Make your own costume.
Is your alter-ego a warrior princess, a giant vegetable, or a scandalized politician? Whatever your cover, Halloween is the time to get creative. Browse thrift stores and yard sales for funky hats or cool fabrics that can be cut and re-crafted. Dust off that old sewing machine, or just grab a needle and thread. You don't have to be a master-crafter to put together something funny, bizarre, scary or sweet.
And adults, don't think that homemade costumes are just for kids... this is your opportunityto be a role model for the younger generation of greenies. Need some ideas? The Daily Green has 25 homemade costumes that are fun and do-it-yourself from recycled materials - like a bat made from old black umbrellas and a samurai made from cardboard boxes.
The bottom line is, don't buy pre-made plastic or vinyl costumes, which are likely to contain toxic chemicals that can harm you and nature. Instead, go the DIY route and make use of materials found at home, at yard sales or thrift stores.
Homemade costume and decorating ideasGrow your pumpkin, and eat it, too.
Find local sources at localharvest.org. Or better yet - grow your own. Organic is still important even if you don't plan to eat your pumpkin (though you should) because pesticides from conventional farming are huge polluters of streams, rivers and lakes, causing all kinds of nasty side-effects like dead zones and deformities in wildlife.
When Halloweeen is over, use your organic pumpkin in delicious dishes. Scoop out the seeds and roast them, and cut up the pumpkin and bake it, then use the flesh for pumpkin muffins, breads and stews. At the very least, add your pumpkin to your garden compost bin instead of just trashing it (if you don't already compost, here are some easy tips for getting started).
Yummy recipes
Collect your loot in reusable bags.
Be picky about the candy you give out.
This is a tough one. It's pretty difficult to reduce the waste involved with individually-wrapped candies.
So let's work with what we can control. There are more organic candy choices out there than ever before, which again helps reduce pesticide run-off.
Also, keep an eye out for brands that use fair-trade ingredients or donate some of their profits to conservation, wild animal research and other eco-charities, such as Endangered Species Chocolate.
Check out this list of organic and Earth-friendlier candy options.
64-count Endangered Species "bug bites"
Decorate with homemade crafts.
Whether your tastes lean toward Martha Stewart or the Addams Family, there are lots of ways to make your own Halloween decorations. Here are just a few ideas.
- Grab some tin cans from the recycling bin and paint them with pumpkins, skulls or bats.
- Use grandma's old dress mannequin as a dead body.
- Or, kill two birds with one stone by raking the leaves in your yard and stuffing them inside old clothing to make a dead body.
- Cut creepy silhouettes out of paper shopping bags or newspapers and hang them in your window.
- Recycle the decorations you bought last year - or ten years ago. Halloween decorations are even scarier the older and more worn they are.
Light up the night.
Take this opportunity to save electricity and turn off all the lights in your house - except the front porch light to let trick-or-treaters know you're home.
If you want to light up with some candles, use petroleum-free ones made from soy or beeswax, which produce less soot than traditional paraffin lights. And light your walkway with solar-powered lanterns. Finally, when it comes to torches for the monster parade, stick to flashlights with reusable batteries or LED glow sticks.
LED glow sticks
And have a safe, spooky, and green Halloween!
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