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party planning

A white woman with blonde hair and wearing a red blouse is hugging a younger blonde haired white teenager (her daughter) who wears a peach coloured knitted jumper. Both are smiling and happy. Red balloons are to the left of the image and a large skull poster on the wall to the right.

How to throw a period party – and why!

by Rosie Hurwitz July 12, 2022

Starting a business all about celebration has been a personal and professional joy. I don’t just love seeing all the ways people use Patchwork to celebrate and support each other, I love using our platform to mark milestones in our own family’s life. So OF COURSE when my daughter started her period, we used Patchwork to organise a period party!

Why did I have a period party for my daughter?

We had a Naming Day when Vera was born and we’ve celebrated every one of her birthdays. So it also felt important to celebrate our daughter’s initiation into womanhood. I wanted to mark the occasion and let her know that me (and all her aunties) have got her back and will always be here for her throughout her adult life as we have been throughout her childhood. I wanted to ensure that she felt beautiful and powerful, celebrated and magic at a time when we can often feel tired, embarrassed, grumpy and a bit spotty.

It was important to create a space away from her friends, away from her brother, dad and the other lovely men in our lives so we could be just us women. To get together with all the important women role-models in her life in one room at the same time to show their solidarity. I wanted the party to be a bit witchy, to learn some stuff, share some stuff and celebrate all the blood and bravery, tears and laughter that comes with having periods.

What did Vera think?

I knew she’d be embarrassed. I knew I couldn’t ask her if she wanted me to do it. Because I knew she’d say no. But I also knew it was important. That even if she didn’t appreciate it at the time, the experience would remove the silent taboo around her period before it kicked in. And the party would remind her that we all love her and give her confidence in the future. Because of all this I organised the party as a surprise. My sister Holly who lives opposite to us hosted at her house and when Vera arrived to see her 13 aunties (all my sisters and best friends) she was definitely surprised. And once she’d got over the shock and initial embarrassment, had hugged everyone and had a cocktail she had a great time.

Why is it important to break the taboo around periods?

Periods have been a taboo subject for far too long in western culture. Women and those of us who have periods have been silenced and shamed and made to feel embarrassed about the one thing that gives us real life-giving power. So talking about periods is a personal liberation and also a political act. Period taboos are, just like period taxes, very much part of patriarchal control. And period parties are just one way for us to be loud and proud of our periods. Talking publicly (and even better getting theatrical) about periods has already led to successful campaigns to change government policy with schools now needing to provide free period products. But there is so much more that can be done to fight period poverty, to educate young people about their physical and sexual health and to normalise not just periods but also our understanding of vaginas and vulvas in our own lives and in wider culture. Something which is crucial if we are to counter the dangerous porn-driven image of ‘perfection’ that is causing the huge rise in labiaplasty in young women and girls.

What did Vera’s period party involve?

We had decorated my sister Holly’s flat with red and pink balloons, matching candles, red fruits and pink decorations and when Vera walked in she found all thirteen of us women wearing red outfits. I asked My Lady Garden to create a huge red and pink vulva-like floral arrangement for the table. The South East Cakery created a ‘Bloody Amazing’ red velvet cake. My sister Rosie made pink cocktails with cherries on top. Then my friend Jo, Founder of This Is A Vulva, hosted a period quiz for us all and provided felt and paper craft so we could all sit down and make our own vulvas! And then there were presents. We gave Vera a vintage ruby necklace with 13 little diamonds, Maisie Hill’s book Period Power and then I commissioned Julia from Ink & Thimble to make a patch for her favourite denim jacket with the words ‘we’ve got your back’ sewn in. We also all recorded voice notes for Vera to keep giving her advice about her period, tips that work for us when we’re feeling shitty and also just words of love and encouragement. So it was a deliberately bloody and taboo breaking event but also practical and empowering, beautiful and super chic!

Want to host a period party? Here’s how to do it:

The really fun thing about organising Vera’s party was how involved everyone got in the planning to help make it really special, stress free and affordable. I created a Patchwork and asked everyone to contribute. I’ve now turned it into a template for others to use. Of course you can add your own ideas and personalise your period party to celebrate in whatever way you like. But I definitely recommend lots of red and pink, getting creative with vulva related treats and ensuring along with cocktails and cake there are practical gifts and games you can play together that share knowledge, advice and support. A period party is a great chance to celebrate adulthood but also to take time to better understand and appreciate our bodies. And us grown ups learnt a lot too!

To make it super easy to plan your own period party we’ve created a readymade template that you can customise with your own period party ideas. Please let us know how your party goes!

Amazing suppliers:

Flowers – My Lady Garden

Cake – South East Cakery

Jacket patch – Ink & Thimble

Make Your Own Vulva kits – This is a Vulva

Tampon keyrings – Lydia Reeves

Useful resources and links:

Bloody Good Period

28ish days later Podcast

Relevant news/campaigns:

Free Periods campaign

The Vagina Museum

This is a Vulva (on Instagram)

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Party Planning

Plan the best Bar Mitzvah Party

by Rosie Hurwitz April 26, 2021

written by Rosie Hurwitz

So you’ve got all the big elements of your Bar Mitzvah planned out. The date is set and the venue is sorted. All the guests have been asked to save the date and you’ve chosen your caterer. Next you can plan all the exciting details to have the best Bar Mitzvah party and perfect Bar Mitzvah gifts. With Patchwork you can ensure it’s a one of a kind event. A party that reflects your son’s personality and gets everyone excited for the big day.

How can Patchwork help us plan our Bar Mitzvah celebration?

The Patchwork platform is a totally flexible party planning tool. Patchwork allows you to collect gift money from your friends and family. You can collate offers of help for aspects of the Bar Mitzvah party.

