I was on autopilot scanning the Birthday section at Wal- mart.
spider man? ironman? or maybe Cars 2?
Picking up plates, napkins, blowers, cups, I felt a sense of dread, thinking, I do this every year and it’s such a waste of paper. My mind wandered to the stack of glass dessert plates I never use in my cabinet and the new birthday banner I buy every time a birthday rolls around, not to mention the birthday hat I usually purchase for one time wear.
I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of birthday mania aisle and let the creativity run wild. I’VE GOT IT!
I ran to Michaels buying a stack of blue and red felt at five for a dollar and a blank red t- shirt for $2.50. My idea was to make a birthday banner out of felt to hang across the fireplace and for each birthday I will simply change the name banner. I also envisioned a coordinating birthday shirt that could be worn on the special day and worn again.
I started out by finding last year’s birthday banner that was falling apart. I broke apart the letters and used them for stencils. I then cut triangles out of dark blue and light blue.
I cut the letters out of red felt and hot glued them onto the triangles. Next, I glued the triangles with letters attached to a red ribbon.
It looked so cute in our living room! My plan is to make the third part of the banner exactly the same in December with the name Tucker for the next boy’s birthday.
Remember the red t-shirt I purchased for $2.50? I made a corresponding banner with small triangles and cut a large number six out of the leftover felt and my sewing saavy sister helped me sew it on! This was one happy birthday boy who woke up to a festive banner and celebratory t- shirt to wear to school. He reported that everyone knew it was his birthday… due to the shirt , of course!
He never even noticed that there were no disposable birthday accessories:)
He blew out a candle on a Dunkin Muffin, the muffin is sitting on a white plate and juice is in a regular cup.
I did, in fact use that stack of desert plates stowed away in the back of the cabinets. My new plan is to take my boys to Color Me Happy to paint their own birthday plate to use every year! Color me Happy is a local paint your own pottery studio, if your not local, message Meghan and ask her where to find one near you.
Unfortunately, I hopped on the Green Birthday wagon about two days before the big day, not enough time to make the plate.
It was a delightful day and no trees were killed on behalf of me. The three old is quick to remind me that I have to make him a shirt with a big four on it come December! These traditions came from a desire to not add to the dump yard with birthday festivities.
Some additional ideas include wrapping gifts in burlap sacks, I have not tried it yet. I’m taking baby steps with the green lifestyle you know!
