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)
