Throw the Ultimate My Favorite Things Party: A Simple Step by Step Guide
Turn your holiday get-together into a fun and unique celebration with a Favorite Things Party- a spin-off from Oprah’s famous My Favorite Things Christmas show! Learn the steps from start to finish for a party that’s full of fun and friendship!
Where the Idea of a “My Favorite Things” Party Came from
My friend Sue and I had a wonderful tradition. Every year when Oprah would do her My Favourite Things show, I’d go over to her house and we’d watch it together. We’d sit in her cozy family room drinking coffee and watch in amazment as Oprah would gift every. single. person. in the audiance some of her favorite things! The crowd would go wild as they received all kinds of (lavish) gifts – from $150 shower gel to complete kitchen appliance sets!
I discovered an idea somewhere online of turning Oprah’s Favorite Things Show concept into a more realistic idea for those of us with more “normal” budgets – a My Favorite Things Christmas Party. I’ve done a few of them now, and they are so much fun!
Why You’ll Love Hosting a My Favorite Things Party
A My Favorite Things Party is a fun and unique twist on traditional gift exchange parties. Each guest selects one of their favorite items within a set price range and brings multiples of it. Guests also share their favorite snack, making it a night filled with laughter, discovery, and delicious treats!
- Creative Gift Giving: Guests focus on sharing something they already love that’s practical and inexpensive. It’s so fun to see the variety of items gifted.
- Connecting Friends: As guests share about their favorite things, you learn more about them. Combining old friends and new friends allows for a great way for new friendships to be formed.
- Full of fun: I’ve never been to one of these parties where laughter isn’t one of the key ingredients. Swapping stories and snacks always brings out some great laughs.
- Perfect for Any Group: Ideal for book clubs, coworkers, family gatherings, or friend groups.
Pick a Party Date and Get Ready for the Gift Swap Fun
When choosing a date for your My Favorite Things party, consider an early December date before calendars get filled up. Or you might want to consider an “After-Christmas” party in January as a fun way to brighten the New Year with something fun to look forward to.
The gift exchange game is the centerpiece of the event, so you’ll need to think through some details before the invitations begin. Set a budget that works for your group, like 4 gifts at $5 each or 2 gifts at $10 each. Or, if you would like to set the budget higher for your particular group, feel free! Once the budget is set, guests will know exactly what to expect and can enjoy giving and receiving equally. Also, decide if the gifts should be wrapped for a surprise or left unwrapped to show off their charm. With these details sorted, you’ll be ready to get the invites going.
Start by Sending out Invitations to your Favorite Things Party
You can send invitations either digitally or the old fashioned snail mail way – which is super fun, too. Ideally, it would be nice to send them out at least 1-2 months in advance to give the guests time to shop and prepare, but honestly, some of the best parties we’ve had were sort of “last minute”.
Make sure your invitations are detailed enough so guests who aren’t familar with the My Favorite Things party idea understand what it is and what they need to bring.
Here is a sample of the wording for an invitation to a My Favorite Things Party:
🎄You are Invited to a My Favorite Things Christmas Party! 🎁
Let’s celebrate the season by sharing the simple joys that make life fun! Here’s how to join in:
- Bring 3 of the same “favorite things” gifts $5 or less per gift, wrapped and ready to exchange -something non-food that you love and use.
- Bring a favorite snack (sweet or savory) to share with the group.
- Drinks will be provided, and we’ll exchange gifts, enjoy snacks, and make new memories!
When: [Date & Time]
Where: [Location]
Where to get Invitations for a My Favorite Things Party
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
If you want to hit the “easy” button for invitations, I rounded up some beautiful editable templates you can purchase for a reasonable price on Etsy. It will save you SO MUCH time designing your own (unless of course, you want to!). Click on the images below to be taken to the listing:
Prepare your home for Hosting a My Favorite Things Party
On the day of the party, I make sure my gifts are wrapped and ready to go. I then follow my simple routine for preparing my small space for a party. Since there won’t be a meal for this party, I’ll use my dining table or coffee table to set out all the snacks when the ladies bring them.
I’ll also get everything set for coffee and tea stations, and make a yummy cold drink (Peach Punch is one of my favorites).
Have a bowl ready for the ladies to put their names in for the gift exchange party. If they brought 2 gifts, they put their name in 2 times. If they brought 4 gifts, they put their name in 4 times, etc…
How to Do a My Favorite Things Gift Exchange Game
To play the My Favorite Things gift exchange game, numbered slips that equal the number of guests are placed in a bowl, and then drawn out one by one.
The person who draws #1 goes first. When it is her turn, she draws two names out of the names bowl, presents her gifts to those people (if she draws her own name, she draws again), and then explains why that is her favorite thing.
You continue to go around the room number by number until everyone goes.
**Note: As a host, I always have a few “backup gifts” if something goes sideways with the gift exchange game and the last person doesn’t get enough gifts…
Snacks/ Appetizers for a My Favorite Things Party
Snacks become part of the “My Favorite Things” theme. When I invited the ladies, I also asked them to bring a sweet or savoury food item (of course something that was their favourite thing) to share with everyone. I set all the treats on the coffee table and we just helped ourselves throughout the evening.
The hostess prepares the place, drinks, and provides a gift. Along with a simple snack, I made a frosty, slushy peach punch drink to have ready when they arrived along with coffee & tea. We sat on the furniture with extra chairs forming a circle in the living room for the gift exchange game.
Gift Ideas for a My Favorite Things party
I still have and use some of the items I received at previous parties! Here are some gift ideas:
- An spatula for frosting (I use this all the time!)
- Travel makeup bags are super popular.
- Cozy socks that are so pretty!
- A stainless steel collapsible straw to stick in your purse (now that paper straws are becoming a big thing!).
- Look for things on sale. One year I found beautiful mittens for under $5 to give as my gift, and one year I received fuzzy warm slipper socks that I wore until they wore out!
- Nice lip balms or lip glosses. (Sometimes they come in packages of more than one that can be divided up for less cost.)
- Here are some more gift ideas in my Amazon Shop that are $5 – $15.
The Biggest GIFT of a My Favorite Things Party
I’m reminded over and over again that “things” shouldn’t be what we focus on in life ~ but one thing I do want to focus on is friendships and growing them. This little party does that. (And I do admit to loving all the special little gifts! They remind me of the person who gave them.)
Other Christmas Party Posts
- Christmas Party Games that are a hoot!!
- If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll love this christmas movie themed party.
- Dinner party recipes ideas that aren’t stressful.
- Christmas baked brie is a lovely Christmas party appetizer.
- This Christmas tree charcuterie board is a beautiful addition to a party snack table.
- Turn your Christmas baking into a lovely Christmas cookie charcuterie board – party guests will love it!
Pin this to Remember it Later
I love this idea. I will put this idea in my Christmas ideas stash so I can plan for next year.