Go green all year long! During holidays, it can be challenging to be environmentally conscious due to the many established family customs. Here are some ideas for building Earth-friendly traditions for Halloween that your family can follow! There are plenty of environmentally friendly Halloween items to be found, from costumes to decorations, activities, and more. These are very simple choices that are environmentally conscious, allowing you to have the same or even more fun on Halloween while expending fewer resources and saving money.
Earth-Friendly Halloween Ideas
Halloween’s emphasis on the paranormal draws attention to the natural world as well. The most frightening Halloween decorations typically depict familiar objects or concepts that are not able to be controlled. This is why spiders, gourds, fall produce, and foliage are such a big part of the decorating ideas for the holiday. Considering the natural atmosphere that Halloween brings, it is sensible to create your festivities as environmentally responsible as possible. This can be accomplished by either taking your children out or having a celebration at your residence.
Eco-Friendly Halloween Decorations and Ideas
Now that we have gone over the most scrumptious aspect of Halloween, let’s move on to the decorations. These are some green Halloween suggestions that will make your house unique.
Spooky Trees
If you need an atmosphere for a Halloween celebration or just a chilling decoration for regular occasions, commence by utilizing the spooky trees.
- Go out for a walk, and collect some smaller stones and sticks fallen from the trees along the way. You can go for leafless ones or with dried leaves for an extra spooky effect.
- Put the stones in a glass jar, then add the sticks.
- Cut out black bats from cardstock and glue them onto the trees. This will have an extra creepy effect.
The concept is environmentally conscious as it involves utilizing natural and reusable resources. A glass jar can always be reused. If there is no longer a need for the stones, they should be returned to their original location. The cardstock is recyclable, and the sticks are compostable.
Set the Mood With Candles
- Turn the lights off (and save on the electricity), and set the mood with candles.
- You can even put candles along the front door pathway to light up the way for trick or treaters and make your front yard look even more spooky.
- You can also place the candles beside the traditional pumpkins to celebrate the Halloween theme.
I would recommend coming up with creative ideas for where to put the candles.
Be sure to store the items in a secure location to avoid any fire-related accidents.
It’s all about what kind of candles you use. Avoid using perfumed candles, as the majority are made of paraffin. Paraffin, a result of petroleum, releases cancer-causing compounds into the atmosphere when burned.
Instead, use beeswax candles, as these are carcinogens-free.
Mummy Jars
Utilizing items you already possess in the home is a brilliant concept. You’ll contribute to the spooky decorations, cut costs, and kids will have a blast making them.
Obtain some glass containers and then affix the gauze to them using adhesive. Create two googly eyes and put either a beeswax candle or LED lights inside of the pair to make your own little Egyptian mummies that will lighten up the darkness.
I would recommend using candled instead of candles. You could also opt for solar-powered Christmas lights.
Floating Paper Towel Roll Candles
Using paper towel rolls, you can create floating candles. It’s easy to make. Divide the paper towel rolls in two, then apply non-harmful glue so it appears like wax is flowing down the sides.
You can tint the adhesive crimson in order to give an illusion that it appears to be blood dripping.
I affix these to a line and suspend them on my drapery bar or adhesive directly on the windowpane. Your neighborhood will be amazed by everyone who likes the Harry Potter series.
Gourds and Pumpkins
You can’t have the full Halloween experience without including some squash and pumpkins in your decorations. You can decorate the pumpkin any way you like. Choose a non-poisonous paint to paint it with, fashion a few stylish pumpkins by sticking gold studs onto it, or go for the traditional route with carving.
You can have an environmentally friendly Halloween decoration by acquiring a pumpkin.
Purchase a pumpkin from a farmer or farmer’s market near your area to reduce transportation-related environmental pollutants.
Once Halloween is over and the pumpkin has reached the end of its life, you can break it down and put it in the compost. Alternatively, you could cook the seeds in the oven and use the inner flesh of the pumpkin for making a pie.
Hanging Ghost
If you want to get scared, the suspended ghost is perfect for you.
It’s about time to break out the aged linen that has been sitting in your wardrobe gathering dust. Gather some old newspapers and use them to fill the top part of the page. You want to make a shape resembling a head. Secure this section, so the newspapers remain in their spot.
Then, just hang the ghost from your front stoop or if you have a tree in your garden.
For added creepiness, paint a frightful face on it.
Milk Jugs Ghost Lanterns
An ultimate suggestion for frightening design includes employing milk containers.
This would be an excellent way to illuminate your path or entrance without having to invest in those cheap plastic jack-o’-lanterns.
Rather than discarding milk containers, keep as many of them as you desire for Halloween. Begin by using a black marker to create spooky or amusing faces on them. Then fill in the faces with color (or have your children do it).
Cut a hole on the backside of the jugs. Line them up, and put some lights in them.
This is one of the least complicated and least difficult DIY environmentally friendly Halloween ornaments you can have.
Additional Tips
Purchase items from the local farmer’s markets such as gourds, pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales and bundles of Indian corn. You can use the pumpkins as they are, or cut them up to make a jack o lantern. When you’re done carving your Jack O Lantern, don’t forget to enjoy the seeds by roasting and eating them or to add them to your compost pile. The pieces of a carved pumpkin can be recycled as compost after Halloween has passed, as well as the entire pumpkin.
