It's Halloween Only Greener....

There are some great ideas on the web for a green Halloween this year!

My favorite is to have a pre-Halloween costume swap party!

This is a great idea if your kid's costume has actually survived the year (mine never has, but I still LOVE the concept) or you could have a Halloween costume making party- have all the crafty parents and kids bring their own supplies and have alot of paint and cardboard handy.

Those store bought Halloween costumes and masks are made from PVC; also known as vinyl, which is a plastic; is not recyclable and PVC releases dioxins into the air.

Costume manufacturers used to use natural fibers like cotton, linen and silk, but switched to synthetics because they take longer to ignite, but when they do ignite synthetic fibers melt and can cause severe burns! So no matter how desperate you get cross those babies off your shopping list!

Green Halloween's tip sheet includes:

1. Plan ahead to avoid last-minute shopping which often limits your choices

(this is a key life lesson that I never seem to learn- one year I was sewing my daughter's floppy moppy raggedy ann style wig as we were heading out the door with her in a crying panic that we were going to miss Halloween)

2. When it comes to costumes and decorations — reuse, borrow, trade, purchase used or make it yourself

3. Treat bags can be anything- match the bag to the costume using something you already own - such as purses, flower pots (tip from me - cover the hole), cloth sacks, backpacks and lunchboxes.


4. Choose healthier treats and fun treasures

(the site suggests giving things such as acorns and feathers- not sure this would go over with the little "monsters" we get at our door though- if you are going to try this one I would suggest the feathers - since they have the least potential as a lethal weapon that could be used against you)

6. If you’re having a Halloween party- avoid disposables! This goes for ANY party!

7. Walk from house to house instead of driving

(if you live that far away from other people and I wish I did sometimes then drive to town and then walk)

8. Compost pumpkins and any other food, including leftover candy.

(or send the leftover candy to me for disposal)

9. Collect the candy wrappers and turn them into all kinds of cool stuff like this adorable candy wrapper bracelet

10. There is still time to get the Unicef boxes and have your kids collect some moula for a good cause.

My daughter has been everything from a Dice (lost from the rearview mirror of a pink cadillac whose owner was fleeing a crazed monster zombie on a deserted highway) to a Robot Girl from Venus (escaped to planet Earth because her parents wanted her to marry a boy zombie robot who pulled her hair and stepped on her toes).

The more interesting you and your child make the background story (and the more zombies involved I find) the more they will enjoy making and wearing the costume. This tip comes in handy on October 30th when you are turning a cardboard box into a cellphone and trying to convince your little trick or treater that this is the coolest thing they could ever want to be!

So get cracking Halloween mommys and daddys - only 3 weeks left!

(Awesome Wooly-Worry Green Notebook Monster by Spiderbite)

Styl Mag Blog Shout Out!



The amazingly talented Megan Eckman of StudioMME and a contributing writer to Styl Mag got our locket collaboration a shout out on Styl Mag's gorgeous blog! Check it our here.

Also see Megan's gorgeous illustrations and our jewelry collaborations below!

Styl Mag's new issue is available for pre-order now and features the amazing work of JunkyardDollhouse - a shop I just love!


GIVEAWAY byMarianneS Stunning Bracelet CLOSED


WINNER IS GREENWORKS! Check out their amazing Etsy shop from Belfast! Chosen by True Random Number Generator Min:1 Max: 621 Result: 27

ByMarianneS is such a beautiful Etsy shop! Marianne is a self-taught designer and mother of three from Estonia in Northern Europe.

She makes the most unique and stunning crochet pieces. Her work and photography is unmistakable and always visually interesting and totally gorgeous!

Marianne says she is addicted to crochet, felting, stitching, playing with polymer clay and making jewelry- and we're so glad she is!


WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive one of Marianne's gorgeous crocheted bracelets!



HOW TO WIN:

Visit byMarianneS and check out her gorgeous shop and leave a comment below letting Marianne know about your favorite item or something you would like to see her carry!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, October 11th! Good luck! CLOSED