We shared these eco friendly Friendsgiving ideas (a mouthful, I know) last year right before our rebrand to eco club, so they didn’t get circulated very well, which is a shame because, well, they’re just so pretty and EASY to pull off.

Charity and I, along with many of our friends and just lots of people in their 20s in general, have moved about a zillion times since college. This year’s Friendsgiving was at a completely different house! So this is a great way to remember a cute little corner with all the light.

About flowers. Wide, low floral arrangements require assistance to stay in place, unlike a lot of taller vases. The foam-free floral movement has really taken off even since this last post (which was my first and only time using foam). This is great news since floral foam, while easy and convenient, is not biodegradable or reusable, which is a real bummer considering the beautiful natural stems we stick in ’em. Check out this, then this, post from a florist in Chicago for a little more info and how to get this look in a more environmentally conscious way.

Most of what we added to this scene was secondhand, but two brand new elements were a jute table runner and accompanying placemats from eco club member Will + Atlas. Jute is one of the most sustainable materials for homewares, and it’s incredible durable. The intricate patterns in these gave the tough material a more delicate feel and I use them for pretty much all my entertaining, not to mention as photo backdrops, whenever possible!

The dahlias came from Pike Place Market, leaves from the backyard, and dried plants and strawflowers were also purchased at the market in one big dried flower bouquet that I’ve reused like 1000 times. I am not kidding. They come in giant sets for $20-$30 and yes my friend, dried flowers are SO VERY reusable. I have used some of these very same pieces in every single season since getting them. All from one single purchase. I used them for this year’s Friendsgiving, too. And then? I took ’em out of the vases and put ’em back in my stash for safekeeping. (Are you starting to sense how my apartment looks yet?)

I shared this + more sustainable flower tips here with a springtime bouquet.

Another member, Ten Thousand Villages, provided the marble serving board and knife. They have a few different options now too. Another piece that we’ve used again & again. And of course, would be perfect for a veggie spread too, or fruit + chocolate, like we did last summer.

We first used all this thrifted glassware for Charity’s wedding and have since used them in oh, about 100 shoots. I swear, they will live on forever, whether in our homes or someone else’s. We also thrifted the candlestick holders and vases. Our friend and talented calligrapher Rachel Johnson designed + made these paper goods with little eucalyptus sprigs.

Another favorite Friendsgiving idea: If you serve chocolate, try Seattle-based jcoco, which has unconventional, culinary inspired flavors. They’re a woman-owned company that gives back with every purchase, and is committed to ethically sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. You can learn more here.

One last note. If your area provides a compost service. DO IT. The City of Seattle collects compost and I could go on for hours about how grateful I am for this service. But some cities have this available and are just awful at promoting it. We have neighboring areas with such services that many people don’t even realize is an option. Be sure to check what’s available in your area!

So! This is our blueprint for a successful Friendsgiving. Eco friendly and secondhand wares and decor, supporting companies we love, making things by hand… Oh, and going around the candle-lit table to gush over how thankful we all are for each other. No matter what your Thanksgiving looks like, you’ve gotta do that last one. It’s good stuff.

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Can a sustainable party be pretty, too?

If you search Google or Pinterest for oh, about five seconds, for an eco friendly party, you will not be surprised. It’s pretty much all along the same style, including lots of outdated trends at this point. (Say you don’t have an extensive mason jar collection, for example.) In this case, I can totally see why a hostess would cringe at the thought of throwing a party with an “eco” spin.

Then there are entertainers on a budget (hi!) who want to throw a pretty party too. There are tons of single use products marketed to these very people, with pretty patterned paper plates (that’s a mouthful) and even those “handy” plastic wine glasses that “look like the real thing” (don’t get me started). Being in the wants-to-create-something-beautiful-on-a-budget camp myself, I don’t believe I should have to resort to single use to host a creatively styled gathering. Even if it’s as simple as a backyard picnic. So, those are just a few thoughts we kept in mind while putting this together. We really did want to speak to people like us, who love Pinterest and Instagram and all the pretty parties they inspire, but wanted to be conscious of both our budget and our impact.

