Pom Pom Themed Favorite Things Party

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"You Da Pom" Sign that was my inspiration
After the success of my first Favorite Things Party (see post HERE) I knew I wanted to host another FUN-filled night with the girls, but I wanted to make it fresh and new with a different theme.  Walking the aisles of TJ Maxx I found it:  A sign that said:  “You da Pom” filled with pom poms—and my new theme was born.
The best part is this theme is definitely not limited to just a Favorite Things Party; it’s quite adaptable and could be used for any and all occasions.  Pom Poms are FUN anytime!!
If you’re unfamiliar with a Favorite Things Party, it’s a fabulous way to bring friends together (particularly if they don’t all know each other) to eat, drink and learn about new FUN“finds”.  Each guest brings 3-5 of their own favorite thing for the gift exchange and leaves with the same number of new gifts from what others brought and shared.  Add in lots of chit chat and laughter to round out the evening, and now you’ve found your new Favorite item AND Party.
[For a step-by-step guide on“How To Throw a Fabulous Favorite Things Party” check out my detailed post HERE]
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INVITES:
After scouring Pinterest and Etsy for inspiration, I was able to find lots of ideas to incorporate into the decor. I kickstarted the Pom Pom Theme with my invites. Done by hand, I used white cardstock, a glass to draw the “string” and tiny pom poms attached with Tacky glue, but a glue gun would work well too. (Design inspired by notonthehighestreet.com (https://bit.ly/3LYRD59)
Handmade Invitations kickstart Pom Pom theme
Backside Provides Directions
Here’s my assembly line of invites!
IMPORTANT NOTE:  Because of the pom poms, they need to be mailed “Hand Stamped” at the post office because they cannot be run through the postage machine.  I hand delivered many of the invites myself simply for ease.
DECOR :
Pom Poms, of course!
Knowing I intended to use pom poms throughout the party, my first step was actually making some pom poms.  I found this 4pc Pompom Maker on Amazon that was simple to use and the kit had four different size options allowing for a variety of pom poms which was perfect for my needs.
I made larger pom poms using yarn on sale at Michael’s, but Amazon has lots of options as well.  (NOTE:  I did buy some yarn at Dollar Tree but it just wasn’t of good enough quality to get the fluffiness needed for the pom pom so I wouldn’t go that cheap.) I then added the large finished pom poms to white string for garland.
POM POM GARLAND:
Outdoor Bar was another great space to add some POM POM flair
POM POM BOUQUETS:
I glued the pom poms to wooden dowels of varying lengths to make  pom pom “bouquets” in various bright colors (inspired by signedwithanowl on Pinterest).  I used these vases and filled them with rice to weight them so they wouldn’t tip over.   For FUN, I made a mini pom pom bouquet to use in the powder room in lieu of flowers to sprinkle more of the theme throughout.  For this one, I used thinner bamboo skewers and cut them at differing heights for interest.
Pom Pom Bouquets in Bright Colors
Mini bouquet used in powder room

TISSUE POM POMS:

For some more POM POM flair, I made large pom poms out of tissue paper in bright coordinating colors to hang from the pergola outside.  (The picture is when I was still in the middle of setting up, but you get the idea).  I later saw they had some similar on Amazon like these, which of course would be a huge time saver.  I like to do a lot of the things myself, but if I were to do it over again, I would probably save some time buying these instead of making them.

Colorful Tissue Pom Poms bring more visual appeal outside
Guests brought 3 of their favorite item $10-$15 to exchange.
POM POM “TREES”:
Making these pom pom trees by Wayaiulandia on Pinterest (site can no longer be reached) had to be the easiest and least expensive craft EVER!  I gathered some sticks from the yard and then used my hot glue gun to glue on brightly colored pom poms.  I used two sizes of clear vases I already had and voila!  Easy Peezy!
The best part is I’ve already used these pom pom trees for another occasion.  With their bright colors it went with my Fiesta Themed Birthday Party perfectly!
[Check out my Fiesta with Flair HERE.]
Pom Pom Trees came out great - Super playful & FUN
Guests brought 3 of their favorite item $10-$15 to exchange.
MORE SPRINKLED DECOR :
The sign shown was used on my Check In Table as my guests arrived.  It gave them clear direction of what to do upon arrival and freed me up for other hostess duties.  Guests were asked to write their names for both the gift exchange and raffle prizes (while not necessary, who doesn’t love a prize?!) as well as drop off their gifts for later.
FLOWERS:
Brightly colored floral arrangements were just the ticket to keep the fun and flirty POM POM theme going.  As always, my go-to is Trader Joe’s and this occasion was no different.
[To learn how to take market flowers and make them into beautiful arrangements that are both easy and affordable, check out my blog post HERE.]
Trader Joe's flowers turned FUN cheerful bouquets
FOOD & BEVERAGE :
FOOD :
While not mandatory, guests who wished to bring something were asked to bring either an appetizer or dessert that’s their favorite. To set the stage, I brought some Pom Pom FUN to the table
For signage, I glued more brightly colored pom poms to 4×6 white frames and printed Appetizers and Desserts in bright pink. (I’ve also purchased the frames at Dollar Tree, but they are not nearly as sturdy. But they will do the trick in a pinch.)
Decor Items I made for buffet & tables
Buffet Table - Guests added to upon arrival
I love appetizers that are easy “grab ‘n go” for the guests.  Anything to make it easier on them and yummy tasting, too.
Caesar Salad Cups with pipettes of dressing.By ahundredaffections.com (so flippin’ FUN!)
Watermelon Feta Skewers by Pizzazzerie.com
BEVERAGE:
I set up my beverage station outside for best party flow.  I’m lucky I live in Southern California where the weather typically is pretty wonderful most of the time.  Giving everyone lots of drink options:  water, iced tea, wine, margarita and …wait for it…POMegranate Champagne Punch! ( recipe by foodiecrush.com)  See what I did there?  😉  I also made pomegranate and mint ice cubes for both FUN and flair.
Loved the word play AND how delicious it was, too! I also glued on pom poms to the striped straws…little touches that drive the theme of the party.
POM POM Straws
POMegranate & mint ice cubes.
Found this saying & framed for outside decor: "I think it's nice to say the word "Pom-Pom" as often as you can." - Maira Kalman
Guests enjoying the libations!

