Izzy’s Birthday is a little under a month and a half away. So now is about the time I start going neurotic with the planning. I’ve always found it a challenge to deal with the guilt trip of tossed plate wear, busted balloons, and fondant cakes with more slide than an energy wasting inflatable slide.
Green celebrations aren’t as much about finding “alternatives” to commercially produced bright party stuff as they are redefining the meaning of the party to begin with. Going green means remembering what we are celebrating: the happiness with having that little somebody in our lives and inviting friends to celebrate what that means.
So to start off the first of our series on Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties, we take a look at decorations! You know: the bright paper plates in full glossy regalia, the plastic signs and flag banners you throw away every year and the hundreds of dollars some parents spend on this whole ordeal. It’s almost mind boggling to think of how “disposable” it all is.
Green Friendly Plate wear
I came across greenpartygoods.com a few weeks ago. From colorful plate wear made from corn to sustainable flatware made of bamboo, this store has it all. My favorite is their plate ware made of sugarcane which can be drawn on by the kids with edible markers (also available through their store). They even offer hand crafted favors for kids and hand dyed garlands.
Reusable is the best way to go, if you have the storage space. If you are looking for affordable plate wear, try Ikea. My husband and I found plates and flatwear were cheaper to buy here than to rent when we were looking for our soulbinding ceremonies. Don’t have the storage space? Your local homeless shelter would love the donations or resell them on Craigslist. For Izzie’s Birthday, we raided the local second hand stores for a whimsical hodge podge of plates and flatwear.
Reusable Birthday Banners
Another area that greenpartygoods.com covers is one of my favorites: fabric banners that can be reused from year to year. Where as greenpartygoods.com does have a few in stock, I’ve found Etsy.com to be the best place to find a HUGE selection of banners, just search for “bunting” in their handmade section and walla! Over 400 options as of this writing!
A great replacement to the birthday banner in general, or in addition to it is to string a “clothes line” which could be rope, ribbon or yarn where you would normally fly the banners: along a wall, along a fence, up high to the ceiling (works best for babies) and clothes pin some of their keepsake outfits to the line. Attaching little notes or photos of the birthday baby in their outfit is a great way to invite the guests to a more personal level.
Table Decorations
And never underestimate the beauty of flowers! Cut flowers are the first things that come to mind, but rooted plants are better! Bamboo is typical, but even strawberry plants make excellent table center pieces and double as favors. If you do choose cut, be sure they are local and organic, the excess oil used in transporting and pesticides make this a sticky subject. To be safe, try growing your own cut flower garden.
Get creative with things from around the house! Teddy bears, toys and family photos make free centerpieces. Every year I put together a photo album for the girls from photos of the year before as my present to them. On their birthdays, we dig the albums out and lay them around the seating areas for guests to flip through.
Quick and Easy Family Tree Centerpiece
1. Send the kids out to bring home fallen twigs from around the yard, park or neighborhood.
2. Set these in a tall glass vase in the center of the table (or gift table if you have one, drink table, buffet table, etc.)
3. Print out family photos, cut into circles,
4. Hole punch at the top, add a small cut of ribbon and tie on to the sticks.
Walla! It’s not a centerpiece…it’s an instant conversation starter.
Recycled Birthday Decorations
What you can’t dig up from around the house can easily be created. Spray Paint cans could work…but with all the VOCs and toxins associated with them, a better solution is to glue a strip of fabric around each one to make great silverware holders. It takes less time and they turn out way cuter in the end.
Lots of these ideas can be used in whatever theme you decide to go with. Check out Kiwi Magazines list of a bagillion Green Kid’s Party Ideas for inspiration.