The best way to appreciate Patchwork is to see it in action. Check out an example of a Bar Mitzvah gift page. It’s a fully functioning Bar Mitzvah mood board. It acts as a “save the date” for your guests and sets the tone for the whole party! The simple stylish design allows you to choose your own colour scheme. You can upload your own images, so you can really show your child’s personality and reflect your party theme.

What kind of things can I add to my Bar Mitzvah Patchwork?

The short answer is – anything you like! Patchwork is a visual and engaging platform that shows your family and friends the ways that they can help make your party amazing. From sending over a photo of you for your photo montage, to contributing cash towards a Bar Mitzvah gift that’s really wanted.

We all know the struggle of searching high and low for that perfect gift for the Bar Mitzvah boy. Conversely we’ve all handed cash over as a gift and then worried that it’ll reach the recipient securely. Or wondered what on earth it will be spent on! With Patchwork you can take all the stress and uncertainty away from your friends and family. You can be clear about the things you’d love, and making it super easy for them to contribute.

Inviting friends and family to gift in a way that’s meaningful, safe and fun.

You can add patches to your Patchwork Bar Mitzvah page showing your guests the things you’d love to receive. Guests send gift money securely through the site. It’s then up to you to choose how you’d like to spend or save the money received.

For example, your son might have a hobby that he’d like to spend some money on. Gaming? Art? Photography? Music? Add a patch to represent a contribution to some equipment or some lessons and allow friends to help him fund it. Maybe he’d like to save some of his Bar Mitzvah gift money for when he’s older? College or University fund maybe? Or plans for travel in the future? You can add a patch to allow guests to contribute towards this. You can even add a patch for a charitable donation, allowing guests to chip in to a good cause.

Once all the gift money has been collected, your son can donate to the charities of his choice. Or he can put some money away for savings and treat himself to a few things too!

Saving time, resources and the planet.

Using Patchwork to ask for the things you’d really appreciate is good for people and planet! With everyone being so pressed for time not having to shop around for gifts makes everyone’s life easier. It also solves the problem of being gifted things that – whilst well-meaning – might not be needed or wanted. Sadly those gifts end up at the back of a cupboard. It’s kinder to the planet and our finite resources to let people know what you’d like to be gifted. Together we can all reduce the amount of stuff going to landfill.

Other kinds of Bar Mitzvah gifts – time and skills!

Not all gifts have to be wrapped up or cost money. There are lots of other ways for your friends and family to get involved in your celebration and gift you their time and skills. Using Patchwork, you can ask people to send over any photos they have of you, so you can display them on the night or add them to a special album.

You can ask friends and family if they’d volunteer to help decorate the venue the day before; or if anyone is a master baker and would offer to make some delicious cakes to share! Or perhaps they’d like to pledge to take your son out for a day, or invite him for a sleepover and pizza? Asking for non-financial gifts is a lovely way to make everyone feel involved and connected to your special day. It also means that even those on a small budget can make a really meaningful contribution.

How do we keep track of who is doing what?

Every time someone contributes to your Patchwork – whether it’s sending a cash gift, or volunteering to help in some way – you will receive an email notification listing exactly what they are funding, doing, or making. You will also be able to see all the activity at a glance in your Patchwork account. Even better – once the event is over, and all gifts and contributions have been received, you can contact your guests individually via your Patchwork account to thank them. You can even upload photos to send too – then they can really see how happy they made you!

Bar Mitzvah cash gifts direct to you.

When you collect gift money for your Bar Mitzvah with Patchwork it’s yours to spend, save, invest or donate straight away. We don’t hold your money; instead it’s sent direct to your PayPal account or your bank account via Stripe. This way it’s secure and available to you at all times. We’ve also found that when people can see where their gift money is going they feel happier. They are more satisfied with the experience of gift giving and they are likely to be more generous too.

Ready to start your Patchwork?

You don’t need to sign up to start using Patchwork. It’s also completely free to set up your page – so go and have a play! We’ve got loads of easy to customise templates that you can edit. Simply add your personal details, swap out any images you want to, and edit the text to reflect your event. Then publish your page (make it live) by linking to your PayPal or bank account.

Next, you’ll be prompted to create your own url. You can easily share this with your guests so that they will arrive on your page immediately. Guests don’t need to sign up to access your page or to gift via Patchwork. It’s fun and easy to use and over 90,000 people and counting love using Patchwork!

So that’s it from us – enjoy using Patchwork! Please do drop us a line if you have any questions and let us know how your event goes. We’d love to hear from you so do get in touch at [email protected]

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Ellie Kime - The Enthusiast - looking out of window in coffee shop

Patchwork Perspective

Why A New Business Shower Is a Great Idea

by Ismay Ozga March 11, 2021

written by Ismay Ozga

You’ve probably seen the viral tweets and subsequent memes that do the rounds every so often, asking why don’t we throw a new business shower for people setting up on their own (“Instead of Baby Showers, let’s host Business Showers. When a friend starts a business, we all come together, congratulate them and bring resources for their business” suggested Ke Sharp. And the internet duly went WILD.)

Well, the reason that new business showers resonated is because it really is a bloomin’ brilliant idea. And rather than consign them to the graveyard of Internet Ideas That Could Have Been, Patchwork have come up with a brilliant way to actually make them happen – so here’s 5 reasons you should have a new business shower:

Frankly, you deserve a new business shower

It’s easy to downplay it when you start a new business, and we don’t want to freak you out, but: going it alone is a big deal. It’s scary and exciting and nerve-wracking and incredible (and totally worth it!), and it’s a decision that justifies definite celebration. Add some ceremony to the occasion by throwing a new business shower, and giving it and you the moment you so richly deserve.

