How to make DIY confetti at home, cheap and biodegradable

What you need

Every method below uses the same short kit. A single hole punch makes classic round confetti. A larger shaped craft punch, the kind sold for scrapbooking, makes hearts and stars. Paper and Stitch recommends flat leaves with some weight, and The Cottage Peach suggests testing a few leaves with your punch before you gather a whole basket, so you know they cut cleanly instead of crumbling.

• A hole punch, single or shaped
• Scissors
• Tissue paper in a few colours, or fresh flowers, or fallen leaves
• A sheet of construction paper or card to fold around tissue
• A jar, tin, or paper bag for storage
• Optional paper cones or small packets for handing out

Method one, tissue paper and a hole punch

This is the fastest way to a big pile of colourful confetti and the cheapest if you already have tissue paper from gifts. Hallmark's tutorial has one tip that saves a lot of frustration. Tissue paper on its own tears in a punch, so you sandwich it in folded construction paper first.

1. Stack three sheets of tissue paper and cut them into squares a little smaller than your hand.
2. Fold a sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise and slide three tissue squares inside the fold.
3. Punch through the whole sandwich, working from the edge inwards until the sheet is used up.
4. Tip the pieces into a bowl.
5. If you have no punch, cut strips about two inches long and half an inch wide with scissors.

Plain tissue paper is paper, so it will break down outdoors. Skip the metallic and iridescent sheets Hallmark mentions for indoor drama. Those are coated plastic and belong indoors, if anywhere.

Method two, dried flower petals

Petal confetti needs no punch. You only have to dry the petals so they do not stain or clump. River Cottage's guide recommends roses in full bloom and gives three drying options, which is useful if you are short on time.

1. Pull the petals from fresh flowers. Roses, larkspur, hydrangea, and lavender all work.
2. Spread them in a single layer on a tray or plate.
3. For a slow dry, leave them in a warm spot such as an airing cupboard and check after three days.
4. For a fast dry, use the lowest oven shelf. Check after ten minutes, then every five.
5. For the fastest dry, microwave on high in 20 to 30 second bursts. One to two minutes usually does it.
6. Let them cool, then seal in a jar or tin.

River Cottage says dried petals can last up to a year in a cool, dry place. Dark red petals can leave marks on pale stone, so throw them on grass or gravel where you can.

Method three, dried leaves

Leaf confetti costs nothing and is the most fun to make with children. Paper and Stitch's guide uses rubber plant, fiddle leaf fig, eucalyptus, and monstera leaves. Mother Natured collects red and yellow autumn leaves for heart shaped confetti.

1. Collect leaves that are flat and dry but still hold their colour. Avoid ones so crisp they shatter.
2. Wipe each leaf with a damp cloth to lift dust and bring back the colour.
3. Punch from the outer edge inwards, as many times as the leaf allows.
4. When you reach the thick centre rib, cut it away with scissors and keep punching the rest.
5. Collect the pieces into a jar.

Paper and Stitch gives a rule of thumb of six to twelve months of storage for leaf and petal confetti kept cool and dry, with some colour change along the way. Mother Natured keeps finished leaf confetti in the fridge or pressed in a book to stop it curling.

How much to make

Confetti sellers measure in litres and handfuls, which is handy for a home batch too. Confetti Bee treats a loose handful as a double shot glass, about 50 ml, and gets 10 to 15 handfuls from a litre of small petals. WedFetti gives a paper equivalent of around 5 grams per generous throw and suggests one handful for every person you genuinely want throwing. The Dried Petal Company adds a useful reality check. Only around half of guests actually throw.

Make ten percent extra, which is WedFetti's advice for bought confetti and holds for homemade.

Drying and storage

The main failure mode of homemade confetti is moisture. Damp petals go brown and stick together, and damp leaves curl. Dry everything completely before it goes into a container, and keep the container sealed, cool, and out of direct light. Paper confetti needs no drying but hates humidity, so store it the same way.

What not to use, and why

Some things look like confetti and are not welcome outdoors.

• Glitter. National Geographic describes glitter as a plastic core with a reflective coating and a thin plastic layer, under five millimetres, so it counts as a microplastic. It sheds easily and ends up in water, where it can hinder the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton at the base of the food chain.
• Foil and metallic confetti. Wikipedia notes that what shops call metallic confetti is actually metallized PVC. It does not break down.
• Plastic confetti of any kind. The Cottage Peach puts it plainly. Shiny plastic confetti does not break down after it is thrown away.
• Anything that stains. Dark petals on pale stone, and cheap dyed paper in the rain, can leave marks that venues will charge you for.

Check the venue rules first

Many venues ban non-biodegradable confetti, and a growing number go further. The Wedding Guide UK says natural dried petal confetti gets the thumbs up almost everywhere, while paper and metallic confetti block drains and stain carpets and stone pathways. WedFetti's venue guide adds that biodegradable does not mean automatically approved. Some venues allow only real petals, some allow petals and paper, some restrict throws to a courtyard or porch, and confetti cannons often need separate permission. Their suggested question covers it. Ask whether natural dried petals or biodegradable paper confetti are allowed, and whether there are limits on location, quantity, or cannons.

The no-mess option

Sometimes the moment does not justify a broom. For those, Pop the Confetti is a page with one button. Each press fires 50 to 300 pieces of digital confetti with a pop sound you can mute. There are no accounts and no ads, and it uses the open-source canvas-confetti library. If you want to know why a burst of confetti feels good even when nothing is being thrown, read why confetti feels so good. For a list of moments worth a pop, see happy moments worth a confetti pop. And if you are curious where the paper stuff came from, there is a short history of confetti.

Frequently asked questions

Is tissue paper confetti biodegradable? Plain uncoated tissue paper is paper and will break down. Metallic, glitter, and iridescent tissue are plastic coated and will not, so leave those out of anything thrown outside.

How far ahead can I make petal confetti? Dried petals keep for up to a year in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, according to River Cottage. Leaf confetti is best used within six to twelve months.

Do I need a special hole punch? A basic single hole punch works for everything here. Larger shaped craft punches make hearts and stars, and they are easier on leaves because they need less force per piece.

Can I throw rice or birdseed instead? Both are natural, but many venues still ban them because they are slippery on stone and messy to clear. Ask before you bring any.