Cotton Drawstring Bags for Wedding & Party Favors (Sizes + What to Fill)

Order 10–15% more favour bags than you have guests, and decide what goes inside before you choose the size. Those two rules prevent nearly every problem with event favours — running short the week before, or ending up with bags that sit half-empty and gaping on the table.

Sizes by contents

Sizing rule: measure the item at its widest point, add half an inch either side, then an inch and a half of height so the cord closes cleanly. A bag that is comfortably full always looks better than one that is not.

What to fill them with

Edible

Sugared almonds, chocolates and truffles, fudge, cookies, local honey, mini jams, tea blends, coffee samples, spice mixes, homemade granola. Anything oily or that could melt wants a small inner wrap — cotton is not a barrier.

Keepable

Soap, small candles, wildflower or herb seed packets, lavender sachets, bath salts, a charm or keyring, a bookmark, matches in a printed box.

Practical

Hangover kits for hotel welcome bags — painkillers, electrolyte sachet, a plaster, a mint. These get used and remembered far more than a decorative favour.

Seasonal

Mulling spices for a winter wedding, seeds for spring, a hand fan for a summer marquee.

How many to order

Start from confirmed guests and add 10–15%. That covers late plus-ones, a handful damaged during filling, and keepsakes for the couple and family.

Over-ordering costs little, because per-unit pricing falls with volume and cotton bags do not expire. Under-ordering means a rush order or guests at the last table with nothing. If your number sits just below a price break — 180 when 200 is a step — round up; the totals are often within a few percent.

Personalising at any budget

• Kraft tags on the cord — cheapest of all. Write or print guest names and the tag doubles as a place setting.
• Rubber stamp — a custom stamp with fabric ink, under 100 bags. Monogram, date or motif; slight unevenness reads as handmade.
• Screen printing — 100 bags and up, printed at the factory. Cheapest per bag at volume and it survives handling.
• Ribbon and greenery — no marking at all, and the bags stay usable for anything afterwards.

On a 4x6 bag the usable print panel is about 3 x 3.5 inches — room for names and a date, not a detailed crest. See the imprint area guide.

Natural or coloured

Natural unbleached cotton is the default because it works with any palette and photographs warmly under venue lighting. Choose colour when it is genuinely doing work in the scheme — a single accent across a neutral table.

Practical caution: very pale bags show marks from anything oily, so soap, chocolate and spice sit better in natural or darker. More in the colour guide.

A realistic timeline

• 3 months out — decide the filling, then the size. Order blank bags if stamping yourself.
• 6–8 weeks out — if printing, send artwork. Production is 5–7 business days after proof approval plus transit, and approval is the step that slips when two families are deciding.
• 2–3 weeks out — fill them. Several hundred favours takes an evening with help.
• Scented fillings — fill closer to the day, since scent fades from the moment the bag is closed.

Ordering

See cotton wedding favour bags or cotton drawstring gift bags, both blank from stock in 24–48 hours. Printed runs from 100 pieces: custom drawstring pouches. Quantities and lead times in gift bags in bulk for weddings and events.

Frequently asked questions