Halloween does not have to mean lots of plastic trash and junk food! You can go green for Halloween!
1. Upcycle household trash to make decorations.
Check out these cute egg carton spiders from Sara from Mom Endeavors, spooky recycled jar creature votives by Candace guest posting at Make and Takes, or adorable cardboard tube owls by Valerie at the Frugal Family Fun Blog…just poke through the recycling and you will have a festively haunted house in no time!
2. Go for reusable trick-or-treat bags.
One Step Ahead sent us these adorable plush pumpkin trick-or-treat bags, which are more kid-friendly and cuter than the pillow cases we used to carry as kids, more eco-friendly than disposable bags, and more durable than plastic buckets.
3. Those old Jack O’ Lanterns? They’re for the birds!
Ellen from Confessions of an Overworked Mom says, “When you’re done with your jack-o-lantern this Halloween, don’t toss it. Set it out near the edge of the woods so that chipmunks, squirrels and birds can use it for food this winter. They’ll appreciate your help.” You can see how we turned mini gourds into bird feeders.
4. Make your own costumes.
If you are feeling super-crafty, you can save both kinds of green by making your own costume. You can make Paper Bag Masks, Hats, and Headresses with this cool book: What Can You Do with a Paper Bag?
5. Swap or donate costumes.
Okay. Maybe you glue your thumbs together just helping your kindergartner with homework. Or perhaps your kid just has to be super-duper-mega-hero just like the show. If you are going with a store-bought costume, you can still be green!
National Costume Swap Day may be over but nothing is stopping you from hosting a swap with your friends, anyway!
Or, Diane from Turning the Clock Back suggests, “When you are done with your trick or treating and wondering what to do with those costumes, think about donating then to your local preschool. They will get years of good use during ‘dress up playtime’! When I taught preschool, that was always my student’s favorite time of the day! Obviously this only works for non scary, young kids’ costumes…wouldn’t want to scare the kids with goblins and ghouls!”
6. Show support for the creepiest critters.
Lots of our favorite Halloween furry, fluffy, and feathered friends are endangered. Symbolically adopt an animal through the World Wildlife Fund and help ensure they’ll be around for future generations…plus get a cute plush toy!
