Let me tell you something: when I was thinking of what to do for my daughter’s fourth birthday party, God knows, I was determined not to break the bank on goody bags, because you blink once or maybe twice, and suddenly you’ve spent 60 euros on those plastic toys that no child would even remember after the day.

So instead, I put on my crafty mom hat and got a little creative with something I already had plenty of at home: toilet paper rolls (If you haven’t started repurposing toilet paper rolls, you should; they’re gold). And yes, you read that right, toilet rolls – umm, actually, kitchen paper rolls, turned into adorable, DIY party favours. And not only were they super cheap, but they were also really fun to make, and the kids? They LOVED them!

So, if you’re a mom scavenging for budget-friendly birthday ideas that still look cute and won’t twist your pocket backwards, you’re in the right place.

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Why I Chose DIY Party Favours Instead of Store-Bought Bags

The real truth is that I enjoy getting creative with party stuff, especially when it’s my kids’. It’s kind of like my little way of adding that personal mum’s magical touch without going over budget. Apart from that, the kids are four, five, and six years old and are not looking for fancy, expensive stuff to feel special. All they want is colour, animals, surprises, and sugar, IYKYK …. so, yeah.
Also, with these DIY goodie bags for a kids’ party, I spent under 30 euros in total for 20 party favours, including all the fillers I bought on Amazon (yes, I’ve linked everything below for you with my affiliate links, just in case you want to check them out).
So let me show you exactly how I made these toilet roll party favours and why they were amazing!

How I Made My DIY Toilet Roll Party Favours

Step 1: Save Those Toilet Paper Rolls!

I started saving the toilet paper rolls a few weeks before the birthday, and I made sure to get the whole house involved in this eco-friendly exercise, including the baby (Haha, just kidding). I had a pile of them, so they were just enough for the number I was making.

Step 2: Add a Cardboard Base (So the Goodies Don’t Fall Out)

To make sure the goodies stayed inside, I traced and cut circles from leftover cardboard (Amazon boxes for the win!). Then I glued the circles to the bottom of each roll to create a sturdy base.

Step 3: Wrap in Colourful Construction Paper

Next, I wrapped each roll in coloured construction paper. I went with bright, fun shades – pink, green, yellow, blue… whatever I had on hand. I applied some glue so the paper stuck firmly around the roll.

Step 4: Animal Faces with Paint Markers

Using paint markers, I drew different animal faces on each roll, like some farm animals, autumn animals, safari animals and whatever was easy for me to draw. I looked up easy drawing on Google to guide me. You really don’t need to be an artist, because mine were wobbly here and there, but the kids thought they were cute. But, if you’re not up for the artist route, then you can glue googly eyes and make paper ears.

DIY Party Favours

Step 5: Fill with Budget-Friendly Goodies (All Under €30!)

Here’s what I filled each party favour with, all ordered from Amazon:

  • 1 dot sticker sheet (bright and fun!)
  • 1 “Build-an-Animal-Face” sticker sheet (this was interactive!)
  • 1 mini bag of gummy
  • 1 lollipop
  • 1 snake cube (a fun little fidget toy

All of this, per goodie bag, and it cost me less than €3 each, and I had some extras left over. You can shop the goodies here. I did my best to pick everything with safety in mind (these were for four to six-year-olds). And, all the items arrived in just a couple of days after placing the order.

Step 6: Close the Top with Yarn

I didn’t want the tops to stay open, so I punched two holes near the top of each roll with a hole puncher, passed some yarn through, and tied a little bow to close it up. It looked like a little animal gift tube.

What I Loved About These DIY Goodie Bags

Here’s what made this one of my favourite DIY birthday party ideas so far:

  • Budget-friendly: I used stuff I already had, like the toilet paper rolls. On top of that, the goodies were super affordable, so it was a win for me.
  • Customizable: When I say customizable, I’m referring to me being able to change the colours and contents to fit my child’s interests and to accommodate my strengths.
  • Eco-friendly: Of course, reused toilet rolls promote less waste. So it was our own little way of saving the environment.

All of this being said, if you’re on the hunt for cheap and easy birthday party ideas for four-year-olds, I 100% recommend giving this one a try; you won’t regret it.

Want More DIY Birthday Inspiration?

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