It’s a great way to tell people about your idea

We’re not saying use your business shower as a marketing campaign, but we are saying a new business shower is a great way to publicly let people know you’re actually doing this thing! It’s a big ol’ vibrant flare signalling to people that it’s happening: you’re going into business with your brilliant idea that you’ve kept to yourself for so long.

Because it’s a bit like having a baby

I’m going to caveat this by saying that obviously having a business is not the same as having a baby – I’ve had a few sleepless nights as a business owner, but as a child who didn’t sleep a full night til I was eight and a half years old (sorry Mum!), I know they’re not exactly comparable. But they are a bit comparable – both things you’ve created, that you feel incredibly proud of, that you’ve never done before, that you can read all the books in the world to prepare yourself for but ultimately still have to learn as you go. To really stretch this metaphor to its limit, a baby shower is a brilliant way to mark a momentous milestone and to welcome in a new chapter, and so a new business shower can too.

Your loved ones will be itching for ways to support you

A new business shower is a brilliant vehicle for your family and friends to support you and your new venture, in a way that isn’t by becoming your customers or clients. I mean, if they want to buy from you, who are we to stop them – but a lot of the time they won’t be a fit for your ideal customer base. And that’s ok! What they will be, though, is desperate to show their enthusiasm, and throw themselves behind you in a demonstrable way. A new business shower is a great way to get them involved, and to give them ways of being able to show their love and support for you that don’t see them buying stuff they don’t need.

Community is really important, even as a business of one

We’re pretty sure the Beatles were specifically singing about a New Business Shower when they penned (I Get By) With A Little Help From My Friends. Having a strong support network, be it 2 people or 20, is crucial – people you can lean on, rant to, and share your wins with, and who can do the same for you. Setting off on your business adventure knowing that you carry a bit of each of these important people with you in everything you do can be really encouraging.

And, because I love you and want you to succeed: here’s an extra reason why you should throw a new business shower with Patchwork:

It’s environmentally friendly

You may not have a fully formed idea of all of your business values yet, and that’s ok, but I think we can all agree that having a business that does good and minimises harm is something we should all be striving for. With Patchwork, your friends and family have the option to ‘do’ and ‘make’ some of the patches you provide as well as ‘fund’. This means that rather than buying you well-intentioned but ultimately useless stuff, they can make, find, and rehome items that deserve a second life, as well as contributing time or expertise that leaves its mark in your heart, but not on the earth. Clever, huh?

Are you thinking of hosting a new business shower? GOOD FOR YOU! You can look at some premade templates here, or read more about how to create them here. You can also read the story of the original New Business Shower, (yes the one that launched actual Patchwork itself!)

Best of luck with your new venture – you’re going to smash it!

Author: Ellie Kime – The Enthusiast

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Patchwork Perspective Patchwork Story

The New Business Shower that launched Patchwork

by Rosie Hurwitz February 22, 2021

written by Rosie Hurwitz

When we started Patchwork we didn’t do it alone. We did it with help from colleagues, friends and family. Which is what Patchwork is all about so it felt totally natural and right. And it now feels right to be helping others do the same with a Patchwork New Business Shower.

Back then, when I needed to raise funds, I did it through an off-line, real world crowdfund. This money came from people who were professional peers. They were people who loved and supported the idea of Patchwork, had a bit of money in the bank getting no interest and were happy to invest in exchange for equity in the business. Using the EIS scheme to invest was reassuring as their money was in part protected by the government and their investment could be offset in their tax bill.

Patchwork didn’t exist at that point (obviously) so the evening I presented my idea to a room of 35 potential investors. I had a site mock up, a pitch deck and a breakdown of how the money we needed to be raised would be used. I literally created a ‘patchwork’ of images to represent everything including a front end and back end developer (complete with cheeky bum pic).

At the time the visualisation was just for fun. Patchwork is not a crowdfunding platform like Seedrs or CrowdCube. Those platforms are designed for people to invest funds in exchange for equity. Patchwork was and is designed to enable people to collectively contribute towards gifts and experiences to celebrate special occasions. However, I did use the Patchwork principle to bring to life my new business dream visually for everyone to see. This helped me to raise funds and in doing so helped me prove the power of the Patchwork concept in practice.

Putting our principles in to practice

Fast forward a few months (ok a lot of months) and we were nearly ready to launch. We had found a studio space in Brockley. It was a shop that had been empty for 8 months, was super cheap rent (at the time) and getting the keys coincided with my birthday. So of course we decided to have a party.

Whilst most of my friends and family were not in a position to be official investors in Patchwork they were all super supportive, excited for our imminent launch and really wanted to do whatever they could to help. So when people started asking what I wanted for my birthday, instead of suggesting a few books and my favourite body lotion, I put together a plan that again allowed us to put our Patchwork principles into practice.

The site wasn’t quite ready in advance. And at the time it was designed only to allow people to contribute cash gifts. But in a weird premonition of how Patchwork would evolve I suggested people do one of three things.

Buy booze for my birthday/business party
Bring something useful for our new office – some stolen stationery, unwanted crockery, a second hand printer or spare chair.
Offer their time and or skills to help paint or put up shelves in the studio or bring a dish or promise to DJ at the launch party.

A very Patchwork party

Everyone came to my birthday / new business party. But they didn’t just attend. They were active participants in the launch of our company! Our whole office was kitted out with second hand stuff gifted by friends, family and our new Brockley neighbours.

