Five Climate-Friendly Halloween Costumes That Won't Break the Bank

How are you going to celebrate Halloween this year? We hope by getting creative, using recycled materials, or reusing stuff you already have to make great costumes that don’t cost anything but your time and creativity! Here are five great climate-friendly Halloween costumes ideas.  

1. Be Inventive with an Old Costume 

Instead of purchasing an entirely new costume with new accessories, shoes, and makeup, try reusing last year's costume - or even years prior. An easy way to build a new costume from an old one is to accessorize with old accessories or clothing items. For example, if you got gloves for a costume, think of something that might also require gloves like a regency-inspired outfit or a magician. Even slightly altering an outfit can make it entirely new. One very common alteration is wings. If you have fairy wings, even from when you were little, you can put feathers on them to make angel wings!  

2. Try Out a DIY Project 

Many people think DIY costumes are hard, but they don’t have to be! The easiest and often most affordable DIY costumes are movie characters. Dressing as your favorite character usually only requires clothes you have in your closet. This is especially useful if you are planning at the last minute. Other common DIY Halloween costumes can also make you feel better in your costume because it matches your personal style.  

If you can sew or really want to tap into your creative juices, here are some more great DIY Halloween costume ideas.  

3. Buy Eco-Friendly, Recycled Materials  

A really easy way to recycle Halloween costumes is to borrow friends' or neighbors' old costumes. An increasingly popular way resource is Facebook Marketplace and Etsy. There are also buy-nothing groups on Facebook that many parents use to reduce waste and partake in the sharing economy. A super climate-friendly option is asking your neighbors! Some schools even offer a Halloween costume swaps, where kids can trade costumes from previous years. If you don't have a Halloween costume swap in your community, consider starting one!  

4. Search Online for Inexpensive Green Options 

If you aren't comfortable with the options above, try purchasing organic cotton clothing for your costumes. Many costumes sold in Halloween stores contain harmful materials such as acrylic or rayon. If you are buying new sustainable materials are the best way to reduce waste and keep your Halloween climate-friendly. Just by searching organic costumes on platforms such as Etsy, you will find a slew of options to reduce your footprint.   

5. Think Outside the Box...Literally 

Dress up as recycled material. Make a costume out of cardboard and paint it brown to look like wood or find a large piece of paper and cut it into squares to make a crumpled brown paper bag. Put on an old T-shirt and then wear the shirt with your costume so you don't have to buy anything new! These ideas are fun if you are looking for a spunkier costume this year and want to spread awareness about sustainability. You can always add your own flare, as usual, to make your costume feel as personal to you as possible! 

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