I hunted through my craft photo archives a bit today. Here are some prizes I made for a baby shower about two years ago. I handmade the coordinating jewelry, then made the green tags to sit like a pillow in the clear favor boxes. The shower attendees were nicely competitive when they saw the prizes they could get. It was a big hit.
I ear-marked some favorite finds from “House Beautiful” May 2009 to share.
* Carnival Glasses by Fishs Eddy. Other fun items are Floor Plan Mug and the Memo Collection.
*Good gift idea…cookbook called Two Dudes One Pan. You can do a lot with just one pan and a few ingredients.
*I like the shape of this Tea Swizzle at Sur La Table. Plus I’d love serving fancy lemonade in an Hourglass Beverage Jar. I just might make these Chalkboard Signs for my next party.
One of my favorite coffee mugs got a hairline crack down the side of it. Now it leaks. But instead of tossing the cup, I use it as a sugar cup for parties.
What have you done to repurpose broken kitchen items?
I went “window-shopping” to Crate & Barrel this weekend. My husband kindly took our son so I could peacefully wander the store. When I go to home stores like this I’m in full brainstorm mode…I revel in patterns & colors; I’m on lookout for organization ideas; I make mental notes of things I could DIY. Here are some of my fav’s.
I love the Bristol collection–teal & black, within white walls–featured on the outdoor furniture catalog cover (spring/summer 2009). 
Seguro Coffee Table-reclaimed wood! Isn’t it great when wood is reused to make something beautiful? This says DIY all over it.
I’d sing if I had an orange leather chair. Does anyone know what product you’d use to paint or dye leather?
Cabo Pitcher & Drink Glass-This is one of my favorite shades of green. Plus it’s 100% recycled glass.
A blog I’ve been reading for years, the DC Goodwill Fashion Blog, posted this week about preparing for your party at the Goodwill. The DCGF (DC Goodwill Fashionista) linked to a post on NPR’s Tell Me More about planning a party with your children, keeping “green” ideals in mind. In their book Celebrate Green they suggest shopping at the thrift store to buy your party dishes, instead of disposables. Then when you’re done with the dishes for the party you can donate them right back.
This idea reminded me of a baby shower I attended for a friend of mine. She had a tea party theme and decorated with tea cups and saucers she purchased at a thrift store. They were all different and elegant and looked so right for an afternoon shower. Then to top it off, when the host awarded prizes for the shower games the tea cups were the prizes, stuffed with a variety of teas.
Spring and summer are party season. Don’t forget these adorable ideas when you’re planning your get together. And keep checking back here for more ideas. Better yet, leave your environmentally friendly entertainment ideas in our comments!
