11 Souvenir Ideas for Your Baby's Birthday and Binyag

Filipinos are fond of souvenirs. We always need to buy something, no matter how small, from the places that we've visited or the events that we’ve attended — we’re sentimental like that. But in this day and age, people have become more practical.

Previously we’ve highlighted six souvenir items that are not angels or figurines, which included pillows, keychains, and even candy jars. If you’ve already tried those, here are more souvenir ideas to choose from: 

Personalized mugs

Make mugs extra-special for your guests! Personalize it according to their personalities and not your child’s. This way, you’re not only giving away a souvenir, but you’re also giving a thank-you gift. If you must, include the baby's name and the date of the event through a small paper attached to the handle instead. You don’t also have to use expensive mugs — invest in beautiful designs instead.

Some of the most highly recommended suppliers in the Village include:

Mejico Prin Ting

035 Mejico Street, Santolan, Pasig City

(02) 997 8371

Facebook: @mejicoprinting

Perfect Pixel Ph

Facebook: @perfectpixelph

The Robles Project

Facebook: @theroblesprojct

Personalized magnets

Another great item to personalize are refrigerator magnets. They’re incredibly cheap when you buy them in bulk, but they can look extra special when you add a personal touch. 

Here are some of the recommendations from the moms in the Village: 

Party Favors Ph

Facebook: @partyfavorsph

eClay Souvenirs and Accessories

Facebook: @eclayhandmade

If you want to turn photobooth photos into magnets, you can go to:

Happy Snappy Photobooth

Facebook: @happysnappyph

Polymer Clay Art

There are plenty of polymer clay artists to choose from on Facebook. Clay Bucket (@claybucketbyjoanne) is one of the most highly recommended shops in the Smart Parenting Village.

Other clay artists you can check out include: 

Sweetie's Clay Souvenir Shop

Facebook: @sweetiesclay

Clayland Souvenir Shop

Facebook: @claylandshop

They make a variety of souvenir items all made from clay.

They have baptismal candles, bag tags, refrigerator magnets and even keychains.

Dreamcatcher Keychains

Not only are they beautiful to look at, they're also a great way to support local shops who make handmade crafts. If you want something more down-to-Earth and non-traditional, you can go for these boho style souvenirs from Arjud Ph (@arjudph).

Care Kit or First-aid Kit

If your party theme has something to do with a lot of toys and games, it would be fun to give away first-aid kits, particularly the cute ones with the colorful bandages and tin cases. Just attach a simple thank you note per kit and say something along the lines of "Take Care, Ninang/Ninong."

You can buy everything you will include in your first-aid kit in any drugstore of your choice and then put them in personalized pouches that you can order from:

PH Personalized

Facebook: @draftandcraftaccessories

Mytote Philippines Muntinlupa

Facebook: @jobelynshop

Toiletry Sets

Nothing is more practical than toiletry sets and these souvenirs are a hit to the wais mommies in the Village. These giveaways are not only practical, they’re also very easy to put together. Some of the moms in the Village who have already tried it, recommend that you buy 50 pieces of 30ml empty bottles (number depends on the the number of your guests) and buy at least four liters of hand soap, hand sanitizer, moisturizer, or lotion to refill it with. There are toiletries that are on Buy 1, Take 1 promo, often for around PHP120.00. You’re not even going to spend over PHP700.00 for souvenirs for 50 people.

You can order your empty bottles here: 

Memento Lane Store

Facebook: @mementolanestore

However, if you don't wish to go through all the troubles of repackaging lotions and moisturizers, you can order custom-made hand sanitizers, room sprays, aromatherapy candles, and healing balms here:

Humble Bee Naturals

Facebook: @HumbleBeeNaturals.ph

Cupcakes

Who says food can't serve as a giveaway? Mommy Angel Guerrero shared her cupcake giveaways for her daughter’s party. She also gave away hand sanitizers and cakes in jars. 

Water Bottles or Personalized Tumblers

It can be pricey, but to save a little bit, Mommy Kristine Flores opted to only give the personalized tumblers to the godparents, which is something you can also do (she ordered heres from Shoppee). Have bigger key items or tokens for the godparents or main guests then have small, cute items for the rest of the guests. You can buy tumblers for the godparents and go for mugs for the rest of the guests. 

You can order here: 

316 Printing Shop & Wedding Supplier

Facebook: @threeonesixshoppe

Customized Shop by Kheiy

Facebook: @617598108741050

Children's Book Bundles

You don’t have to spend so much money on brand new books. Just pick out a at least three pieces of good children’s book from a book sale store, tie them up in a bundle and write a nice dedication per guest. You can also give away cook books for your mommy guests, soft books for young children, and DIYs for the dads.

You can order books here: 

Ed's Library

Facebook: @edlibraryph

Succulents or Seeds 

Urban gardening is slowly becoming a thing, especially now that more and more families are starting to be more concerned about the environment. If you want something more nature-friendly, you can opt to encourage gardening by giving away succulents, potted plants, or even seeds. 

You can choose from a variety at: 

Cactus Lady

Facebook: @CactusLady123

Gaea's Cradle

Facebook: @gaeascradle

Location-inspired Giveaways

This works especially well if you’re guests are coming from places far from where your family lives. Say you live in Baguio, why not put together a care package full of local goodies like strawberry jams, coffee beans, peanut butter, and the likes? They're always on sale when you buy them in bulk and it allows you to offer a taste of what you have in your area.

Nowadays, the trend isn't about how much your souvenir item is. It’s all about how well you know your guests. It's also about making them feel that you sincerely appreciate their participation in your celebration. It's a way of thanking them for spending their time with you.

Got any unique souvenir ideas? Share them with other moms at the Smart Parenting Village. Read more about gift giving at smartparenting.com.ph.