Inspired by Confetti Club London, a finalist in the sustainability awards at the World Cup, the Floristry Trade Club decided to dig deeper in how to recycle flowers into natural confetti.
History of Confetti
The practise of throwing confetti is believed to have started in Northern Italy in the middle ages, the word ‘confetti’ actually means sugared almonds in Italian, a traditional wedding favour.
Why is natural confetti better than manufactured?
Modern party and wedding confetti is often a mix of plastic, foil, metallic shapes and glitter, all of which won’t biodegrade, are harmful to wildlife and cause a litter problem. Even paper confetti takes years to break down and is usually chemically dyed. In fact, due to these factors, there are many wedding venues and churches who will only accept natural, biodegradable confetti.
How to make confetti from fresh flowers
If you are only making small amounts, the easiest way is to let the petals dry naturally in a warm spot. Choose flowers that are in full bloom and have no damaged or brown petals. Carefully pick the petals off and lie them on a piece of kitchen towel, making sure they are not touching one another (else they will stick together) place another piece of kitchen towel on top and leave them alone until all the moisture has been removed.
The same result can be achieved more quickly by using the same method in a microwave or placing your covered petals on a baking tray and leaving them in an oven on a low heat. The amount of time it takes depends on the moisture content of the petals.
What flowers make the best confetti?
Roses, lavender, calendula, delphiniums, hydrangea and larkspur all make excellent confetti. Avoid very fleshy flowers such as hyacinths as they will not dry successfully.
Confetti as an add-on sale.
Consider offering natural confetti as an extra when you are booking weddings, and if you can coordinate the confetti to match the bridal flowers even better. Selll in your shop displayed in ecofriendly bags or supply to weddings in paper cones, ready for throwing!
World Cup Confetti
Confetti Club London are a not-for-profit organisation who were on hand to collect the flowers that remained after the World Cup which they then converted into confetti. Altogether they dried the petals from 2,000 flowers, the proceeds of the sales of which will go to cancer research.
An excellent result all round.
more about dried flowers trending everywhere.
Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over twenty-five years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.
