Celebrate With Low Waste St. Patrick’s Day Ideas
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a way that is simple, stress-free, and low waste with these easy ideas for festive decor and fun that might just leave you feeling lucky! Read more for a list of low waste and sustainable St. Patrick’s Day ideas.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend stopped by for dinner and brought a Shamrock plant. How cool, right? Not only was it perfectly festive but also thoughtful.
I am kind of terrible at receiving flowers (if you can even believe that), so flowers are not the best hostess gift for me. We love when friends come over empty-handed. However, I know that’s not going to cut it for some people, so a plant is always a great choice.
This adorable plant got me thinking about how we could decorate for and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a bit of flair but not a lot of pomp and circumstance (or wasteful “stuff”).
6 Low Waste St. Patrick’s Day Ideas
Here are several ideas for simple and sustainable St. Patrick’s Day ideas to celebrate the holiday that are right up my alley and might be your jam too. If you’re looking for something simple, try one of these ideas that give a nod to St. Patrick’s Day without a lot of fuss.
Bake Dessert with Green Frosting
A while back, I made a white coconut cake with green frosting and coconut shavings for the birthday of my husband’s grandmother. It took a bit of time to make and frost, so it might be for everyone. However, any fun dessert with green frosting will do.
Cookies, cupcakes, regular cake, pound cake, and donuts all love green frosting and become perfect festive St. Patrick’s Day desserts to spice up the holiday without a lot of waste. You can check out my Comprehensive Beginners Guide to Zero Waste Baking for lots of ideas about how to bake delicious desserts without creating a ton of waste.
Decorate with Shamrock Plants
As I mentioned above, our friends brought a Shamrock plant as a hostess gift. I didn’t even know these existed?! How awesome, right? Grab a couple of Shamrock Plants for your home to get into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. Etsy has a ton of cool options for shamrock plants in a variety of styles and colors!
Clover Egg and Toast
You’re making breakfast anyway. Cut a shamrock hole in the toast, cook an egg in the hole, and you have a perfect breakfast. If your kids like avocados, then spread avocado on the toast for bonus St. Patrick’s Day points.
Decorate With Library Books
Check out all the St. Patrick’s Day picture books. You can also decorate with a pile of green chapter books, especially if you already have them on hand. Add a nice pile of five or six books next to you Shamrock plant and you’ll have perfect minimalist decor.
If you’re not sure how to get started using your library, check out a few posts I’ve shared in the past about Tips To Use Your Local Library and the whole series Libraries Are More Than Books.
Fill Apothecary Jars With Green Chocolates or Candy
Grab a fancy jar or vase and fill it with green candy or chocolates. Thrift and consignment shops have loads of decorative jars if you don’t have some already. You could even use mason jars or repurpose glass jars you already have!
Always use what you already have first, and check your Buy Nothing group to see if a neighbor has something to share. But Etsy has some really cool apothecary glass jars, many of which are vintage like these faceted cut glass jars and these atlas sealing jars if you have something specific in mind.
Avoid candy wrapped in plastic. Simple candy without packaging is great. If you choose chocolate wrapped in aluminum foils, be sure to store all the wrappers in a tin can and recycle them at once time. Small pieces of foil can’t be recycled properly so they often become “wish cycling” instead of recycling. If combined in a tin can though, the foil wrappers can be recycled together properly.
Add Festive Pillow Covers to Your Throw Pillows
Instead of buying new throw pillows, make covers for the throw pillows you already have. I made these a couple of times for other holidays and seasons, and they worked out great! They also take up far less storage space than actual pillows. If you can find fabric related to St. Patrick’s Day at a thrift store, that’s even better!
Do you decorate or celebrate the “little” holidays? If so, what are some of your go-to tips and tricks? Share all of your sustainable and eco-friendly St. Patrick’s Day ideas in the comments to make this post even better for everyone who sees it!
