Alternative non plastic party bag - hit me with ideas!

[spikemomma]

Can't abide the waste associated with plastic party bags, which get ditched within seconds of leaving a party, yet i don't want to choke the delight out of receiving one.

Only need about 6-8. Can you suggest an alternative, like paper, cloth, cardboard box... so the kids will love them?

What's an alternative?

sites like partybox do nice, colourful, cheap paper ones

this sort of thing

LOL Jamieandthemagictorch - I have done both of those as well; now my girls are older they have a good laugh about my "sensible" party bags at my expense - I keep threatening to do knickers for the next party.

But as you say, people seem quite happy with them and at least it's something useful!

You can get large packs of paper carrier bags like they use in takeaways and decorate them. Or I made bags myself on year, buy some cotton and then (if you have a sewing machine) sew some little bags - if you have girls coming you can go to town with sparkly lace and tassles!

Lots of ideas here for younger ones! I hate the way the plastic bags just get thrown away after too.

Younger kids would probably like something like this shop.kidzcraft.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=01PARTYBAGW They can decorate their own at the party if you want a bit of "down time" then you can put whatever sweets and stuff in after. Then they've got their own personalised party bag, and at least if they're paper they can be recycled

I always liked the idea of buying cheap mugs and filling them with goodies for older children. That way they get the sweets and get a mug as well!

tickseed
we did fabric ones and some pens so they could decorate them, went down well at my 3 year old dd party last year.

yeah I like the idea of canvas or fabric 1s and u can definately buy them from websites: just type in eco-birthdays or something to google. but if you don't want to spend the money, why don't you make party boxes instead from old cereal packets?(preferably mini ones - could even get youre children to decorate them for a persoanl touch x

Plastic sweetie jars they can decorate with ribbons and stickers (craft activity at the party), then fill with sweets, bracelets, marbles and stuff... and of course take home. Jars will still be plastic but fully reusable!

I have in the past

not done bags at all

bought some of the lucky bags for boys/girls at £1 each and used those

filled a cheap halloween hat (DD1 birthday just prior to halloween)

and done an activity where they painted a cup and sent the cup home

Cheap mugs or glasses (with pictures on the kids will like) filled with sweets - then they can carry on using the mugs.

A friend of mine did this - bought a number of Harry Potter mugs the first time, and glasses with either cats or dinosaurs on for the next party. We still have two of the Harry Potter mugs, some 5 years later.

Last year for dd's birthday I did paper bags with the little plant pot thing, a balloon and a pack of magic stars.

DS didn't have a party though we hijacked the toddler group christmas party and gave all the dc cake and a helium balloon (just cheap balloons not foil ones)

DD this year has insisted on plastic tat pretty jewelery in the party bags but rather than bags I found packs of 4 milkshake glasses for £2 and have filled a glass for each guest (only 6 of them this year)

I did once buy a toy for each child, instead of filling party bags - if I recall correctly, the boys got a kit to make a racing car model, and the girls got a jewellry making kit (both cheapie kits, costing about the same as the cost of the party bags, I reckoned).

When I explained this and handed them over, one girl handed hers back and said she's prefer the party bag instead. I told her that there were no party bags - it was the toy or nothing - she ungraciously accepted the toy!

I bought some plastic beakers one year (the childrens/picnic sort) and put sweets, balloon and little toy inside. They seemed quite popular.

I love the socks idea! Very different.

If you google your local catering suppliers shop, they will probably sell the brown paper bags you get Chinese takeaway in.

DS had a bowling party one year, so I used the brown paper bags with handles, a skittle and ball template, and put the childs name on the skittle. I then filled it with seeds and compost and a small plant pot.

My friends took the piss out of me (nicely) for ages and called me the Eco-Warrior.

Thanks for the great ideas, I am going to try socks or paper cups! My daughter is 7 and tattoos are the thing at the moment so I'll buy a bumper pack off amazon and put some in each sock/cup with some treats.

this is a good site for temporary tattoos.

Re: fabric drawstring party bags -I managed to get 8 out of £2.50 worth of fabric

I only had 8 this year and made them out of bright spotted cotton tea towels and ribbon. Cut a tea towel into 3 strips short ways fold over to make a bag + flap (inside out) pin and whizz them all up on a sewing machine add matching ribbon handles. Took me an hour DS's friends loved them (and the contents) and one friend uses it to transport toy cars everywhere so it was worth it. Parents were a bit despite my protestations that it was dead easy to do

'wonkylegs' -one Dad at pick-up time looked at the party bags and said "Bit posh aren't they? Have you come into money or something?" (he is a bit of a rude twat anyway though)

I pointed out to him that actually they cost no more to make than the nasty plastic ones cost to buy.

The contents were just basic