Take old sheets, shirts, and pants that you no longer wear, and use them to make your own scarecrows or environmentally friendly Halloween costumes.
Thrift stores tend to have a lot of secondhand Halloween items, and all you need is some pre-owned black and orange fabric to transform anything into a sustainable Halloween decoration.
“One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached into a box of human brains (leftover school lunch spaghetti).” “One of the most memorable Halloween parties I went to as a kid was at my elementary school when I reached
Create decorations utilizing items that you already possess and recycle them annually. You will be delighted with this straightforward felt bat banner and these haunting window outlines.
Eco-Friendly Halloween Costumes
It could be said that wearing a costume is one of the most significant features of Halloween. Consider these ideas for eco-friendly Halloween costumes.
- Re-purpose clothing and accessories you already have to make kids Halloween costumes
- Buy items that you will be able to reuse.
- Get environmentally friendly face paint and hair products.
- Use boxes and paint to create original costumes such as robots, lemonade stands, or popcorn containers.
- Arrange a costume swap at work or your kids’ school. Most people don’t dress up as the same thing every year, but there’s no reason for last year’s costume to go to waste. Bringing a bunch of costumes together may also inspire an excellent new costume idea.
- Instead of a plastic costume, opt for a homemade costume. It doesn’t have to involve lots of sewing and it doesn’t have to be hard to make. The best way to ensure you have eco-friendly Halloween costumes is to make them or buy used ones at a thrift store or through a swap.
For this Halloween, don’t waste your money or take up closet space – instead, make your own Sid the Science Kid costume and be kind to the environment! The majority of the items can be broken down into compost and reused, and can be discovered in your kid’s wardrobe or in nearby craft and clothing retailers.
- Start with a red hoodie, blue pants or jeans and red sneakers (the outfit can be re-worn after Halloween).
- If a colored wig is too much for your little scientist, you could try creating Sid’s hair by using some thick lavender-colored yarn in organic/biodegradable varieties.
- Cut the yarn in long lengths that can reach ear to ear over your child’s head. Cut enough pieces to cover your child’s head. Use a shorter piece of yarn to tie all the pieces together in the middle.
- Fasten your Sid “wig” to your child’s head using hair clips or bobby pinsMake y and trim the bangs as needed so your child can see.
- Be sure to color your child’s nose orange, just like Sid!
What’s scarier than a ghoulish ghost on Halloween? The quantity of caustic substances discovered in kids’ face paints! Results from an investigation executed by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics revealed that all ten face paints created for youngsters exceeded the level of lead present, and numerous other products involved inaccurate statements such as “hypoallergenic.”
Eco-Friendly Halloween Trick-or-Treating
When you and your children are out asking for candy on Halloween, you can use this opportunity to demonstrate good green practices. These can include:
Using reusable trick-or-treat bags. The most desirable course of action is to employ pillowcases or anything else you own, including sustainable shopping bags. You may elect to purchase a bag specifically designed for collecting candy on Halloween, but the most sustainable option is to decorate something you have on-hand and use it for more than one purpose.
Walking or Carpooling. Conserve fuel and become acquainted with your neighbors by doing your Halloween candy collecting on foot and close to your home. If you live in an isolated area or plan to visit somewhere more remote, consider carpooling with family or friends.
Eco-Friendly Halloween Candy Alternatives
You can buy an assortment of organic beans or pumpkin seeds at your local garden center labeled “Magic Beans”. The group then produces a postcard-sized narrative revolving around ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ as well as a small number of beans and instructions on how to cultivate them. The children are able to plant the seeds in cups in their house and observe them as they develop.
Invest in a large bag of crocus or daffodil bulbs, cover each bulb individually with a piece of tissue paper and install with it a insert that explains how to put in the bulb and look forward to seeing the bloom in the springtime.
For the fifth consecutive year, people in the United States – including kids, establishments, and companies – are joining up to assist youngsters confined to work on cocoa plantations in Africa by taking part in the Reverse Trick-or-Treating event on Halloween. Giving out cards with information and organic, Fair Trade chocolate made by Equal Exchange from West Bridgewater, MA when trick-or-treating draws attention to the thousands of children who are illegally trafficked and forced to work in terrible conditions on cocoa farms in West Africa.
Sustainable Halloween Parties
For lots of people, the best part about Halloween is the parties. Make use of these tips to forestall any unneeded garbage from arising from your gathering.
- Make sure that recycling and compost bins are available and clearly marked.
- Use actual dishes instead of paper products. If you really don’t want to clean the dishes, then choose eco-friendly tableware.
- Offer small portions so that people are less likely to take more than they can eat. They can always go back for seconds.
- Avoid individually packaged servings. Party-sized options are not only more economical, they also produce considerably less waste.
- Decorate with natural, biodegradable items such as leaves and harvest vegetables.
- Use dim lights and candles to set the mood and save electricity.
- Go paperless: Use digital invitations to invite your guests and eCards to thank them for coming.
Eco Gecko has just the thing for making your party or event eco-friendly – palm leaf plates! These biodegradable plates are a natural and renewable resource. The sheaths that have been separated from the Adaka palm tree leaves are picked up from the ground in a natural setting. No trees are cut down. The plates and the disposable cutlery are even compostable!
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