10 Environmentally friendly balloon alternatives for party decorations

Decorate your next party with these eco friendly balloon alternatives.

Balloons are very popular. They’re cheap, fairly easy to blow up and they look very effective. You can even get the cool looking confetti balloons or make fantastic garlands out of them.

I have been using balloons up until recently because the kids love them and they are very easy to prepare last minute. Also if I don’t have a balloon hanging from the front gate, how will party guests possibly know where to go?! (Um the invitation??).

But a single balloon hanging from the gate is not an issue. To be most effective, balloons look best when there are lots of them. Even better when they are held high by helium. I can’t ignore the environmental impact of balloons any longer and am committed to avoiding them as much as possible for all future events.

To get extra inspired about being eco friendly, check out these powerful sustainability quotes.

Why are balloons bad for the environment?

Balloons cause enormous harm to wildlife. Helium balloons are the worst kind as they often manage to get away and then in some distant location pop and the balloon and string fall to the ground or into the ocean.

But even balloons inflated with our breath are bad for the environment. When balloons pop, it can be difficult to find all the pieces which can then be picked up by birds and other animals and ingested. Not to mention the waste created from the balloons that all goes into landfill and stays there. Balloons do not decompose.

But back to helium balloons. Helium balloons are always on strings which pose a strangulation hazard to wildlife when it enters our environment. The pieces of balloon inevitably end up on our beaches and in the ocean. 

Seabirds and turtles are most at risk from balloon debris. Although seabirds eat more hard plastics by mistake, just one piece of ingested soft plastic by a seabird has a 20% mortality rate. Turtles eat colourful soft plastics including balloons, mistaking them for their favourite food jellyfish. The plastic clogs their digestive systems until they starve to death.

So how do you do birthday decorations without balloons?

1. Fabric Bunting

Bunting is a lovely subtle decoration that suits any type of party. One of it’s best features is that it can be packed away without taking up too much space and be used over and over again. 

My mum has some beautiful Christmas bunting adorned in Australian animals that I love seeing appear each December.

2. Paper Bunting

Paper bunting is a less durable but also less expensive alternative to fabric bunting.

To get the most use out of your bunting you can choose something generic that can be used for multiple occasions. My brother has bunting that spells out CELEBRATE which he has used repeatedly for a bridal shower, wedding, baby shower and birthdays. I purchased a colourful paper bunting with the generic HOORAY spelled out which I love to bring out for all parties and celebrations. Or if you don’t want words, just plain colours will do the trick too.

3. Flowers

Flowers are an elegant way to decorate your party and especially suited to a bridal or baby shower but could brighten up any occasion. They are a sustainable option as they can simply be composted afterwards. 

But the enjoyment from the flowers doesn’t have to end when the party is over. You can get another week of joy from seeing beautiful fresh flowers in your home. 

For a large occasion, the flowers may be passed onto guests. At a wedding I attended, the floral arrangements were broken up for guests to take home afterwards which was a lovely touch. Alternatively I have also been to a fundraising event where the floral arrangements were sold to guests at the end of the evening to take home along with the vase.

While you can purchase beautiful flower arrangements, for a simple event held at home, you can simply pick some flowers from your garden and pop them in a vase. If you don’t have any flowers in your garden you could ask family friends or neighbours if they have any to spare. 

4. Paper decorations

Paper decorations like those pictured are a fantastic alternative to balloons because they offer the same large pop of colour but without the plastic waste. They are often reusable too, folding down for easy storage.

5. Food

I love cooking, but I put more effort into making it taste good rather than presentation. Others though are very skilled at and enjoy making gorgeous Insta-worthy cakes. If that’s you, consider the cake as part of the decorations.

The cake usually fits the theme of the party if there is one and makes a beautiful centrepiece. If you’ve made a fabulous cake, certainly don’t hide it away until the party is almost over and it’s time to sing happy birthday. Show it off proudly and have everyone oo and ah over it throughout the party. 

Other food items that look beautiful and have wow factor are macaron towers or a croquembouche. Making a croquembouche is on my bucket list and I think it might stay there for a while as ordering one is just too easy.

For easier and less expensive foods that look brilliant when arranged well are lollies and fruit. The lollies can be chosen by type and colour to suit the party theme and fruit arrangements can be done really nicely too. Whatever the theme of your party, check out Pinterest for loads of ideas on themed food, especially for something like Halloween or Christmas.

6. Photos

I love looking at photos at a party. It provides a good talking point and something for guests to do as well as adorning what could otherwise be bare walls.

Picture a birthday party with a huge collage of photos of the birthday person. There will obviously be photos with friends and family. Guests love to find the ones of themselves. Or for a baby shower you could have lots of baby photos of the parents or at an engagement party photos of the couple.

7. Lit up jars

For a night time celebration, simple tea lights in glass jars make a very effective decoration (and are a great way to reuse jars).

8. Existing toys

If you’re having a themed birthday party for your child, chances are you will already have a lot of toys and other paraphernalia related to that theme.Put them to good use!

Get out all those cars, dolls, dinosaurs, unicorns or favourite tv show merchandise and plaster them all over the place.

10. Borrowed items 

Decorations that you can buy and reuse for years will be a good investment but anything that will only be used once is a waste. It will cost you money and impact the environment by piling up in landfill.

Instead, borrow decorations from family, friends and the community. See what your network has available that you can use to make your party look special.

Just before my daughter’s 3rd birthday, some put up beautiful purple HAPPY BIRTHDAY foil balloons on our Buy Nothing group. A few people were interested and we coordinated to each pass them onto each other once we were finished with them so that everyone could use them for their event. If you are not part of a Buy Nothing group, I highly recommend you join one.

And you don’t have to wait for people to post things that are useful to you. Be brave and ask your Buy Nothing group if anyone has decorations or flowers that you can use for your party. There is bound to be someone who can help.

How have you decorated your party with eco-friendly balloon alternatives? Or which of these are you keen to try for your next party? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Have a sustainable party with these eco friendly party decorations.

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