How to Create a Vintage Vibe at Your Party

Throwing a stylish party and being eco-conscious are not mutually exclusive. No one really likes eating from paper plates or drinking from plastic cups. And emailing invitations really is okay for all but the most formal events, even according to the etiquette experts. Once you've got your organic, locally grown menu figured out, consider the following ideas for saving money and waste on your next bash.

- Choose soy or beeswax candles. They produce much less soot than traditional paraffin candles and have a minimal impact on the environment. Plus, they burn great.

- Use empty wine bottles for water carafes and fill them from your filtered tap instead of buying water in plastic bottles. Glass pitchers bought used at the thrift store also make cheap, funky water containers.

- Skip the cut flowers (unless they're from your garden or the local farmer's market). Consider fresh fruit in glass bowls, or potted plants instead. Aromatic herbs are also a fun twist, or a floating soy votive in a bowl of water.

- Use vintage table linens from the thrift store. You can find great deals on tablecloths and napkins, and if you?re handy, curtains and even bedspreads can be modified as very cool table linens.

- Ditto on the dishes. That is to say, mismatched vintage glassware, plate ware, and silverware is full of character and can run the gamut from sleek to froufy, it?s all up to you. No matter your style, the minimal impact of already-owned dishes trumps the wastefulness of disposable products any day.

Tip: Let the thrift store be your new party central!