DIY Wedding Favor Ideas To Give Guests a Heartfelt Souvenir From Your Big Day

Your wedding day is all about you: Your love, your style, your story. You pick a first dance song with lyrics that resonate, you choose colors that reflect your personal favorites, and you select attire that makes you feel your best. Beyond these big decisions, DIY wedding favors are a small and thoughtful way to make your day feel even more personal, by sharing a piece of your relationship with those who matter most. For example: If you and your partner share a love for pottery, perhaps you even met at an art class, you could create small ceramic trinket dishes for each guest. Or, if you're having a destination wedding to celebrate your family roots in Italy, homemade limoncello using your nonna's recipe would make a sweet and meaningful favor.

While DIY wedding party favors are a fantastic way to add a personal and memorable touch to your celebration, it's important to keep in mind that they're not necessarily inexpensive wedding favors. Not only can materials add up, but the time and effort it takes to make them is an investment in itself. A helpful tool to manage your wedding costs and see where you can save is The Knot's Budget Planner. This can help you decide between store-bought wedding favors, DIY favors or forgoing them altogether.

"I'm normally completely against wedding DIYs for many reasons, but I do think DIY can be appropriate for favors if the purpose is to give your guests a window into your relationship," says John Campbell, Owner and Principal Planner at John Campbell Events and Design. He advises, "It will take more time, money, resources and planning than you probably realize, so really weigh the pros and cons and start well in advance. Oh, and try to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong."

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For those committed to the homemade route, read about the dos and don'ts of DIY weddings, then explore our collection of "do it yourself" wedding favor ideas that'll leave a lasting impression on your guests. Whether it's a way to showcase a hobby or talent or an opportunity to involve family members, DIY favors allow you to inject a bit of your personality into the celebration.

1. Homemade Baked Goods

Edible wedding favors are sure to be a hit with guests—especially when they're made with love by the couple or their family. If you and your partner share a sweet tooth, love to bake together, or even run your own dessert business, homemade treats can be a perfect DIY favor that adds a personal touch to your celebration.

A great example of this comes from Lauren Conrad's 2014 wedding to William Tell. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the couple served homemade apple pies—an homage to Lauren's favorite dessert and William's surname. The pies were a true labor of love, with Lauren and two friends slicing 300 apples to prepare 50 pies by hand. As she shared on her website, "I am pleased to say that everyone loved them, and they gave our wedding day such a lovely personal touch." It's important to note that one of Lauren's friends, professional baker Lauren Lowstan, lent her commercial kitchen, freezers and baking expertise, which made the project more manageable. However, homemade baked goods can absolutely be a feasible wedding favor, even without professional help.

To make homemade treats a successful wedding favor, careful planning is essential. Whether you're making cookies, cupcakes or pies, choose recipes that hold up well over time and can be prepared in advance. Packaging is also key—opt for cute boxes, tins or cellophane bags to create an attractive presentation. You could even add a tag with your family recipe so they can recreate the confection at home. Don't hesitate to enlist help from friends or family; even seasoned bakers can benefit from a little extra support. And remember, baking in advance and freezing items can help reduce stress as the big day approaches. With the right preparation, you'll have delicious, heartfelt favors that perfectly reflect your unique celebration.

2. Self-Jarred Fruit Preserves or Honey

Photo: Kristopher Lindsay Photography

From jams and jellies to honey and marmalades, if it's sweet and in a glass mason jar, guests are going to enjoy it—especially if you're having a send-off brunch with pastries to compliment them. Before you jump on this homemade wedding favor, think about what fruit preserves or honey mean to you and your wedding. For instance, this couple gave guests jars of freshly made apple butter. They took apples from their wedding venue, Ya Ya Farm & Orchard in Longmont, Colorado, so guests could have a tasty souvenir from the wedding. It also fit perfectly with their rustic aesthetic.

In general, fruit preserves are relatively easy to make with just a few ingredients: fruit and sugar (and sometimes pectin and an acid like lemon juice). Make sure to choose a fruit with meaning to you and your fiance, though. Think about what's growing when and where you're getting married or if there is a fruit that represents each of your home states to mix together for one delicious jam. Once cooled, pour the preserves into sterilized jars, seal them with lids and add a personal touch with custom labels or decorative fabric covers to match your wedding theme.