We had Will from the Mystery Jets sing with our sister Sophie, powered by bikes borrowed from our friend Colin at Electric Pedals. And also Ben from Power The Fight DJ, Alice and Julie to help make our signage and huge shapes for the window. Then Janie from Baked Salt making amazing food and Naomi came to take photos of the evening.

In 2015 we launched Patchwork with the ability not just to gift cash but to contribute time and skills, and today the site is being used not just to organise and fund DIY weddings, birthday parties and baby showers, but since lockdown we’ve seen a new idea emerging… new business SHOWERS!

Of course to us it’s an old idea. It’s THE idea that got us started.

Celebrate and support with Patchwork

It’s a story we’ve told but until now it’s not an idea we’ve promoted. But the current global pandemic has changed things. Whether it’s redundancies causing people to find alternative careers or furlough giving people the time and space to dream about starting something new. We’re seeing more people starting new businesses from their kitchen tables and of course we’re here to help!

Patchwork is not and will never be about equity fundraising from strangers. We recommend Seedrs for people looking to raise serious funds with all the legals tied up. We’re here to do what we do best – to help friends, families, communities and networks to come together to celebrate and support each other by gifting their cash, time and skills.

Want your own new business shower?

If you’ve got an idea for a business but need some help taking those first steps. Patchwork is the perfect way to share your idea with your community and show them the ways they can help. Because with Patchwork you can share ideas for things people can fund, make and do. It means everyone can contribute in some small way – and together make something amazing happen!

You might ask people to contribute money towards a training course, you might need specific advice from an expert, a helping hand with some DIY or some secondhand stuff! Whatever you need, you can create a totally personalised patchwork from scratch. Then share it with your community to start receiving funds, offers of help and practical support. If you’re looking for inspiration we’ve even got some readymade templates for you to customise. Just head to our New Business Shower collection page.

So that’s it. If you’re not planning a wedding or baby shower but are thinking about starting a brand new baby business, we’re here to help make it happen – with a little help from your friends. If you need any reassurance that it can work, look no further than our story. We are the proof! It’s how we got where we are and how we’re now able to help you too.

Big love and power to you. Liv and Team Patchwork.

Questions? Drop us a line at [email protected]

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Yay - Bunting and pom poms for baby shower

Parent & Baby

Best Virtual Baby Shower Ideas

by Rosie Hurwitz May 21, 2020

written by Rosie Hurwitz

Baby showers are the best! Nothing is more exciting than sharing the anticipation of a new life with closest friends, sisters and aunties-to-be. The current climate might have thrown a few obstacles our way, but we are here to help you throw the best virtual baby shower ever with our top tips.

Set your date and invite your guests

Whether you choose to use Zoom, House Party or something else, at least at the moment you know no-one will have any other plans! Set the date, ideally 6 weeks or so before she’s due. Have a chat with the mum-to-be about gifts that would be most appreciated and talk about ideas for the day. Don’t give away all the surprises though! Then use Patchwork as your party planning tool and get everyone in the mood. Let everyone know what they can do to make it the best virtual baby shower EVER.

A drink and some cake to celebrate

A virtual baby shower isn’t complete without plenty of cake and a glass of fizz (or whatever your favourite drink is). This bit is easy, as everyone can simply make sure they have enough cake for themselves and a drink to toast the new arrival with. If you want to really go to town and get creative, baby themed cakes and a newly invented cocktail named after your friend are a great idea. Otherwise a doughnut and a Pimms will do the trick!

Decorate her space

Under usual circumstances you’d be decorating the venue (most likely someone’s living room) and making it all look gorgeous before her arrival. The next best thing is to arrange for some decorations, flowers or bunting to be delivered on the morning of the baby shower. Like this gorgeous personalised bunting from The Sewcial Circle. Then she can surround herself with gorgeousness and you can all admire from a distance.

A wish for the baby

This is a lovely one, and works so well for a virtual baby shower. Just ask each guest to find some coloured paper or card, and write down their wish for the new baby. Then each person can take it in turns to read their wish. Or if you prefer, you could ask everyone to send them a week ahead, so mum-to-be can open them all and read them all out on the day. And do her very best not to cry.

Club together for one big gift

Booties and bibs are cute, but is there something else that would really help the new parents out, and be more appreciated once little one arrives? One of the most popular group gifts we’ve seen on Patchwork lately is a food delivery for new parents. Time with their new born baby is so precious, and without friends and family physically around to help, they might struggle to cook in the early days. A food delivery service from somewhere like Cook is perfect, or maybe put together a hamper with some easy to prepare meals, healthy snacks for those late night feeds, and some vitamin packed fruit. Otherwise maybe there’s a big ticket item they might like help with? Maybe they’d appreciate money towards decorating the nursery, or you could chip in towards a beautiful new cot.

Design a babygrow or vest

Buy a multipack of plain newborn vests or babygros and send one out to each guest along with some coloured fabric pens. On the day of the shower, get everyone to design their own tiny masterpiece, to be sent to your friend as extra gifts. Every time she puts one over a tiny head, she’ll feel the love. (Especially needed during those middle of the night feeds).

Place your bets

An oldie but goodie – everyone loves doing this at a baby shower. Nominate someone to run the game and get everyone to guess the sex, weight, birth date, hair colour, or any other variable you can think of. Carrying high or low, craving salt or sweet? There are so many old wives tales to help you out here.

Jelly babies in the jar

Ask one of the crew to fill a jar with jelly babies, or any other kind of sweets and everyone else has to guess how many there are inside. The winner wins the jar through the post! What a treat.

Baby boogie

Use your patchwork to get everyone to suggest a baby related song and make her a playlist. (Yes, there are a LOT of songs with the word ‘baby’ in the lyrics). She can play it during the baby shower and you can all have a baby boogie. Or she might want to play it at the birth, or just when she needs to feel her friends’ good vibes close by.

