Plan A Sustainable “Exquisite Corpse” Party: Bash Eco Events, MyPunchBowl.com and TreeCy
Kids’ holiday parties are fun, but creativity seems to run thin when it comes to entertaining adults. But this season we’ve got something exquisitely sustainable up our sleeves.
It’s time to get quirky, in the form of an Exquisite Corpse Party. Don’t worry, we’re not talking “Dexter.” An exquisite corpse is a technique invented by the Surrealists in which an image or poem is collectively assembled by a group of people.
That’s where the party comes in: Guests take turns drawing on a sheet of paper, then folding it to conceal part of the drawing before passing it on to the next player for his or her contribution. The designs get wackier as the night goes on (and libations flow) until you unfold your creations for the big reveal.
So that’s the concept. But how to make it sustainable? It’s easy! Just follow these simple steps.
INVITATIONS
We’re not opposed to the virtual postal system, which is obviously environmentally friendly, but for this soiree, you’ve got to get crafty with the design. Both the old standby, Evite, and our new favorite online party planning site, MyPunchBowl, offer options to personalize the background image that you send.
Since the Exquisite Corpse party is all about a collective image, a mish-mash of photos is visually hilarious and totally appropriate. Take a digital photo of yourself, crop your head in Photoshop, add Madonna’s torso, Super Chicken’s legs, and your dog’s feet. Ta-daaaa! You have a virtual Exquisite Corpse. (You could also snail mail this idea by creating a collage of recycled magazine images.)
DECOR
First off, make your own inspiration board on the wall above a tabletop drawing area with images of famous exquisite corpses from the past—Google will get you plenty. Collage patterned paper scraps, funny pages and magazine tears featuring famous faces to provide visual stimulus for those who may not be masters of the art of figurative drawing. (Read: most of us.) Then add these elements:
• Protect your drawing surface and allow for doodle practice with butcher paper. We haven’t been able to find rolls made from recycled paper, but we like TreeCycle’s versions that are unbleached and chlorine-free.
• Set the mood with paraffin-free candles to guide your guests.
• Instead of floral centerpieces, use soy votives dropped into mason jars decoupaged with Exquisite Corpses that you created from magazine cutouts.
• Scatter paints, colored pencils, markers, and even crayons for useful and messy display.
Your décor is complete!
MENU
We like to hit up the local Farmer’s Market for inspiration. Seasonally appropriate and easy-to-prepare stand-bys include:
• A simple onion tart or quiche that’s easy to eat by hand.
• Sauteed kale with pine nuts.
• Straight-from-the-oven pumpkin bread.
• Sliced caramel apples.
For libations, simmer a pot on the stove filled with organic spiced cider and rum to taste—it will make your house smell fantastic, as well. Serve in glass and on china, with cloth napkins, if possible—the clean-up may be a bit more time-consuming, but they’re so much easier on the Earth. If you have to go disposable, use biodegradable veggie plastic from GreenWare or EarthShell.
PARTY DAY
When guests arrive, hand them a piece of paper that has been folded into fourths and explain that when inspiration strikes they should draw or paint the head at the top side of the paper or the feet at the bottom. Then trade with another guest without showing him or her what you created, but indicate the part of the body that was completed—i.e. “I just did the head, you’ve got the torso.” Once the corpse is complete, unfold it and tack up on a display wall for viewing. Chin chin!
