Halloween is a fun and spooky time to celebrate while transitioning into fall. Going trick-or-treating, attending fall festivals, and drinking pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate will make you feel warm and cozy while transitioning into the colder months.
Make Halloween fun, affordable, and eco-friendly with sustainable decorating and upcycling costumes. Initiate a positive environmental impact this Halloween and become green in two ways: by saving money and garnering mindfulness by adopting greener habits.
While crafting upcycled costumes and homemade natural decorations, consider some light-hearted entertainment as a break from all your hard work. You can log in to a NetBet Casino online to enjoy your favorite casino games like slots, blackjack or roulette at your convenient hour.
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Use Natural Decorations
While decorations can be cheap, they can clutter your home when it’s out of season. This can lead to purchased decorations being thrown away or donated. Instead, use natural resources to make your own Halloween decorations.
Look around for pinecones, leaves, and branches to make wreaths for your front door or a centerpiece for your kitchen table. If you have children, foraging for these items could be a fun fall family afternoon activity. Save cardboard from cereal boxes and home delivery packages to make bats, spiders, and other spooky creatures to hang around your home.
Decorating with pumpkins and gourds is also a natural method. They can be composted after the holiday to reduce waste output.
Create Upcycled Costumes
Purchasing costumes can get expensive. Use what you have at home already to create a costume or buy cheaper pieces to make the costume yourself. For example, rather than purchasing a striped shirt online or in-store, you can use a plain white T-shirt, some felt, and a hot glue gun you have at home to make the design yourself.
Use Plant-Based Dyes
If you have to turn a fabric for your costume into a different color, you can use plant-based dyes instead of the usual clothes-dying products with more harmful chemicals in them. To achieve a natural red or pink color, use beets that contain betalains that can dye fabrics. More beets can make a white shirt red while a small amount of beets can turn a white shirt into a pink one.
Turmeric is a great alternative to turn a piece of clothing yellow. The spice contains a compound called curcumin that can naturally dye fabrics to dress into fun upcycled costumes like a sunflower, bumblebee, tropical bird, or banana.
Rent or Swap Costumes
Maybe crafting costumes isn’t your thing. We have a green solution for you. Check throughout your community for Halloween costume rental options. Talk with your family and friends about swapping costumes rather than going to purchase new ones. The rental or swap options can reduce waste as someone else will eventually reuse them next Halloween.
Check your local community center for a Halloween costume closet if you’re on a tight budget. This is especially useful if you have children who need costumes this holiday season, too.
Go the LED Route for Lighting
Reduce your carbon footprint this Halloween by opting for LED lighting. Change the lightbulbs in your lamps and overhead lights to LED ones. This lighting option utilizes less energy while lit and lasts longer than conventional lighting solutions. Even battery-powered LED string lights can add a spooky and fun ambiance to your home without skyrocketing your electric bill.
Craft a Greener Halloween
As you prepare for Halloween, don’t forget to embrace creativity and sustainability to initiate more eco-friendly habits. By upcycling costumes and creating natural decorations, you are helping the environment by reusing the resources you have while reducing waste from bringing new items into your home. Collaborate with family and friends about crafting and costume ideas!