Who’s that baby?

Ask everyone to send over a baby pic of themselves, upload the pictures and see if everyone can spot who’s who (and vote for who had the cutest smile or the chubbiest cheeks).

Who knows her best?

Organise a “who knows her best” quiz. Does she like to sleep in late or get up early? Is she craving fish and chips or a curry? Is she a fan of shopping in town or browsing online? See who’s been paying attention and who knows her best!

Set up your virtual baby shower patchwork

You can customise our readymade template in minutes and then send the link to all her friends to get everyone involved in making it the best baby shower ever. You can upload images, personalise the text and make it your own. Or you can create your own page from scratch. Once everyone has pledged what they want to fund, make or do, you can start planning and treat your friend to an AMAZING lockdown baby shower.

We’re here to help if you need any more tips or advice – just drop us a line at [email protected]

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Party Planning

How to Throw the Best Lockdown Birthday Party

by Rosie Hurwitz April 27, 2020

written by Rosie Hurwitz

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the world keeps turning, birthdays happen and we all still need to party, give gifts and show our love for friends and family. This is how to throw a fabulous party, lockdown-style.

Set your date and write your guest list

First you’ll need to check if all of your guests are available. Oh, actually, you don’t need to do this. It’s a lockdown. They are definitely all available. So, with your date set and your guest list ready, it’s time to plan the party. Whether your friend is a karaoke queen or a bake-off fan, you can plan a party that celebrates them and makes them feel special.

Choose your party theme and get friends and family to chip in

We’ve already had a few lockdown parties in the Patchwork team, and so we’ve set up a few templates to help you do the same. Vera’s birthday bake-off was a huge success. Everyone baked their own birthday cake, poured themselves a drink and joined a zoom call to sing happy birthday and watch her open her camera gift from us all. You can use Patchwork to ask guests to help with the party in different ways, from sending out party packs so that everyone can decorate their own space, to suggesting songs for the birthday playlist, and of course chipping in for a special gift.

Lockdown Karaoke party Patchwork in an iPad

Surprise them without leaving the house

For her birthday we surprised the lovely Ellie with an Abba themed virtual Karaoke party. Her friends sang Dancing Queen, showered her with messages of lockdown love on her birthday patchwork and she had her very own Karaoke machine delivered to her door by Lucky Voice. Everyone chipped in a little bit for the gift, and put in their song requests for Ellie to sing. It really made her smile. And no-one had to leave their house!

Get really organised and book a party host

Group calls on Zoom and House Party can be chaotic, so if you want your party to be stress-free and fun, we highly recommend booking a host (celebrant) to oversee things and ensure everyone gets a turn on the mic! Our friend and celebrant Zena Birch is the absolute best and will make sure that things feel relaxed and natural, but are actually carefully thought through and planned.

Planning your own party during lockdown?

Get in touch, we’d love to help! Whether it’s a virtual party you’re planning, or you need some inspiration for the perfect lockdown gift, we’ve got loads of ideas and are always happy to chat. All of our party templates are completely free to use. A 3.6% commission is taken on cash gifts collected through your patchwork. You can read more about our team here and about our fees here.

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Party Planning

How to plan a waste free, plastic free party

by Ismay Ozga October 4, 2019

written by Ismay Ozga

Patchwork is all about being creative, collective and resourceful. We’re also all about excellent parties. With this in mind, we thought it was about time we put together a guide to organising a party that: keeps costs down, is waste free, super cool and fun for everyone involved. It sounds like a lot to ask, but with the right team, it’s totally possible! Read on for our great tips, ideas and suppliers…and then create your DIY party planning patchwork to rope your mates in to help make it happen!

Waste free party catering

There are some amazing party caterers out there crafting menus exclusively from delicious, perfectly edible food that would have otherwise gone to waste. One of them is Open Kitchen MCR, a Manchester not-for-profit dedicated to minimising food waste with an excellent pay-it-forward model. Another London-based enterprise is Elysia Catering, who handpick the ‘imperfect’ items from their suppliers to make into their delicious sustainable breakfast and canapé offerings. Your guests won’t be able to tell the difference between food waste catering and non, we bet! For last-minute bits, why not use waste-reducing app Olio to pick up from your neighbours – and use it to the next day to give any leftovers a good home?

Make a toast with eco-conscious alcohol

For example, use Toast Ale. The team there make their beer by replacing the normal barley used in brewing with surplus bread from bakeries and sandwich makers. They’ve saved over 1 million slices (which, stacked up, is 1.5 times the height of Everest. No biggy). We also love Seachange Wine, who have a range of ethically sourced, environmentally conscious wines that are committed to combatting the plastic problem. Choosing vendors and supplies that have an eco-conscious makes a massive difference to your party’s eco-credentials, but if you can’t find anyone who minimises waste innovatively, why not find a local supplier, to minimise travel impact instead?

Eat eco-friendly snacks

Eco-friendly attitudes don’t stop with the drink. If you’re looking for some lovely nibbles that are palate-pleasing as well as conscience-clearing, we’ve got just the snacks for you! Though Tony’s Chocolonely‘s delicious chocolate bars’ main aim is combatting slavery, they’re combatting plastic packaging too. Their pretzel flavour is also the heavenliest of heaven-sent tastes. If you’re thinking of going a little wilder, we heartily recommend Eat Grub. Insects are a great source of protein and nutrition, and take up much less resources than their farm counterparts.

