Goody Bags

Question:  What is a goody bag? 

Answer:  A collection of items assembled in a gift bag.  Goody bags can be any size, are perfect for any budget and can be given as gifts on holidays and special occasions.  They’re excellent for the hard to buy for person on your list and will be a sure crowd pleaser for adults, children and families alike.  Goody bags can be themed or a neat collection of interesting or plain old fun items.  There are no rules for putting together a goody bag, but thoughtful presentation is a must.  Line a great bag with festive paper, tie a bow around the handles, deck with a fabulous ornament and you’re ready to go! 

       

What do I put in a goody bag?  Options are endless.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

Treats

Cookies

Gourmet popcorn or chips

Hot chocolate

Coffee/tea      

Candy

Nuts

Trail mix/dried fruit

  

Environmentally Friendly/Green Gifts

Organic treats

Recycled tote bag

Natural/organic cleaners

Recycled cotton clothing/bedding

Organic lotions

Organic soaps

Organic body scrubs

Reusable water bottle

 

Memberships/Subscriptions/Donations

Costo/Sam’s Club/BJ’s annual membership

Theatre membership

Zoo membership

Art or history museum membership

Magazine subscriptions

Charitable donation in the recipient’s name

Charitable organization gift certificates

Movie/game rental membership

Fruit/wine/chocolate of the month

 

Themed Gifts

Game Night: Package a few classic games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Wheel of Fortune along with sweet treats like Dots, Twizzlers and Lemonheads and you have a pretty neat game night gift for just about anyone on your list.

Movie Night In: Package cool movies along with popcorn and a few sweet treats and this gift is perfect for everyone on your list.   Try movie theme gifts like Sex and the City with a book and an ornament in the shape of a fabulous shoe or Breakfast at Tiffany’s with a sparkling piece of jewelry and sunglasses.  This is sure to be a winner. 

Gardener’s Fantasy: A clay pot or a watering can with gardening tools, gloves and seeds is a great gardener’s gift starter.  Throw in a gift certificate to a local plant nursery or garden center and your gardener will be counting the days to planting season.   

Tea For Me, Plus Two or Three:  Buy good loose leaf tea or sachets and package with a pretty teapot.  Add a few gorgeous cups, vintage or modern, and you have the start of a fabulous tea party.  Include sugar crystals or honey, along with gourmet cookies and a gorgeous tea towel.  Fabulous is the word we start with to describe the joy your tea lover will feel when you present this lovely and thoughtful gift.

The Joyful Cook: A new cookbook with great recipes and a few really good spices is enough to get a cook’s mind working.  Add a neat kitchen gadget and a towel tucked into an oven mitt and you’re in business.  Clear your schedule, because you’re likely to become the cook’s new taste tester. 

Beadazzle Me:  Start with a great selection of colorful beads, add round nose, flat nose and cutting pliers along with beading wire, crimp beads and clasps.  Add ear wires, a bead board, a subscription to a beading magazine and a gift certificate to a beading class.  To top it off, throw in a bead organizer and a bead supply magazine.  The novice or experienced jewelry artist in your life will be jumping for joy!  This gift has been known to inspire entrepreneurial thoughts…hmmm…   

Artfully Yours:  A blank canvas with a fresh supply of acrylic paints along with brushes stirs the mind of an artist every time.  Don’t forget to include an easel, a frame and brush cleaning supplies.  For inspiration, include a sketch pad with colored pencils along with a gift certificate to a local art supply house.  This gift just might be captured on canvas.

A Collector’s Dream:  Collectors absolutely love receiving an authentic addition to a treasured collection.  Whether it’s a matching sugar bowl to a set of discontinued china, a vintage radio or a 1st edition book, they are delighted and often work year round to add long sought after pieces to their collections.  Paired with the most recent collectors guide and a membership to a local or online club, this gift is fit for the novice coin specialist or the vintage jazz aficionado.  Collectors away!

 

Entertainment

CDs

DVDs

Books

Movie Passes

Sporting event tickets

Concert tickets

Local theatre tickets

Adventure outing, i.e., rock climbing

 

Classes

Wine tasting

Jewelry making

Pottery

Knitting/Crocheting

Cooking

Diving 

Yoga/Pilates 

Beer/Wine making

Dance

Art

Writing

Self-defense

 

Gift Certificates

Coffee shop

Local restaurant/retailer

Department store

Spa services

Book Stores

Home improvement store

iTunes/Smartphone

 

Other Cool Stuff 

Designer tissue

Bottle stopper

Wine tags    

Collectible ornaments    

$5-$10 gift card    

Seasonal/scented items

Local artist items