Planning Your Picnic or Backyard Party

The first thing we did when planning our party was decide the vibe. We knew we wanted it to be casual and in a backyard, so the picnic idea was just so much easier than finding enough furniture.

We let the seasonal colors of our region dictate our color palette. Colorful textiles, vibrant fruits and veggies, and our favorite vintage accessories made up the scene. Keeping it simple doesn’t have to mean forgoing color. Being inspired by nature and the decor we already had challenged us to get more creative!

Picnic Planning Tips

• Brainstorm a few words to describe your party. Choose a style, color palette, size, formality, and location.
• Create a secret Pinterest board to gather and share inspiration with collaborators.
• Start a Google doc to log specifics, like what you have and what you’ll need, and track the design process.
• Plan your guest list early so you can estimate food & supplies and reduce waste leftover.

Picnic Food Ideas

Knowing we had a backyard party vibe helped us narrow down food options. I’ve been all over the Mediterranean diet lately, and I liked that a mezze board could be vegetarian friendly (vegan if you take out the feta/tzatziki) and require minimal cleanup. It’s also full of refreshing flavors for a warm day. The picnic snacks on our mezze board were various olives, grilled pita and peppers, raw carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers, and marinated artichokes along with some feta cheese, tzatziki, and hummus.

We used the same concept for our fruit platter – fresh, easy fruits that were no fuss to prepare. We always add a little jcoco chocolate to our fruit platters, which is a local Seattle brand and ethical chocolate company that fights hunger with every purchase.

Let your food influence the theme of your party. If it’s an outdoor brunch picnic you’re after, go with fresh breads and pastries alongside your fruit. And of course fruit juices or mimosas. Or if it’s a more fancy picnic you’re after, level up with luxury linens and lots of flowers, and be sure to take any pre-packaged food out of their original containers and use your own. Summer textiles like napkins, table clothes, and pillows aren’t just for the table–spread them across the grass (use a sheet underneath if you’re worried about stains) for that luxury picnic feel.

Budget Friendly and Low Waste Picnic Ideas

• Use what you have. We thrifted a few pieces to make sure we had enough baskets and bowls, but for the most part, went with what we already had, which helped us define our color palette and style too.
• Using reusable cloth napkins we already own made everything look cohesive (paper towels = not cute) and they’re easy to wash.
• Be intentional about single use. Avoid plastic, and look for those that use recycled materials. If you have compost in your area, make sure the tableware and utensils you use are compliant.
• Have a waste disposal plan beforehand. If you have recycle or compost, guests will only use it if they know it’s there!
• Skip the party store. Combine forces with friends to bring decor and serveware from our your own collections, then source the rest from thrift shops.

Beautify food + drinks with citrus slices, edible flowers, herbs, or other garnishes. If you’re not sure which drink to offer, find the garnish first, and let it inspire your drink! We had lots of citrus, which is how we landed on a batch rose spritzer. You probably know by now that we use edible flowers on just about everything. Instant pretty!

DIY picnic flowers

I created a few farmers market floral arrangements using the techniques shared here, opting for a wildflower look that’s very much trendy and in season right now. To achieve the look sustainably, purchase flowers at the market from farmers in your region rather than cut flowers from the grocery store. Whenever you make arrangements at home, you can preserve your favorite stems for use at parties like this. Add dried or dried or foraged stems to create unique arrangements. We’ve reused some of ours on multiple occasions, which is easy to do during spring and summer when you have a lot of events, as long as you take care of your flowers. Not all flowers need the same things to stay healthy and bloom big. Research unfamiliar flowers so you can treat them best! And don’t forget to replace the water.

Planning a backyard party of your own this summer? Find more picnic ideas (including a yummy cocktail recipe) in this post!

*Photos by Charity

The post This backyard picnic is proof that eco-friendly entertaining can be pretty too appeared first on Eco Club.