Green Wedding Stationery

Choose recycled papers and cards or those from sustainable or alternative fibres. Make your own stationery or create a wedding website.

Eco-friendly Weddings

Your wedding shouldn't cost the Earth - in more ways than one! When you consider the huge amount of energy and waste that is created by the average wedding, and the increasing concern for our way of life due to the threat of global warming, it’s no surprise to find that the latest trend for Brides & Grooms is the ‘Green’ wedding. Here are some "green" stationery tips to ensure your big day leaves a small footprint on our planet.

A wedding is a time when you think about what is important in your life - an expression of values. It is the couples chance to say " the environment is a really important issue for us, that we really care."
A carbon-neutral wedding is very symbolic.

Stationery

Choose recycled papers and cards or those from sustainable or alternative fibres. Take an interest in where your paper comes from. Do you really want your wedding to contribute to the destruction of native forests?

Choose the smallest paper size for the job. If your invitation wording is brief, why display it on an A5 size invitation? Your designer can be just as creative in a smaller space.

Do you really need all those layers of paper? Invitations can be just as effective with a beautiful illustration or a photograph as the feature.

Opt for digital printing over traditional offset printing. This eliminates the need for nasty chemicals, inks and water usage and offers a faster turnaround time. If you must use offset printing, ask your designer to choose a printer who uses direct to plate technology, a waterless press or vegetable/soy based inks.

They may look nice, but did you know that metallic printing inks (such as gold and silver) are more toxic than regular inks and contain heavy metals. If you must have some bling on your invitations, use metallic card or feature a 'shiny' embellishment such as a diamonte instead.

If your guests are savvy with technology, create a wedding website instead of posting invitations. The website can list all the details of your big day including directions, online RSVP and any other events.

source: A Little Birdie Design

My philosophy is a simple one - I am dedicated to bringing fresh, creative ideas to my clients; whilst promoting business practices that respect the Earth.

www.alittlebirdiedesign.com.au - for all your 'green' Wedding Stationery.

Make Beautiful Recycled Paper and cards from Paper Shreds

Step 1: Cut junk mail into small shreds, soak it in warm water for about 2 hours, and blend it in a blender.

Step 2: Add small quantities of flowers, grass, and leaves for fun, colour, and texture.

Step3: Spread it out on a flat, fine-holed, wire-mesh screen—use a rolling pin to flatten it.

Step 4: Smear a tablespoon of cornstarch over the paper to increase its strength.

Step 5: Add whole leaves or flattened dried flowers. Wild flowers and can be planted.

Step 6: When it dries, you can use this paper as wedding stationary, cards or to decorate presents and used boxes.

Other alternatives to making your own paper:

* Send 100 percent recycled paper or tree-free cards made by environmental organizations like Defenders of Wildlife.
* Glue pictures from old cards onto homemade or store-bought recycled paper to create new cards.
* Glue pretty paper on the inside of old cards to cover previous writing--and send them again.

* Make a card ,place tag or thank-you note from scrap paper, fabric or wallpaper.

* For place tags or thank-you use a large leaf or flat stone.

* Make cards or tags from pieces of a food box.

www.womancraft.net. Woman craft recycled artisan-made invitations where all the proceeds go to a women's shelter in Chicago.