7 DIY Wedding Favors for an Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Celebration

Weddings can be wasteful. From the paper invitations to the travel emissions to the custom gown, your wedding day generates a lot more waste than you think. In fact, the average wedding can produce around 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of carbon dioxide.

However, there are ways to cut down your wedding's carbon footprint. To decrease waste, you can look into DIY wedding decor ideas or buy your gown from one of the many sustainable wedding dress brands. Also consider having a microwedding—one of the greenest ways to celebrate your big day.

Another way you can make your big day more eco-friendly is by making DIY wedding favors to hand out to your guests. Check out some of our favorites below!

7 DIY Wedding Favors for an Eco-Friendly Celebration

1. Scented Sachets with Rice and Essential Oils

Have some leftover textiles you're not sure what to do with? Upcycle them to make a scented sachet filled with rice and your favorite fragrance!

All you need to do is cut the fabric into squares, sew it together, fill it with uncooked rice, and add an essential oil. These sachets can be used to freshen up closets, drawers, bathrooms, and more.

2. Lavender Sugar Scrub

To make this DIY wedding favor, all you need are Mason jars (or other glass jars you're looking to get rid of), sugar, an organic and/or Fair Trade coconut oil, and essential oils. If you want to mix it up, you can use different scents, like vanilla or peppermint.

3. Succulent Wedding Favor

Succulents are easy to buy in bulk, and they're even easier to care for! For this favor, you have two options. Plant each succulent in a small thrifted planter. Each guest will have a one-of-a-kind favor to take home that they'll be able to enjoy for years to come.

4. Tea Gift Basket

Who doesn't love a warm cup of tea? For a simple DIY wedding favor, make cozy tea kits using small drawstring bags and organic tea leaves—it's that easy!

You can even stamp on a fun design or handwrite the tea flavors directly on the bags. This favor not only avoids paper and plastic waste, but it's also something your guests can enjoy.

5. DIY Seed Packet

Another thoughtful and eco-friendly DIY wedding favor for your guests is seed packets that allow your guests to grow pollinator flowers for bees. This DIY provides a seed packet template that can be recycled after use, but you can also put your seeds in reusable pouches or recycled textiles.

Want to take it a step further? This option from Etsy recommends putting the seed packets in mini plant pots you can find right at the thrift store.

6. Homemade Birdseed Favor

Birdseed DIY wedding favors aren't only eco-friendly, but they're also super adorable! This recipe is easy to make and is incredibly affordable, so you definitely won't go over your wedding budget. Make the birdseed hearts a few weeks before the wedding, and tell your guests to send you photos of their birds enjoying the treat.

7. All-Natural Herb Soap

According to this tutorial, you'll need a soap base, essential oils, herbs, and a mold of your choice to create these sweet-smelling soap bars. Be sure to use natural, eco-friendly ingredients. And to cut back on waste, use a reusable bag for your soaps. Old textiles repurposed into pouches work great!