where presentation matters.
27. Personalized Ceramic Coasters
A set of small coasters with the baby’s name or shower date etched or printed on them gives guests something they’ll set a drink on for years, not just admire once and put away. They work well as a slightly more grown-up alternative to a magnet or keychain.
Order these through a personalization site for $3 to $5 each, and consider bundling two per guest if your budget allows.
Twenty-seven ideas is a lot to choose from, so don’t feel like you need to pick just one. A lot of hosts pair a small edible favor with something practical — a honey jar and a lip balm, say, or a seed packet and a candle. Whatever you land on, the guests showing up already know the gesture matters more than the price tag.