DIY Holy Water Favors for First Communion
These DIY holy water favors for First Communion have been in the queue for almost a year. Now that the First Communion season is in full swing, it is time to share this easy and thoughtful project. You can give Holy water favors at the celebration of any Catholic Holy Sacrament, not only for First Communion. They’re also very popular as baptism favors too.
These holy water favors are a spin on an oldie but goodie. My DIY Footprints in The Sand Baptism Favors, became really popular since I shared
I used the same cork top glass jars and filled them with Holy water, blessed by our Church’s Pastor, instead of sand.
the meaning of Holy Water
Catholics use holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil. Before entering the Church, Catholics dip the fingers of their right hand in a reservoir with Holy Water. These reservoirs (or fountains) are usually located at the Church doors. After dipping our fingers in the water, we bless ourselves by making the sign of the cross.
We do this because we are entering a sacred space used for prayer and worship. We leave behind the noise and the confusion of our worldly
In Holy Water and Its Significance for Catholics Henry Theiler states that in addition to being a strong force in repelling evil, holy water has the twofold benefit of providing grace for both body and soul.
The First Holy Communion -like any other Catholic Sacrament- marks a very important milestone in a child’s Christian life. Children receive their First Holy Communion when they have reached what’s called the age of reason (usually around second grade). This event marks the day they first receive the body of Jesus as we believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. With that said, receiving the Holy Communion for the first time, means entering in ‘communion’ with Christ. In other words, being blessed beyond words.
Giving Holy water Favors to our loved ones on this very special occasion is a reminder to be refreshed and renewed in Christ. This sacramental provides purification and prepares us for prayer by allowing us to focus on worshipping God.
Where Can I Find Holy Water?
If you are a practicing Catholic (which I would think you are if you are reading this), you probably belong to a local Parish. If you do, ask someone at Parish’s office for Holy water.
Holy water is free. However, you can also purchase it at your parish’s gift shop. Basically, you are paying for the container, not for the blessed water itself.
Depending on the Parish, they can either give you the Holy Water on-demand or -like in my case- you will have to bring them water in a bottle for the Father to bless it, and pick it up at a later time.
The amount of Holy water needed really depends on how many favors you are making. I filled these cork top jars with approximately 3 oz of water each.
With that clarification in place, let’s dive into making these easy holy water favors for First Communion. Nevertheless, you can also give them as Baptism
Materials Needed for Holy Water Favors
- Holy Water. Calculate the number of ounces needed by multiplying 3 oz. X number of favors.
- Cork Top Favors Glass Jars. I have been using these jars for the last 3 years. They are of great quality and priced just right. As of today, the price is $16.93 for a box of 18 jars. That’s less than $1 per favor!
- 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (your choice of color)
- 1/8″ Satin Ribbon (your choice of color)
- Small cross charms (up to 1 inch tall) – I used these from Michaels. Here is another option (you get more for your money!)
- Multi-temp mini glue sticks
- Self-adhesive rhinestones (3 mm) – optional
- Bible Journaling Washi Tape – I used a roll from this package. These gold crosses washi tape is another beautiful option.
Instructions
Follow these simple steps to make these holy water favors.
- Cut the 7/8″ satin ribbon sized to wrap around the neck of the jar. Attach it to the jar using hot glue. You don’t need much, just a dot to start, make the turn, and add another dot where the two ends meet.
- Cut 20″ of the 1/8″ satin ribbon and thread through a cross charm
- Wrap washi tape around the bottom edge of each jar, and cut to size. You can do this one by one, or you can measure once, cut all the strips you need, and then wrap. I like to just pull the washi roll around the jar to get a better grip. Make sure you know how much you need and how much you have so you don’t fall short in the middle of your project.
- Lastly, center the cross charm (hanging from the ribbon) in the front of the jar. Crisscross the ribbon in the back, glue it to the ribbon that’s around the neck (to secure it), and come back to the front to tie with a bow. Complete with the rhinestone if you’d like.
- With the help of a funnel, pour the holy water into the jars. Place the cork.
For step by step pictures, you can follow the same steps stated in my DIY Footprints in The Sand Baptism Favors, skip the poem, and the sand.
As an alternative to the cross charm, you can add a personalized favor tag.
How to Display your Holy Water Favors
Simple. Place favors on a silver tray, along with some thank you cards. Here’s a picture of mine at the restaurant where we had the luncheon.
To add a sweet treat to go along with these favors, I made miniature chocolate bibles. They were a total hit. The guests wouldn’t stop talking about them! I placed those on a separate silver tray.
Hope this post inspires you and sparks new ideas to create beautiful favors for your next religious occasion.
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Blessings,