As we headed into the gift exchange portion of the evening, I handed out their “swag bags” for everyone to have something to take home their loot.  I purchased neutral handle bags and made them more colorful with varying bright colors of tissue paper.

Gift bags for guests to carry home their goodies.

I kicked off the gift exchange with sharing my Favorite Thing and then pulling 3 names out of the bowl.  They each received one of my gifts and the first name I picked was the guest who went next and shared her Favorite Thing.  

[For a curated list of fabulous gifts you could bring to your Favorite Things Party, check out my post: 35 Gift Ideas for Favorite Things Party HERE] 

The great thing is these are often perfect hostess gifts, gifts for a Girls’ Weekend or even a birthday gift (especially when you bundle a couple of them together.)  I love hearing all the ideas as they are tried and true and someones’ FAV!

Raffle Prizes - MORE Pom Poms!

As everyone didn’t know each other, it gave me the opportunity to introduce them  individually to the group.  I explained how I knew them and what they mean to me.  A little fun-size warm fuzzy for each of my guests!

After all the gifts were exchanged, I then drew three names for the raffle.  The prizes were three more of my Favorites:

For my love of summer & the beach:  A straw beach bag with POM POMS

For my love of the handwritten note:  Stationery from Paper Source

For my love of Brazil & this amazing brand from there:  Natura Ekos Acai Hand Cream & Natura Ekos Acai Soap

For my love of summer & the beach: This straw bag with POM POMS
Stationery from Paper Source
Natura Ekos Acai Hand Cream
Natura Ekos Acai Soap

Now it was time for a little dessert and to bring out another one of my FAVs…Thrifty Ice Cream.  More specifically, Chocolate Malted Crunch and Mocha Almond Fudge.  To bring some personality to the presentation, I purchased fun-size 4oz mason jars and filled half of them with each flavor.

I printed the name of each flavor on paper (I chose two colors for them to be easy to identify), used the lid to trace a circle and then glued them to the top of each lid.

Perfect FUN-SIZE portions!

I then loaded them up in my cooler and wheeled it out to the girls for distribution.  It was the perfect size for a serving to taste each flavor “guilt free”.  🙂

Last but not least, as guests were leaving I distributed their favors:  Brigadeiros!  These are Brazilian sweets I discovered when I was a Rotary Exchange Student in Sao Paulo, Brazil many years ago.  Brazil is one of my favorite places…the people are wonderful…beautiful culture and country…and their sweets are second to none!  

Brigadeiros are often served at parties and are one of my FAVORITES, so it was a perfect favor for me to share.  I made homemade batches of them and then packaged them up in white window treat boxes.  I then tied them up with leftover yarn and added a brightly colored POM POM, of course!!

I had such a great time with my Pom Pom Themed Favorite Things Party. The theme was just so whimsical and set the tone for a playful and FUN evening. And love the bonus of learning about new products to try that come highly recommended from friends—waaaay better than any review on-line!
I think they came out so cute and the brigadeiros were a hit!
Some of my FAVS!
Hope this has inspired you to bring some POM POM FUN into your next party, Favorite Things or not. This theme is so versatile! Would love to hear how you incorporated it into your next soire or what you liked…share in the comments below.
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4 thoughts on “Pom Pom Themed Favorite Things Party”

  1. Nicole Miller

    Such a fun idea! So colorful! So cheery! All the work you put into all the little details to make the party truly special and fun for everyone is definitely a labor of love and it shows!

    Reply

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