WAIT! Before you throw out those Easter eggs or pass up the Easter clearance aisle at the corner store, read this article on how to recycle your Easter decorations. That’s right: what can be more affordable than recycling? (Unless it’s free, and we’ll always do free.)

NOTE: This article is the first in a series that discusses ways to recycle, repurpose, and reuse party supplies to make your events easy and affordable.

Sourcing Your Supplies

When recycling party supplies, the easiest way to do this is to first look at what you have. The best supplies to recycle are those that are solid colors or muted designs, especially if they are multifunctional. Just like when decorating a room, you can keep the foundation supplies simple and then use accessories and / or showcase items to imply your party theme.

Don’t have the items already and don’t mind braving the sales crowds? Then the clearance aisle is your friend! Plan to hit it the day after the holiday (or sooner if you’re really dedicated and have the time) when items frequently get marked down to 30-50% off the original price to make room for the next holiday’s supplies. BUT – and this is a big BUT – go in with a budget and a shopping list and do not let yourself get swept away. It’s easy to get caught up in a great deal and then regret the purchase later. Sticking to a budget and list will help you avoid that.

TIP: For more help on how to shop clearance, see our article How Do I Shop Clearance?.

Now that you know where you’re going for your supplies – your closet, the store, or both – let’s take a look at how to reuse those Easter themes!

Colors

Easter decor is full of white and pastel colors, which work really well for these events:

  • Weddings / Anniversaries
  • Showers: Bridal or Baby
  • Children’s Birthday Parties
  • Fairytale / Princess Parties

Lilac napkins? Peach cups? Sunny yellow tablecloth? Most softer colors are great for occasions that are romantic or sentimental, because they remind us of these softer emotions. Good themes that coordinate with these colors are vintage, shabby chic, traditional, floral, polka dot / confetti, etc.

Animals

Bunnies, chicks, and ducks: they don’t get much cuter. If you have items with these animals, consider recycling them for parties with other themes. You can dress them, accessorize them, and draw on them to personalize them for your party. Ooo, fake mustaches, anyone?

Bunnies

  • Baby Showers
  • Children’s Birthday Parties (especially when centered around a favorite book, show, or movie)
  • Alice in Wonderland Parties
  • Bugs Bunny Parties
  • Roger Rabbit / Donnie Darko Parties (just for adults!)
  • Monty Python parties (if you’re a fan, you get it)

Chicks / Ducks

  • Baby Showers
  • Children’s Birthday Parties (especially when centered around a favorite book, show, or movie)
  • Farm-Themed Parties
  • Donald & Daisy Duck / Duck Tales / Darkwing Duck Parties
  • Howard the Duck Parties (just for adults!)

Symbols

Eggs, crosses, baskets. You might think these are one-trick ponies, but they’re not. In fact, prepare to be surprised at what else you can do with them.

Eggs

Clear eggs can really inspire a lot of projects, but they are also difficult to find. You can substitute with colored, translucent eggs, of course. My favorite project with these is to showcase a little diorama, like a fairy garden. Depending on the size of your egg, you can pack in some small pieces of moss, a little silk flower or two, and tiny pebbles. Just have craft supplies on hand and be prepared to think outside of the… egg. HA. How about cotton balls and a yellow marble for a sunrise? Or use construction paper to create an ant-sized house or zoo. Let your artistic guests have fun imagining their own miniature worlds!

Creepy eggs are so much WIN for an original, creative touch. Make them glow by inserting a small LED light inside them and you have spooky spider eggs for a Halloween party or eerie alien eggs for a Space Invaders party.  These work best with neon colors, but that isn’t a must. You can emphasize the creepy vibe by placing them in nests matching your theme (ex: something metallic for aliens and a spider web for spiders).

Green eggs as kryptonite for a Superheroes and Villains party or a Dr. Seuss party? YAS. Especially if you give green eggs with a sweet treat inside as your party favor. That’s affordable AND fun. If you want more impact, group them together in a themed container, like a box that resembles a safe for the Superheroes and a red-and-white striped hat for the Dr. Seuss party (I’m mixing “Green Eggs & Ham” and “Cat In the Hat” on that last one, but you get the idea).

Crosses

Because crosses are generally Christian symbols, they are perfect for other Christian holidays (Christmas) and events (christening, baptisms, communion, etc.). If you are particularly devout, you can use them at weddings and showers, too. Try to not mock or poke fun at religious symbols, though, as you might wind up offending your guests. That’s a different type of event!

Baskets

Baskets are the best because they are so very functional and easy to redecorate into a new purpose. Easter baskets are especially awesome because they come in so many colors and styles. I highly, HIGHLY recommend looking for character baskets if you know you have a character-themed party that needs planning. Kids’ shows are infamous for marketing their stuff all over Easter products, so use it to your advantage. I have used fun, colorful baskets for everything from aliens to St. Patrick’s. And when you’re done and looking for a good place to store the baskets, use cup hooks high on the walls in your closets to hang them out of the way… and you can even store a few items in them this way, too. SCORE!

 

Now that you’ve saved all that time and money by recycling, you should treat yourself to some post-Easter candy. I usually do. Ahem.

Happy eventing!