Party Decorations That are More Friendly to the Planet.
Children’s birthday parties go hand in hand with balloons and plastic decorations, many of which are single use. However, there are lots of eco-friendly party decorations to be found, whether you buy, make or hire them.
The first obvious step is to buy or make decorations that you can use year after year, for multiple children. However, this can be difficult if you are hoping to host themed birthday parties, but there are a few generic items you could go to town on like some ‘happy birthday’ bunting and then you can theme the rest of the decorations. If you would like to buy your own decorations, you can find a good selection of eco party decorations at The Original Party Bag Company or a party box with everything you need from The Conscious Party Box.
If you don’t have space to store decorations, then The Party Kit Network could be the answer. The network is a UK wide initiative where individuals hire out party kits that contain everything that you need to throw a party (including eco-friendly party decorations); to make parties more affordable and also reduce waste. There is also a Facebook group dedicated to reusing party decorations, which might be a good place to start and then you could sell the decorations on again once you are finished with them. Another great resource for finding secondhand party items is Rumage, which searches all your favourite secondhand marketplaces at the same time, so you don’t have to!
Below are some ideas of decorations that are more friendly to our planet that you can either buy or have a go at making yourself.
Bunting
Wood
You could buy wooden bunting, such as this great bunting from Baker Ross that you can decorate yourself.
Felt
Felt bunting is super easy to make as it doesn’t require hemming! You can buy felt in really lovely bright colours and just cut it with scissors and thread it on some cord or ribbon.
Upcycled
You can buy gorgeous bunting made from upcycled saris, that can also be personalised, from Pri Pri. pripri create beautiful and unique items from preloved saris destined for landfill. All Pri Pri designs use pre loved vintage saris and are handmade by a charity in India that helps to upskill and empower underprivileged women with training in tailoring.
Fabric
You could make some, which is a great way to use up scrap fabrics or you could find something at a charity shop that you could repurpose or at your local scrap scheme. Alternatively, you can get bundles of free fabric from Contrado, you just have to cover the postage. Or you can find some lovely bunting to buy on Etsy, Little Cherry or jute bunting from World of Happiness . You can also have bespoke bunting made for you by Rebel Bunting or Bunting by Jen.
Macrame and Crochet
If you have some time on your hands and are feeling creative you could try your hand at making some bunting in macrame or crochet.
Paper and Card
A super easy and cheap option and you can get as creative as you like! Whether you use doilies, coloured paper, reuse wrapping paper, old greetings cards, there are lots of options to add some colour to your party.
Birthday Cards
You could make bunting with current or previous years birthday cards.
Garlands
Pom-poms
Pom-poms are very easy to make and something your children could help you with. A pom-pom garland could also be used to decorate your child’s bedroom or playroom all year round.
Felt
Whether you fancy trying your hand at making a felt garland or buying one, they are a simple yet effective option. You can buy some beautiful options on Etsy.
Tissue Paper
You can very quickly whip up an impactful garland with tissue paper flowers.
Rag Ties and Tassels
Another quick and effective way to create a garland, which also requires minimal creative skill, so can be made by anyone.
Salt Dough
A super simple, cheap and effective way to make a Garland. Your children will also love helping to make these too!
Up-cycled Paper
If you have a sewing machine, then paper garlands are very effective and you could use anything from old wallpaper samples to outdated atlas’s and maps. Or you can buy these gorgeous star garlands from Salvaged Norfolk, made from old children’s books.
Eco Balloons
Biodegradable Balloons
You can buy balloons that are kinder to our planet from places such as Little Cherry.
If you do choose to use foil balloons, then its good to know that they can be recycled (along with any foil banners) at The Card Factory.
Alternative to Balloons
Honeycomb Paper Decorations
These are a great alternative and if handled carefully, can be used again and again. You can find a great selection at The Conscious and The Danes.
Japanese Paper Balloons
These are really fun, particularly if you have an animal themed party. You can find some lovely ones from Petra Boase.
Paper Lanterns
Again, if these are handled with care, they can be used again and again. They fold flat so easy to store. Party Pieces have some good options.
Tissue Paper Flowers
These are pretty easy to make yourself and there are lots of online tutorials.
Inflatable Beach Balls
While made out of plastic, these can be used year after year, so they are considered a more green option than balloons. If damaged, they can also be repaired and once they reach the end of their life, they can be recycled by inflatable amnesty.
Giant Bubbles
Instead of balloons, you could get the children to help make giant bubbles. Dr. Zigs is a great place for eco giant bubbles.
Wreaths
Pom-poms
A pom-pom wreath can be hung on your front door instead of balloons. You could use it as a base and then add different decorations/toys/accessories each year to match it to the theme of your party.
Wicker
You can buy a wicker wreath for only a few pounds from places such as Hobbycraft. You can then add decorations or flowers to complete the wreath.
Table Decorations
Paper, Card and Papier-Mâché
You can buy papier-mâché letters, numbers and shapes from Hobbycraft, which can be decorated to create table decorations.
Flowers and Foliage
Quick, easy and very cheap – or even free if you have a garden you can pick from!
Upcycled
You can turn just about anything into a table decoration, from an old jam jar to a painted toy dinosaur.
Other Decorations
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers make beautiful, cheap and easy decorations. You can get some great ideas from happy green family, or purchase a beautiful creation like the one above from Stassi’s Bespoke Creations.
Most party decorations and are used just once and aren’t exactly subject to a great deal of wear and tear, so there is usually a lot of life in them left. So perhaps consider buying everything you need secondhand. There’s a Zero Waste Parties Facebook group, where parents can buy and sell preloved party decorations, costumes etc. or you can also find lots of party things on Facebook Marketplace or Vinted. And once the big day is over, how about passing on all of your party items to another family that could use them. You can either sell them on the platforms mentioned, or perhaps give them away on Olio, a free sharing app for passing food and household items to your neighbours.
There are so many options for eco friendly birthday party decorations and I’m sure you can come up with more ideas than what’s here. I’m really excited that my husband has just gifted me a cricut maker (a die cutting machine) and I can’t wait to start designing and making some reusable birthday party decorations. I’ll post my creations on the blog as soon as I have something worth sharing!
