Don't get married with out it - biodegradable confetti
There are so many exciting considerations when it comes to wedding planning, from major ones like choosing your dream venue to creative choices like which wedding crafts you’d like to make.
Making a conscious decision to take a more sustainable approach to wedding planning will make organising your Big Day even more satisfying. There are so many ways to be kinder to the planet from choosing a second-hand dress to opting for biodegradable confetti.
It might sound like one of the smaller, last-minute details, but rather than buying shop-bought confetti, adding it to your wedding craft list will ensure you know exactly what’s going into this colourful tradition that than materials that are unkind to nature.
Plus, making it is such a fun and easy project that's guaranteed to get you in the mood to celebrate!
What is confetti made from?
Nothing beats that magical moment of having your marriage marked by friends and family sprinkling confetti over you, or the smiles on kid’s faces when they tap open a piñata and sweet treats and confetti fall out – but while confetti looks colourful and fun, have you ever wondered what it’s made from?
To understand the benefits of biodegradable confetti it’s good to first get an understanding on what ordinary confetti is and why it’s not so good for the planet.
Standard confetti is made from small particles of different kinds of materials – it could be anything from shiny foils to bits of acrylic, leather and plastic. Foil and sequin confetti are a type of micro-plastic that will never break down and if left on the grass can make their way into the soil and seas, harming plants and animals.
What is biodegradable confetti?
Biodegradable materials, on the other hand are plastic-free and break down and decompose naturally without causing any harm to nature so the more biodegradable choices you make the better it is for the future of the planet.
What makes confetti biodegradable? These are the considerations:
Material – if you use a natural material like dried flowers these will not cause any harm. Paper too is a natural material and ordinary paper confetti is a biodegradable confetti unless it has additives like ink.
Inks – dyes and inks added to papers and even dried flowers can stop them from being biodegradable. They may have traces of plastic or other non-biodegradable materials so check that you’re using products made from natural dyes and biodegradable inks.
How to make biodegradable wedding confetti
You don’t have to miss out on any of the fun of confetti. Biodegradable confetti can be made from many different natural materials. Here's a handy shopping list of some of the tools and materials you may want to use to make homemade confetti.
5 DIY ideas for biodegradable glitter
Try these five easy ways to make your own biodegradable confetti...
Biodegradable leaf confetti
For this method, you simply need to collect up dried leaves. Use a regular hole punch to punch out holes from your leaf and then gather these up to make handmade confetti. Start collecting leaves in autumn if you can, that way you’ll have more colours in your confetti like rich orange, red and yellow leaves alongside green ones.
Biodegradable petal confetti
Buy or make your own dried natural petals from flowers that haven’t been dyed. These have a gorgeous vintage feel to them and can be placed inside sachets handed to your guests, or popped inside paper cones. You could use flowers that are also found in your bouquet or table centres as part of your wedding theme.
Biodegradable tissue confetti
You can make biodegradable confetti using tissue paper as long as the tissue paper itself is biodegradable and therefore no harmful dyes have been used to colour it. Use a shaped cutter to punch out your confetti, there are so many types to choose from, you could even use letter cutters in the initials of your names.
Biodegradable rose bud confetti
Another form of flower confetti, but this time instead of petals use miniature rose buds. They bring an extra touch of romance to your day. Buying dried rose buds is the easiest way to make confetti.
There are two types to look out for – rose buds that are 'culinary grade' which are sold for tea and are more widely available and rose buds that are used in crafting, such as for making your own pot pourri. To make them feel even more luxurious you can anoint them with a touch of rose essential oil.
Biodegradable glitter confetti
It’s not just confetti that’s now available in a more environmentally friendly way. Biodegradable glitter has revolutionalised the crafts world. It’s available in so many sparkling shades, shapes and colours so why not swap ordinary confetti for chunky biodegradable glitter or mix in in with another type of handmade wedding confetti.
TIP: It’s worth remembering that confetti is more likely to cause environmental damage if it’s left outside. If your celebrations are indoors and the confetti is thrown and swept up off the floor you could use ordinary confetti but remember, as soon as it ends up in a landfill the issue of it not being biodegradable arises again.
Looking to be more eco-conscious with your crafting? Swap ordinary glitter for biodegradable glitter, find out more in our article where we share the best brands to try.
Are you planning on incorporated your favourite crafts into your wedding? Share your ideas with us by tagging us in your pictures on Instagram!
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