Costume Crunch

Scrambling for a last-minute Halloween costume? Looking to keep it low-budget and on the ‘green’ side?  Have no fear: Halloween may be scary, but Earth911 can help you use a few tricks to make costume treats.

House Hunting

Our favorite guideline for this year’s ghoulish garb is to start around your home before you hit the store.  No matter what your costume choice may be, you have plenty of material right in your own haunted house for a great getup. Your old odds and ends have more uses than you give them credit. A cardboard box is your next robot and bubble wrap your next spacesuit. Need some convincing? Here’s a quick fix.

Fairy Wings:

1. Take a couple wire coat hangers and bend them into loops.
2. Bind the loops together with an extra bit of wire.
3. Grab a pair of old nylons and pull each leg around a loop.
4. Heat up a hot glue gun and add sequins and glitter for extra sparkle.
5. Take some ribbon and attach it to the place where the two loops meet. Use four ribbons total, in two sets of two, making sure they are long enough to tie around your shoulders.
6. Presto: fairy wings!

What you can use around the house is only limited by your creativity. It’s also an imaginative way for kids to design their own costume. Let them go around the house, showing you how they want to design their own disguise. *Bonus: pillowcases and reusable shopping bags make handy candy carriers without the extra expense.

Costume Co-op

Trading costumes from Halloweens past with friends and family is a cost-effective way to freshen up your options. Not only will you save a last-minute shopping trip to a crowded store, you’ll save some cash by avoiding buying costly one-time costumes.  This is especially handy if you have kids, since tiny trick-or-treaters quickly grow out of their costumes. You can also find used costumes at thrift stores like Goodwill, or online at websites like eBay or Craigslist. They’re low-cost, and you can sell or donate them back after the holiday.

Another way to reduce your costume consumption is by renting.  Especially if you are planning on an elaborate or exotic costume, renting is the eco-conscious way to go. Besides, are you really going to wear that giant banana costume again?

Face It

Changing your face is a great way to make simple clothes transform you into a myriad of characters. Whether you mix your own face paint or buy it from the store, face paint turns plain black clothes into anything from a leopard to a ladybug. Also, matching sweatshirts and pants make an easy canvas to create the ideal costume. After your trick-or-treating, remove the decor and keep your new cozy clothes for the cold months ahead.

After the Fun

After you’ve tricked your last treat, don’t toss your costume in the trash.

• Save it for next year and your next costume swap.
• Break it down to reuse its parts.
• Keep it for dress-up for your little ones.
• Donate it to a thrift store for next year’s round of fun.
• Recycle it.