Why You Need an After-Party Plan for Party Stuff
Not only is it wasteful to trash your party decorations and supplies after you’re done with them, but you’re also throwing away your money (and/or DIY efforts). So even if you are less concerned with contributing to landfill waste, at least consider your own money and efforts. Sure, none of us want extra decor and materials cluttering up our closets. Who has space for that! But there are more constructive ways you can get leftover party supplies and decor off your hands.
Three Good Ways to Purge Your Leftover Party Supplies
1. Donate or Consign Your Party Decorations and Supplies
Donating or consigning your party decor and supplies is probably the easiest and most obvious way (short of just trashing them) to get rid of them after a party. It benefits the partnering organization, any new potential buyer(s), and yourself.
1) Donate to a thrift store
Donating your unneeded items both supports the organization to which you donate and it provides another lucky thrift shopper a chance to discover and purchase your goods for a fraction of the retail cost. Imagine a thrift store customer – someone like yourself – finding the coolest gently used theme party supplies at a great price! That’s a win for the common good and a win for you to not have extra stuff to store somewhere.
2) Consign with a consignment shop or sale
Consigning your party decor and supplies is a great way to get some of their monetary value back. Consigner profit percentages vary store to store, but if something sells, you should receive at least some income. Alternatively, when you consign with an organization that hosts a consignment sale to raise funds, you are both getting some percentage back and benefitting that organization. Another win-win!
2. Give (or Sell) to Someone Else Who Can Use Them for Their Own Party
If someone else loves your party’s theme or aesthetic, they may want to host something just like it! After all, you can’t be the only person in the region to love a concept enough to make it a party. There are likely others like you who are inspired by what you’ve done and would love to do something similar.
1) Give them to a friend who is inspired to host a similar party
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. If one of your guests or someone else you know is inspired by your party to host their own with a similar theme, they may love to use your decor and supplies. Depending on your relationship and preferences, you could give them for free or they could give you cash (most likely they’ll at least offer). An alternative is to lend someone your supplies. This is a great option if you aren’t completely sure you want to permanently part with them and/or if the other person doesn’t want to keep them. The goods will at least serve a new purpose temporarily, and then you can decide what to do with them after the other host is done (see the other options in this list).
2) List them on Facebook marketplace for free or to sell/exchange
Whether you post your party supplies on a free group or a buy/sell group, there are plenty of online spaces to list items. Whether locally or somewhere that requires shipping, there are probably plenty of other people who would be interested in your supplies. My neighbourhood has a Facebook page to which people post items to give away or sell all of the time. It’s really convenient because no actual driving (or shipping) is necessary to exchange things. Check if your local area has something similar.
3. Keep and Reuse Your Party Supplies if You Love Them Too Much to Part with Them
Maybe you aren’t quite sure what to do with them, but you really, really love your party decor and supplies. In that case, before parting with them, consider these other options.
1) Store them somewhere practical if you might someday re-use them for another party
Maybe your party was such a hit that you wouldn’t mind throwing something similar again! It could even be an annual event. Most likely, your guests will be thrilled for another go in the future. In that case, find a reasonable place to store your supplies. Store them in a way that keeps them clean as well as protected from the elements/extreme temperatures (if necessary). Don’t just chuck them up on a shelf in the garage. Make sure they won’t collect a year’s worth of dust and grime.
2) Incorporate them into your home decor
If you love your party decor enough to want to see it regularly, you can always incorporate it into your home decor and regularly used items! This doesn’t have to mean your entire home is strewn with theme-specific decor or items that clash with your other home decor. You can always create a themed room, or dedicate a nook or portion of a room to whatever creative expression using that decor. And you can obviously make it seasonal and rotate it out at different times of the year, as we do with holiday decor. There are no rules to how you design your home, so long as it makes you happy.
Supplies such as paper plates and napkins can likewise be incorporated into your home wares. Maybe some evening you’d rather avoid dealing with dishes and want to instead serve supper on paper plates. Make it fun and use your leftover party supplies to set the table to the theme! Spice up your normal home meal routine with such fun surprises on occasion. You could also bring any serveware with you to eat on the go somewhere, or to a picnic.
Overview of What to Do with Leftover Party Supplies
Here is a recap of the three main things to do with your leftover party supplies and decor:
- Donate or consign your party supplies to a thrift store or consign with a consignment shop/sale.
- Give or sell party supplies to a friend who is inspired to host a similar party. Alternatively, list your party supplies on Facebook marketplace for free or to sell/exchange.
- Keep and reuse your party supplies if you love them too much to part with them. Store them somewhere practical if you might re-use them for another party. Or, incorporate party decor and supplies into your home decor!
Never underestimate the value of your stuff. With some obvious exceptions, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Make good use of your party decor and supplies after the party with any of these re-purpose suggestions. You never know who you’ll inspire to have the next cool party just like yours!