Party favor ideas

The expert answers:
Party favors are a great way to show your creativity, so forget the truffles and mints! Why not set out a tray of potted fresh herbs from your local nursery? A small potted plant costs about $2.00, and guests can choose their favorite herb, take it home, use it in their kitchens or plant it in their yards. They will be reminded of you each time they use their herbs.

Speaking of nurseries, in spring I purchase little envelopes filled with flower seeds; the envelopes are beautiful -- usually with a colorful picture of the flower -- plus they are inexpensive. I buy a couple dozen packets and place them in a basket for guests to take on their way out. They can plant the seeds and watch the flowers bloom.

Scratch-off lottery tickets are always fun party favors. I've done this many times and have glue-gunned or taped a lucky penny to each ticket for guests to scratch with. One of my guests won $25.00.

Movie rental certificates always get used, so I attach a Blockbuster gift card onto a package of microwavable popcorn or Milk Duds. Remember, making a memorable parting gift doesn't take much effort!