5 Recycled New Year’s Decorations

Make these recycled new year's decorations to deck out your party, DIY style.
Do you guys have any fun New Year’s Eve parties in the works? My husband and I decided to have a sort of last-minute shindig, so I’ve got countdowns and champagne toasts on my mind. I’ve been bookmarking snack and drink ideas, and now it’s time to pull everything together with some handmade, eco-friendly decorations! Here are a few that are on my to do list:

1. Ornament Mobile

I fell in love with Not Martha’s ornament tree mobile, but we didn’t really have a place to put something like that. Once the tree is packed away, though, I’m thinking about putting together something similar as a shiny touch to our New Year’s party! Rather than suspending the ornaments in a tree shape, I’m thinking about doing random-looking placements with some of the blue and white ornaments we have left from Christmas.

Fabric Scrap Banner

2. New Year’s Eve Bunting

Who doesn’t love bunting? The plan here is to make a fabric scrap banner and applique either “Happy New Year!” or “2011,” adding one letter or number to each panel.

Handmade, quilted table runner.

3. Festive Table Runner

A quilted table runner is another great fabric scrap project and perfect for displaying all of those New Year’s Eve snacks and drinks. Just piece together your design, and get sewing! If you need a little help, this E-How tutorial walks you through making a quilted table runner. It might look cool to applique “2011” in felt in the center, too!

A kid using a party blower

4. Recycled Party Blowers

Martha Stewart walks you through how to make your own party blowers. You can green up this project by using reclaimed paper, a paper straw, and skipping the vellum which also means you don’t need that double-sided adhesive. You might even try rolling up your own 6″ straws out of reclaimed cardboard, rather than using something new!

5. Recycled Party Hats

Making your own party hats lets you choose just the colors and design you want for your party. The tutorial above calls for new paper, but you could use junk mail or even light, reclaimed cardboard to make your party hat. Before you roll it up, you can stencil on “Happy New Year,” “2011,” “Auld Lang Syne,” or any other New Year’s-y sentiment you like!

[Image Credits: Champagne. Creative Commons photo by daclements, Fabric Banner. Photo by Becky Striepe, Table Runner. Creative Commons photo by cascade_lily, Party Blower. Creative Commons photo by jemsweb]

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