Have your eco-friendly cake and eat it, too

Cakes are a pretty integral part of the party, so make sure you choose wisely. Find a baker who’s transparent about their provenance, like Kat Bakes, who details all of her suppliers on her website to ensure the highest quality. Check your supplier uses paper packaging rather than the plastic nasties you can get in supermarkets. Alternatively, you can always make your own, and even better if you can use produce from local growers and farms!

Plantable seed invites

The greenest way to send invites is to organise everything on email or text, but if you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to send physical invites, then make sure you’re sending them on recycled paper. Even better, send them on seed paper, so that your guests can plant the invite in soil once they’re done with it, and wildflowers can grow! That way, you’re sowing the seed for a great party, whilst also sowing the seed for a greener future. We love Wildflower Paper for this.

Reused or reusable decor

There are plenty of ways you can decorate your waste free party without using any eco-nasties like glitter or single use plastic foil. We love eco textiles artist Mia Sylvia, who hand-dyes fabrics with natural pigments to produce stunning pieces. Use them as a backdrop, a tablecover or drape them for a very en vogue focal point. We also love Alice Gabb’s banner hangings to transform a space and hammer a point home: made with vintage fabrics picked up on her travels and inspired by protest signs, they’re a conversation starter, a forever piece and a wonderful celebration of community.

Solar powered light

A little bit of darkness never stopped the party! Use solar-powered lamps to keep it going through the night. We love these Sonnenglas ones because not only do they save on electric bills, but you can also double up and fill them for decoration. Winner winner!

People-powered electricity

Electric Pedals give you the chance to power your party with your very own kinetic energy, by pedalling their bikes! You’d be surprised how much they can power – they’ve powered whole cinemas before – and it’s a load of fun too. In the words of Freddie, get on your bikes and ride!

The good news, of course, is that dancing and laughing and loving is free, easy and eco-friendly so you can do as much of that as you like! And we plan to. Looking for more help on planning an eco-friendly party? Here’s one of our templates. And if you’re thinking about zero waste gifting have a look here for some brilliant #morelovelessstuff ideas.

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Party Planning Patchwork Kids

Our Advice For a Feel-Good Eco-Christmas

by Ismay Ozga December 6, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Here are our top tips on how to celebrate a feel-good eco-Christmas and enjoy the festive season whilst reducing your plastic and carbon footprint at the same time.

Relax, imperfect is perfect

Splodgy, glittery paper ones made by little ones, thoughtfully chosen gifts from friends, inherited antiques, some cheap and tacky and some quite special – the best bit about Christmas is getting the boxes of decorations out and re-using and re-discovering the random, familiar collection of pieces year after year. They might not be matchy-matchy but they all have a memory attached and give the tree a comforting, homely look. An eco-Christmas is about telling your own family story. So, enjoy growing your collection, but don’t feel you have to buy new ones each year or follow this year’s on-trend colour scheme. And don’t throw out the glittery pine cones yet.

Eco Christmas, green Christmas, Christmas decorations

Deck the halls … green

Collecting new and 100% natural decorations however is totally different. And really fun. Head out to find holly branches, long ivy tendrils and festive foliage from your local park to hang around window frames, drape over wall mirrors, wind around stair banisters or use as table decorations – even more lovely when wrapped with fairy lights. Then use scraps of ribbon or lace to tie rosemary and other herbs or twigs around old jars and put a candle inside for an easy decoration that doesn’t cost a penny. Pinterest has loads of homemade decoration inspo for your eco-Christmas.

Eco Christmas, Christmas disco, kids Christmas

Action packed Advent

The classic paper picture calendar is a lovely way to countdown the days till Christmas. As kids we used to use the same one for a few years in a row! But if you want a new one each year make sure it’s made from recycled paper. To avoid adding to plastic consumption invest in a re-useable calendar that you can bring out year after year. Choose from wooden houses or nativity sets, or fabric hanging calendars. Or make your own by using small bags tied or pegged up and fill them with sweets and treats. If you don’t want to encourage guzzling chocolate every morning, talk to your family about doing a month of advent activities like Christmas baking, a front room Christmas disco, or just a walk or drive around your local streets admiring the Christmas lights on the houses. The “reverse advent” is also lovely: each day instead of receiving a gift, make a box and place an item inside that will be needed and wanted by a local food bank or homeless shelter. An eco-Christmas allows kids to learn that to give to others as well as receive is a gift in itself.

Waste free wrapping

When wrapping presents try to avoid foil embossed paper that can’t be recycled and make sure you use plain or patterned paper. Even better use recycled craft wrap, or use old newspaper, magazines or last years calendars. Plain brown paper or newspaper can be dressed with foliage, lace or ribbon, (to keep and use again) or get creative with paints and stamps to add some colour.
If you keep old Christmas cards, cut them up and use them to make this years gift tags. It’s the sort of activity that will keep kids busy for an hour while you make dinner. Making up eco-Christmas hampers as gifts? Avoid covering in cellophane, and the same if you buy flowers from a florist, just ask them not to use plastic wrap – they usually have a paper option too.

Eat, drink and be merry

If you’re planning a big family Christmas it makes sense to ask people to pitch in to help with the festive food and drink and means people don’t feel compelled to buy grown up gifts. Someone can bring wine, another cheese and someone can peel the potatoes! Organise yours here for an easy, fun and stress free day.

Cut out the plastic

Zero waste, or even plastic-free food shopping is a real challenge, plastic IS everywhere, and some will find its way in to your trolley. We recently tried to go for just one week buying zero plastic. Even with amazing support from our four kids it was really difficult. Eye opening and educational. But tough! What it taught me was that it’s no good making zero plastic a start point for your eco-Christmas. Better you set your zero plastic ambition as a goal! Start small by swapping products in plastic for their cardboard or glass counterparts and aim to reduce as much as you can. Swap your plastic ketchup and mayo for glass bottles. Choose unwrapped fruit and veg if it’s an option. Take your own bags or containers and buy loose bakery items and meat from the counter. If you do buy plastic packaged items, buy in bulk if you can. And don’t forget the milkman! A proper old-fashioned bottle of milk delivered to your doorstep in re-useable glass bottles makes mornings happy. Find out more at milkandmore.

