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If your special girl has a birthday coming up, planning a party can be a fun thing for the two of you to do together. It’s incredibly easy for the planning to get out of hand and the costs to spiral out of control. If you’re looking for budget-friendly party favor ideas, look no further: we’ve got five great favors that won’t break the bank.

1.Gift Cards

Every child loves getting a gift card or certificate. Give each child that attends the party a $5 or $10 certificate to the movie theater, the local fast-food restaurant or even the area’s big-box store. If you’re having a small party and can afford to give the kids cards worth a bit more, go for it. If you’re having 20 kids over, a $5 gift card will suffice and actually be cheaper than buying each child a gift.

2.Nail Polish

What little girl doesn’t adore getting her nails painted? Buy a $1 bottle of nail polish for each girl who will be attending the party and set up a manicure table. Ask a trusted friend to man the table, giving each girl that stops by a manicure of her very own. The girls can keep the nail polish that you give them or trade with a friend for a better color. Let them have fun with it!

3.Picture Frames

Picture frames can be found for a low price at your local dollar store and make great party favors. For starters, decorate a piece of paper with each child’s name and place the paper inside of a frame. Set up a picture taking station and take each child’s photo with the birthday girl. After the party, print the photos out on your computer and hand-deliver or mail them to the child in the picture. The photos can be put in the frames that you gave as party favors, making them a great memento of a fun day.

4.Mini-Garden

If you’re having your daughter’s party in the spring or summer, helping the children make mini-gardens is a fun activity for the girls to do together. Gather egg cartons, a bag of soil and a few packets of seeds. You’ll also need a Popsicle stick for each child and paints or markers. Give each girl an egg carton, a packet of seeds and a Popsicle stick. Help them fill their cartons with soil, plant their seeds and glue or staple their empty seed packet to the Popsicle stick. The stick can be placed in one of the egg cups, serving to remind the child what she’s planted.

5.Gift Bags

Gift bags are fantastic favors and can be filled with anything that you like. You can buy packs of stickers for the girls, small coloring books, tiny tiaras or anything else that you can find. Look for small gifts that match the theme of the party and fill your gift bags with the trinkets. Take it a step further and personalize the bags for each child; it’s a great way to make the day a memorable one for every child in attendance.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on favors to make the party a great one. If you use the suggestions above, you’ll be surprised at how budget-friendly party favors can really be.

Jeff Dalby writes for retailpackaging.com where you can learn more about original packaging ideas.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want cute girly party favors.

Image courtesy of Regal Ribbons via Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.