Stuffed Animal Centerpieces

In June, I wrote about creating centerpieces with canned goods and donating them after the party to help feed the hungry. Judy Yublosky, from A-BnC Parties and More, Inc., wrote in sharing pictures of the stuffed animal centerpieces she has done for charity-oriented bar and bat mitzvahs. What a great idea!

Green Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
I have done many Green Bar/Bat Mitzvahs in my 19 year career in making centerpieces. As you mentioned, many centerpieces involve food that is later given to a food pantry or shelter. Food baskets are even being used instead of flowers on the Bemah during the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service. Not only does the food basket last longer than the flowers, it can be donated and put to good use after the Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Stuffed animals are another popular choice. I can recall one Bar Mitzvah where the Bar Mitzvah boy wanted animals in their natural habitat. I used actual trees and leaves and grass and, after much research from the Bar Mitzvah boy, we came up with what their natural habitat should be. We used stuffed animals which were donated after the Bar Mitzvah to a children’s shelter. The place cards were printed on recycled paper to save the trees. All guests were asked to bring in canned goods that were then donated to a food pantry.

Here are some pictures from other events I have done:

There was a stuffed animal on top of the dog house and dog supplies inside dog house. All were donated after the event.

This shows a stuffed teddy bear used as a centerpiece.

These sand toys were then donated to a children’s hospital after the event.

For my own daughter’s Bat Mitzvah I crocheted dresses for dolls. The dolls were donated to the children’s ward of a local hospital for the girls to enjoy. The tubes in the centerpiece were silver vases which were then filled with flowers and taken to a nursing home after the Bat Mitzvah. The picture below shows the centerpiece used on the place card table. The place cards were little dolls with the name of the guest(s) and the table they where they were sitting on a little piece of cardstock attached to the doll with a ribbon.

Going “Green” not only helps our environment by keeping items out of the landfills, but it also helps people that are in need of the items that are donated. It is definitely a “win win” situation.

Seed Paper Problems

Image: Grow-a-Note (Made in USA)

Hi Kate,

I think you have a site worth sharing. One huge problem though is all of your plantable paper. From an environmental point of view, it's a terrible idea. Most of it is made overseas, and while it is made from recycled content, it is largely sweat shopped. But worse yet is the invasive species angle. Seeds from where ever the paper is coming from don't belong where the invites are going. (Ever look in a seed catalog and notice that they won't ship some seeds to some places? This is why). While it is a cute idea, seeds from China don't belong in Chicago.

I've been making handmade paper for 11 years and talked to many botanists along the way and you won't find one who thinks seeded paper is a good idea.

All the best...
Chuck

Answer
Hi Chuck,

I have reprinted your e-mail to me because you raise a very important point that I talk about in The Green Bride Guide, but have not mentioned on this site yet. Whenever you give guests trees, seed packets or seed imbued paper you should include a note about which region of the country they can be planted in. If your guest lives outside the plant's natural range the seeds should only be germinated indoors.

To find out which trees are native to your region type your zip code into the "buy a tree" page at the National Arbor Day Foundation.

For seeds, check out the map at American Meadows.

For seed paper, unless the company specifies the species, always advise your guests to plant your cards, programs, etc. in indoor pots. (This can be accomplished with a small "please plant inside" note on the back of the card).

To tackle the sweatshop issue, whenever possible I suggest purchasing locally produced seed paper or fair trade seed paper. (You can find both in the eco-products section of this website). If you are not sure, contact the company directly before buying. You can also make your own seed paper using a simple paper making kit.

Carbon Offsetting in Israel

When we travel, eat food grown with petroleum-based fertilizers, or even turn on the lights we are emitting carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Now, there are many ways you can offset the carbon from your bar or bat mitzvah. For example, you can plant trees in the United States, invest in renewable energy projects, or give guests Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.

For Israel- focused offsetting, the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership sponsors the Good Energy Initiative. The Good Energy Initiative has a diverse project portfolio. They work on everything from subsidizing solar energy and CFL light bulbs for low income families to reducing waste with recycling and biodiesel programs. They even offer a bar mitzvah carbon calculator to help you assess the environmental impact of your event. Check it out!