Eco shopping, shopping bag, no plastic, shop local

Celebrate your local shops

Where possible, buy locally produced goods in the run up to your eco-Christmas (seasonal veg, English wine and beer) and support your local independent shops and markets who will really value your custom. They are more likely to be open and adaptable to making changes to packaging if their customers ask too. Find your local market here.

Christmas gnomes, Christmas decorations, elves

Try something new

There’s been a huge rise in veganism in the last few years along with concerns about the impact on our environment. In 2018 every eco-Christmas table needs a non-meat alternative! Christmas isn’t a time to go without, so if you love your turkey or goose then go for it, but try some of the non-meat options if you get a chance – they’ve come a long way! See the latest on offer from your supermarket here or if you feel like trying some recipes yourself check out some delicious ideas from Viva and these from the Jamie Oliver.

Christmas present, Christmas gift, Christmas experience, buy less,

Give Group Love

Get together with friends and family to buy one big gift that’s really wanted.. It doesn’t have to be a material object. A massage, dancing lessons, or a special dinner date can all be gifted easily. Or club together for that really wanted new bike or watch that will make them happy. An eco-Christmas can and should be fun and joyful and gift giving is about showing love and thought and giving something that will be treasured and loved.

Green Christmas, coloured pens, stationery

Good green stocking fillers for under £5

It’s easy to find reasonably priced stocking fillers for an eco-Christmas. How about a bamboo toothbrush, some packaging free beauty products like these gorgeous ones from Lush or the latest novel from around £5.00 (even better if it’s second hand!). Support your local charity shops and bookshops or try Waterstones.

Pop some slave free chocolate in from Tony’s Chocolonely – they use uncoated, recycled FSC-certified paper for their wrapping or try this from Seed & Bean – the wrapping is non-plastic and fully compostable.

Then raid the charity shops for pre-loved toys and games and don’t forget the socks and satsumas!

To set up your own eco Christmas wish list check out our beautiful and easy to customise template here.

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Party Planning

5 Independent Drinks Brands We Love

by Ismay Ozga December 5, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Whatever you’re celebrating, one thing’s a given – you’re going to need some drinks. Alcoholic or non, you’ll want some delicious (preferably bubbly) stuff to serve at your party so it goes with a bang. Of course there are the cheap and cheerful go-to brands at your local offie, but here are some of Patchwork’s favourite independent UK drinks brands and why we think you need them at your party.

Everyone loves BeerBods

Patchwork friend and founder Matt Lane sources all the best independent beers and packs up a box for you. So you get all the glory of choosing great beers without actually having to do the hard work. Each beer is made by a small independent brewery and has a story behind it, so if you get stuck in a corner at a party you can always read your can. Beerbods are perfect whether you’re having a decadent, fully catered affair or if you’re filling the bath with ice and getting everyone to help themselves. Your guests will love the beer (and you) either way – and if they really like what they taste, they can sign up to the Beerbods monthly beer subscription.

Get Naked (wines)

We love the concept of Naked Wines. Entirely funded by their customer community they invest in a selection of talented, independent winemakers. So as a member you pay £20 a month, then you get to choose from all of their lovely wine at a 25-50% discount, and independent businesses are supported by your input. Good wine and the joy of people power in action, what more could you want? We’ve always had Naked Wine at our own Patchwork parties and can highly recommend their huge variety – we’ve tried bubbles, organic, reds and whites and we’ve never met a drop we didn’t like. Plus, they’re wine experts, so whatever you need for your celebration, whether it’s a summer ‘do or a cosy winter gathering, just ask and they’ll be happy to advise you.

Seedlip is for sophisticated non-drinkers

We first heard Ben (Founder of Seedlip) speaking at an eatbigfish event which introduced us to some great challenger drinks brands. Ben shared some personal insights about not wanting to have to order juice or Coke at parties and how he felt as a non-drinker basically reduced to a child at the bar. He, of course, wanted to feel as sophisticated as his alcohol-drinking friends. So, he created the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit brand. We think having good non-alcoholic drinks options at parties is a thoughtful, considerate thing to do – every party goer should feel grown-up and elegant with a delicious drink in-hand. Mix up some Seedlip cocktails or simply serve with tonic. Yum.

Our Vodka, your vodka

Our/Vodka started in Sweden, but soon branched out to cities across the globe, setting up micro-distilleries in each new place. All of their vodkas have a different character and taste as they source all of their ingredients locally. Our/Vodka London is made from British wheat using a unique yeast originally found in wine production and is bottled under the arches of Hackney Downs. The thing we love about vodka is its versatility – whether it’s a warming winter tipple or a fruity summer cocktail, you can easily create something delicious to fit the mood. And if you’re feeling slightly worse for wear the morning after your party, you can even use your leftover vodka to make Patchwork Founder Liv’s favourite – a Bloody Mary.

You can’t have a party without Sipsmith

Everyone loves gin and tonic, whether you’re a cucumber or classic lime type. So you know serving a fresh G&T at your party is bound to go down a treat. You can’t move for independent gin distillers at the moment, but wherever you are in the country you’ll find Sipsmith. Once a little Hammersmith start-up, they are now happily taking over with their delicious hand-crafted gin. This is a drink that caters to all tastes and encourages trying new flavours – whether it’s in a ‘Millionaire’s’ Martini or a simple G&T served with Fever Tree tonic. And for a bit of extra theatre, why not book the Travelling Gin Company to serve your guests from their bicycle. Or the Lucky Pineapple – a giant golden pineapple from which you’ll be served boozy delights.

