Make them heritage wedding favours that they won’t want to give up when the wedding is over.
The wedding favours you give to your guests should be something they will want to retain long after the big day is over and something that shows you put some consideration into the occasion. Try giving your guests gifts that have a little bit of history to them rather than the same old plastic swans wrapped in tulle, small potpourri sachets, or engraved glass wine goblets. Your guests are sure to appreciate the extra effort.
It may be difficult to find them; however, if your search for favours that “favour” the traditions of African culture comes up empty, you may build your own by purchasing ingredients from your neighbourhood craft shop and following the instructions there. Create the ideal wedding favour by searching for African-inspired fabrics, ribbons, lace, and cowrie shells, enlisting the assistance of your bridesmaids (and any other willing members of your family or friends), and working on the project together. You will probably need to go to an African art or sundry shop in order to acquire a number of yards of brightly coloured and symbolically significant African fabric. However, most cities have a number of craft stores, such as the Michael’s Arts and Crafts chain of stores, from which you can purchase lace and ribbons.
We have some wonderful ideas for favours, as well as some pointers to get you started. Keep in mind from the very beginning how many people you anticipate will be attending your wedding, and then be sure you buy enough goods (and hire additional labour) to accommodate that number. Favors that require a lot of handwork are often best suited for intimate weddings. If you want additional information about the favour you wish to make, click on it.
Miniature bells
| Supplies |
| Bells (silver or gold) Ribbon African fabric strips |
To make these party favours, you will need to acquire bells from a crafts store or a brass shop, as well as ribbons, bows, and African cloth that has been cut into tiny strips that are the same length and breadth. You may use the neutral colours of your wedding, together with the fabric strips, to make a wedding bell. Tie two ribbons, one in the colour of your theme, and one that is traditional to Africa, around the handle of the bell. If the colours you have don’t match the fabric you chose but you still want to create them, all you need to do is knot the African cloth with white ribbons or lace. Be careful to adjust the length of the ribbons so that they correspond with the width of the African cloth strips, and cut any threads that are hanging free.
Keepsake boxes
| Supplies |
| Miniature cardboard or tin boxes African fabric pieces Glue Ribbon Filling (tiny candy hearts, potpourri) Cowrie shells |
You may buy miniature boxes at any store that sells arts and crafts, and you can buy African cloth at any store that sells African groceries and wares. The box shown is a heart-shaped cardboard box with a tin cover that was purchased from Michael’s Crafts shop. A swatch of African fabric (select colours that are comparable to the bride’s colours) was pasted to the bottom of the box to decorate it. After the glue has had time to dry, you may fill the box with scented potpourri or little candy hearts. Wrap the box with a ribbon, either white or in the colours of the bride’s wedding. You may also glue cowrie shells all around the box or on top of it, or you could place an African Adinkra sign on top of the box, such as an Ankh. These may be found at a variety of art supply stores as well as African general stores.
Miniature silk African violets
| Supplies |
| Miniature clay pots (1½ “ or 1”) Ribbon Glue Pieces of silk African violet plants Styrofoam or putty to anchor plant |
These lovely favours are perfect for your guests to use as decorations for their desks or dressers. It is simple to construct these if you have little clay pots, which can be found in most craft shops, and small pieces of silk African violets. Putty or Styrofoam may also be purchased at craft shops, and both can be cut into little pieces that can be glued or otherwise secured in the bottom of the pot. After the adhesive has had enough time to cure, gently place the stem of the African violet into the putty or Styrofoam. A slender piece of ribbon, in either white or the colours of the bride’s wedding, might be tied around the pot.
Miniature decorative brooms
| Supplies |
| Miniature brooms Ribbon Lace Glue African fabric strips Cowrie shells |
You may make these party favours by purchasing brooms from a craft shop (Michael’s offers beautiful brooms in a variety of sizes), then decorating them with ribbons, lace, and strips of African cloth that have been cut into thin strips. You might use fabric in a colour palette that’s comparable to that of your wedding and wrap it completely around the handle of the broom so that none of the straw is visible through it. You have the option of wrapping the cloth in a diagonal pattern, equally spacing the wraps so that the same amount of straw is visible through each one. Attach a piece of lace to the end of the broom handle using glue (so that the fabric extends over the edge), and then tie one or more ribbons around the handle on top of the African cloth. You might also apply adhesive to a few cowrie shells and randomly slide them over the strands of straw in the broom.
