Creating eco-friendly birthday decorations

One of the most exciting parts of planning a birthday party is choosing a theme and putting up decorations. There is no need for this to be sacrificed when throwing an eco-friendly party; you simply need to change the materials you rely on when decorating.

What makes something eco-friendly?

Different factors contribute to how eco-friendly a product or material may be. Chief among these are:

• how the components break down
• what they release into the environment once disposed of
• how destructive the processes used to create them are.

Fossil fuels or plastic-based items are less eco-friendly than those made only from natural resources. Even natural resources can be made unsustainable if they are wrapped in non-recyclable plastic packaging or combined with toxic chemicals such as dyes or binding agents.

Eco-friendly decoration ideas

Decorate sustainably to show guests that low-impact, low-waste party decorations can be made much more stylish than tacky plastic fare.

Welcoming guests

Typical ways to signpost a birthday party location include balloons, streamers, and shiny banners fixed to gateposts or road signs. Unfortunately, these are often made from non-recyclable plastics. They also tend to be forgotten during the clean-up, and end up as litter once the party is over.

Personalised wooden signposts make a unique, natural entrance marker for guests to follow. Easily customised by either wood burning or carving (if you have the skills) or decorated with natural stamps and inks, you can introduce the party theme and get guests into the celebratory mood.

You could also keep it simple and use cardboard cut to size instead. Both wood and cardboard signs can be kept for other celebrations, or composted after use if decorated with natural, non-toxic paint.

Natural garlands and streamers

Showcase how beautiful natural party decorations can be with floral garlands laid on surfaces, intertwined with banisters, or placed around picture frames and light fittings. Fully compostable, living decorations introduce colour, aroma, and the varied textures of nature into your venue.

Flowers such as roses, and colourful seasonal bulbs in pots and hanging baskets can be brought inside or spaced around outside for chic floral accents.

Sustainable fabric bunting

Wooden pegs, measures of string or twine, and sections of salvaged fabric are all you need to create unique, eye-catching sustainable decorations.

Cut sections of fabric saved from old clothes or household linens into triangles, place two together with the design you prefer, facing outwards on both sides, and sew along the edges. Fix these at intervals to ribbon or string and you have customised, salvaged fabric bunting.

Old bedsheets can be printed or painted with any design using fabric dyes or vegetable inks as stains. If you have the time, images and patterns can be sewn onto sheets, tailored to fit the birthday’s theme.

Tie ribbons and strips of multi-coloured fabric in knots around plaited string to create a rainbow hanging decoration. Pin this along a wall to make a colourful background. Alternatively, suspend it from the ceiling as a streamer.

Paper and cardboard creations

Paper and cardboard are excellent materials for low-waste decorations. They can be sourced widely, from cereal boxes to kitchen and toilet roll tubes and delivery packaging. Reusing household materials before recycling is an excellent way to lower the waste footprint of an event.

Decorate with anything – from pens and pencils to vegetable inks and potato stamps. So long as the colouring agents used are non-toxic and natural, the cardboard and paper can be composted safely once finished with. Compostable glitter made from cellulose can be used to add sparkle and shine.

Replace harmful plastic confetti and glitter guns with either biodegradable tissue paper cut into small pieces or homemade compostable confetti. Collect fallen leaves and petals and use a hole punch, or cut it into pieces before drying.

Repurpose Christmas lights

Instead of sitting unused in a box for most of the year, make use of fairy lights usually reserved for Christmas to brighten up the party. Use strings of lights to draw attention to games, snack tables, or other focal points.

If the party is outside, lights can be used to line pathways with a soft ambient glow, light up dark corners, or draped along a hedge to provide an elegant photo backdrop.

Place settings as decoration

Elegant, personalised name cards at table settings can double as party favours for guests to remember the event by.

Alternatively, turn to nature once again. Keep flowers from seasonal garden pruning to press or dry. Intertwine these with twigs or greenery and slices of dried citrus fruit, before fastening with twine or ribbon. You will have beautiful upcycled place settings and a zero-waste decoration all in one.

Incorporate functional tableware into decorations to keep party costs and waste output down. Fold biodegradable napkins into animal shapes or go for simple elegance by making folded fan or shell shapes.

Low-waste birthday party catering

FOOGO green’s range of understated, compostable tableware and cutlery complements any party theme, while keeping your waste footprint low. Ultra-convenient, they are fully home compostable after use for easy clean-up. No post-party washing up is required.

In addition to our standard sets of plates, bowls, trays and cutlery, we also supply larger party packs to cater for greater numbers of guests.