It took a whole day to make these traditional Italian party favors called bomboniere with a non-traditional twist, but here they are, in all their dainty decadence. I've created each one with a unique design, although some, I made in pairs. The theme is generally festive, from Christmas to Hanukkah, Happy New Year to unicorns. I think they turned out okay, except the tulle circle was a bit small to wrap 5 confetti almonds and still have enough tulle left over to create a billowy fan on top, so I added an extra piece of tulle in the middle before I tied the ribbon around the gathered area. After that, I clipped on one of my zipper pull charms through the ribbon knot, and on some of them, I also used tiny double-sided adhesive to add a larger bow, with a piece of unicorn confetti, the kind you use for a table throw, on top.
I used two different kinds of almonds: Confetti Crispo, which I find to be of superior quality, and an American brand of thin shell Jordan almonds in pretty pastel colors which tastes more overtly vanillic, varies more in size, and has a shiny surface that the smooth, matte Italian confetti doesn't have. I made a few favors using only Crispo, and a few with the other brand. With the latter, I mixed up the colors a bit, to give them a festive unicorn look.
I started out by spooning 5 almonds inside a small cellophane bag. I discovered that you have to wrap them into as compact and even a shape as possible, so that the weight of the almonds sit in the middle of the tulle circle which will become the bottom part of the favor. Hold the favor in your hand and try to gather the tulle evenly on all sides before you knot the ribbon around it. Once you decide where you want to tie the ribbon, stand the favor up on a flat surface, then tie the ribbon tightly so that the longer, added piece of tulle in the middle doesn't fall out. Once that's done, you can design it any way you want.
When I look at my bomboniere, I remember singing beautiful Italian songs with the Italian wedding band Fred and I used to play in: "Vivo per Lei", "Strani Amori", "Ancora, Ancora, Ancora". I had heard the principal singers in the band, Greg and Maria, sing these songs perfectly on every gig, so, when the time came for me to perform them, I knew I had big shoes to fill. I also remember gigging with the band well into my 8th month of pregnancy, and I'll forever be grateful to them that they kept me working every weekend. Our firstborn, Claudia, is going to receive these favors in a lovely acrylic footed apothecary jar, and after that, well, you know it -- we're going to be counting down to 2026! Before that, I think I'll share what kind of goodies I'm leaving for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. I feel I should leave one for La Befana as well, just in case she stops by.
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