Fresh honey makes a sweet and meaningful DIY wedding favor too, especially when it ties into the couple's personal story. As wedding planner Campbell recalls, "About five years ago, I had a couple who did apiculture together as a shared hobby. For their favors, they chose to harvest honey that their bees made and put it into individual jars. I loved the idea because it added to the story they wanted to tell their guests. The choice of honey wasn't arbitrary, it was a thoughtful decision with a lot of personal meaning."

3. Eco-Friendly Plant Kits

For couples who love gardening or want an eco-friendly wedding favor to share their values with guests, botanicals make a charming gift. You could package seeds of the same flowers featured in your bouquet, create small potted succulents (or air plants for a soil-free twist), or even offer a bundle of fresh herbs from your own garden. These natural gifts not only reflect your passion for the environment but also allow guests to take home a living, growing reminder of your special day. It's also a great way to tie in a rustic or garden-themed wedding. Plus, if you're hosting your wedding outdoors, this idea blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings.

4. Handmade Craft Gifts

Photo: Danielle DeFiore Photography

Crafting—whether with clay, paint or yarn—is a wonderful way to add a personal touch to your wedding and share a piece of your creative journey with your guests. Plus, it'll really showcase the time and care you've put into making something special. For example, if you met at a pottery class and honed your throwing skills together, there are plenty of DIY useful wedding favors to consider. Make personalized mugs and even use them for after-dinner espresso at the reception, or make each guest a trinket tray, turning the traditional ring dish gift back on them. For something simpler, take inspiration from this couple's boho wedding. The bride's mother handcrafted clay magnets in the shape of mountains and feathers, then painted them with gold detail to serve as escort cards and favors.

Painted canvases are another unique and creative DIY wedding favor that'll impress your guests. Perfect for artsy couples, this project can be an easy one if you already have paint supplies on hand—just order a bulk of small canvases, ideally around 4x4", especially if you have a large guest list. For the designs, consider painting scenic views from your wedding venue or portraits of the guests themselves—images everyone can relate to or that tie back to shared experiences. Once your paintings have dried, elevate the personal touch by adding a heartfelt message on the back of each canvas, expressing gratitude for their presence and support.

The possibilities of what you can make at home are virtually endless. Knitting or crocheting hats, scarves or can koozies can be a charming favor, especially for a winter wedding. For a more delicate touch, try making simple jewelry pieces—like bracelets or earrings—that your guests can wear as a memento. Wood burning is another unique craft idea that adds a rustic touch to your wedding favors. You can engrave intricate designs or meaningful words onto small wooden coasters, giving your guests a piece of your celebration to take home and enjoy for years to come.

5. Something Scented

Scented DIY wedding favors, such as candles and homemade soaps, are a wonderful way to create lasting olfactory memories of your celebration. You can choose essential oils that capture the essence of your wedding location, like balsam fir for a mountain venue or citrus and coconut for a beachside ceremony. Alternatively, blending you and your partner's favorite scents can symbolize the joining of your lives.

Scented candles, in particular, are perfect for creating a cozy, intimate atmosphere and make a thoughtful, personalized favor. Start by purchasing eco-friendly soy wax, then melt it and blend in your favorite essential oils for a custom fragrance. Pour the wax into vessels like small jars, teacups or vintage tins, and add a cotton wick. Once the candles are set, personalize the labels with your wedding date or a sweet message. For an extra touch, consider mixing in dried flowers, herbs or a bit of glitter to the wax for a beautiful, unique finish.

Homemade bar soap is a slightly more complex but luxurious DIY wedding favor idea. Begin with a melt-and-pour soap base, such as glycerin or shea butter, and add essential oils, like lavender for relaxation, eucalyptus for refreshment or citrus for energy. You can also incorporate exfoliating ingredients like oatmeal or coffee grounds. Pour the soap into molds that match your wedding theme, whether simple rectangular bars or custom shapes like initials or hearts, and let them set.

6. Mini Bottles of Homemade Liquor

Photo: Two One Photography

If your wedding includes alcohol, why not add a personal touch by crafting your own homemade liquor to share with your guests? Whether you're passionate about brewing or fermenting your own beverages, bottling a custom drink is a fun and memorable way to involve your guests in your celebration. From moonshine and limoncello to your own craft beer, the options are endless. For example, this groom teamed up with his bride's uncle to brew a special batch of beer for their wedding. They then added a personalized tag to each bottle, which not only gave it a charming, unique touch but also served as a playful reminder to guests that it wasn't professionally brewed. By crafting your own liquor, you're not just offering a unique DIY wedding favor—you're toasting to something incredibly special with something equally special.