Team Patchwork’s favourite party drinks:

“My favourite party drink is a cocktail called Shakey Pete’s Ginger Brew, which was created by a bartender called Pete Jeary at the Hawksmoor. It contains Beefeater gin, ginger, lemon and London Pride beer. It’s like a homemade ginger beer shandy, with an added gin kick. It’s SO delicious and refreshing.”

Ismay, Creative Director

“Mine’s a Twinkle – it’s Prosecco topped with elderflower cordial and vodka and it just makes you feel twinkly. Perfect for any party, any time of the year and delicious and totally appropriate from 11am if it’s a very special occasion.”

Olivia, Founder

“Has to be a Dark and Stormy – it’s super tasty and reminds me of my Grandpa who always had a cocktail in the evening and who’s nickname was Stormy – perfect!”

Kate, Design

“Honestly, my party drink of choice would be champagne, or a nice English sparkling wine, followed by a good dry white wine, with possibly some frozen grapes in to keep it chilled.”

Rosie, Customer Experience

“I think this shows that I’m a total lush but I think for parties out and parties in I’d choose something different. For nights out on the town an Espresso or French Martini to jump start the evening (but after two most of my martini starts sloshing over the side of those impossibly wide flat glasses). With that in mind, for parties at home I would definitely go for an endless flow of prosecco or champagne – perfect party bubbles and zero stress for the carpets!”

Kim, Commercial Director

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Patchwork Perspective

Tips for Organising a Party with Patchwork

by Ismay Ozga April 18, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

If you’re planning to use Patchwork to organise a party, check out our top tips before you get started:

Keep it simple

The secret to getting people to help with a party is to be clear about the plan, set out a range of specific ways they can help and then allow them to decide what they’d like to do.
Whilst people don’t respond well to vague pleas for help, they also don’t like to be assigned tasks that may not suit their skills, available time or interest. So clarity and choice is key.
Start out by clearly setting out the plan for the party, who it’s for and why. It helps if you can summarise all of this in your patchwork title e.g. ‘Ben’s surprise 30th party’, ‘Kate’s hen do in Copenhagen’, ‘Elise’s baby shower’. Then use the patchwork description to explain exactly what it is you want people to do i.e:
‘To celebrate [insert name] [insert occasion] we want to organise the best party ever. And we’re hoping you can all help. Please click around the patchwork below and show your love for [insert name] by choosing something to fund, make or do. Love and thanks, [your name].’

Make it personal

Don’t be afraid to make your patchwork personal. Use your images and words to share more about what is it you want and who it’s for. If you’re organising a party for a friend, remind everyone how much they love him with pictures of him and an anecdote or two.
This doesn’t have to mean creating a patchwork from scratch. You can customise one of our readymade party patchworks, then simply tweak a few words to personalise it and add or delete patches to suit your needs.
You can also add a banner image and a profile photo. So there are lots of opportunities for your friends to see the giftee’s happy face, remember how much they love them, and then give generously!

Give options to fund, make or do

While some people will be cash rich and time poor, others will be the opposite. One friend might have a couple of hours to bake a cake but not much money to buy a gift. Another might want to flex their creative skills to show their love. And someone else might just prefer to pay towards a barrel of beer. There are times in our lives when we are more interested and able to contribute cash, time or skills to help make a party happen – so make sure all the options are available.
Whether you want to customise one of our readymade party patchworks or create your own from scratch you’ll see that you have the ability to assign an action to each patch. Automatically set to ‘Fund’, you can set a patch to ask people to ‘Make’ or ‘Do’.
Asking people upfront to fund a wedding party or baby shower might feel a bit uncomfortable. So including make and do options in a patchwork removes any awkwardness around the money side of things. While most people will opt for the ease of giving money, they will be grateful for having been given the choice.

Be specific about quantities

If you need 10 cakes made for the dessert table, add an image of a cake to a patch, set it to ‘Make’ and then set your quantity to 10. Then one person can choose to bake ten or 10 people can choose to bake one. Either way, once you’ve got 10 cakes being made this patch will say ‘Sold out’ for future contributors.
In your account you’ll then be able to see the person(s) who has pledged to bake your cakes so you can send individual or group messages to all bakers to discuss the details.
This same principle applies to the 2 people you need to help with decorations, the 5 hours of DJ-ing required, the 15 dishes you need making, the 5 embarrassing hen do games that need organising or the 1 new-baby playlist that needs putting together.

Use your patchwork as an invite

You can add an event date in your patchwork and include venue address, contact email and any other event details. This means your page can act as an invite/event page as well as a DIY party planning tool. Handy, not just to keep all the party info in one place, but because people visiting your page to find out the plan will be inspired to help while they are there.

Gift your party patchwork

If you’re organising a party for a friend, you can ‘Gift’ them their patchwork once the party’s over so that they can read everyone’s messages and send thanks when they’re ready.
All you need to do is ‘Gift’ the patchwork from your account by adding their email address and a message, then they’ll be sent a unique login and instructions to see their gift page. A gifted Patchwork page will show your title, description and all the patch images and descriptions – which you can edit if you like. But it wont show prices or give the option to fund anymore, as this page is presented to the person receiving the gift. This person will be able to see all the messages from friends at the bottom of the patchwork (along with their happy faces if they choose to upload photos too). And then they can click to ‘Send thanks’ when they are ready.

Ready to start your patchwork? Browse our customisable party templates here.

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