One question that is often asked is when to give out the baby shower favors to your party guests. There are a few factors to consider in deciding when to give out favors.
Most of the time, you will hand out your party favors at the end of the party before your guests leave. Before people leave, they usually come to thank the hostess and say goodbye to the mom-to-be. This is a good time to hand them the baby shower favor and thank them for coming and for their wonderful gift.
Even though you are giving them out at the end of the shower, you don't have to hide them in the corner or anything. In fact, most people will display them on the table in some form. You can create a centerpiece by stacking them in a neat pyramid. Or you can use them as decorations around the room. Another idea is to get a cake stand, but instead of using it for a cake, you can put your favors on there to proudly display to your guests.
At the end of the party, for all the guests that are remaining, make a big announcement thanking everyone for coming. During this announcement, ask them to please take one of the baby shower favors from the table to take home with them. Alternatively, you can also stand by the door as people line up to leave and hand them the favors personally.
An exception to handing out the favors at the end might involve edible baby shower favors. Items like cookies that are shaped like baby carriages or cupcakes and brownies that are decorated with baby shower themes might be better enjoyed during the shower. In this case, you can hand them to the guests as they walk in the door. Or you can leave them on the table with the baby shower cake and other snacks for them to pick up. In this case, get some extra favors, just in case a guest decides to take more than one.
Finally, some people actually send favors after the shower is over by mailing them with a thank you card. This is a nice possibility for a smaller shower where there aren't as many people, but just a few close friends. For larger showers, the cost can become quite expensive to mail everyone a party favor, unless it is something light like magnets or a bookmark. This can be a nice surprise for your guests as everyone likes receiving personal mailings, especially when they contain gifts. People also opt to do this when they don't get their baby shower favors in time. After all, it is still good etiquette to say thank you.