Halloween used to be my favourite time of the year. It was the one holiday that didn’t involve buying copious amounts of gifts and seem to involve more fun than preparation. Well I can no longer say that this is the case. I have found that avoiding plastic at Halloween is impossible if you’re going to participate in the celebrations. So avoiding it completely might be impossible but reducing your use of plastic at Halloween is not. Here are some ideas for sustainable costume and decorating ideas that you can enjoy.
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Plastic-free Halloween Decorations
The photo above is of my hall table which I’ve decorated with jars and bottles upcycled into apothecary paraphernalia to look like a mad scientist’s laboratory. I store them empty in the attic and then just fill them with dyed water when Hallowe’en rocks around. You can download template labels online. My favs are from iDIY.com, Domestically Creative, Hallowe’en Forum
This Hallowe’en banner, made in burlap / hessian by the author of the brendid.com blog, could be even more sustainable if were able to recycle food sacks and used tea to dye it instead of spray paint.
An article on sustainable Hallowe’en decorations wouldn’t be complete without featuring some mason jars and here they some spooky insect filled jars. Just fill up any empty jars with fairy lights, cotton balls or cheesecloth and either place a plastic insect inside or if you don’t have any paint one on the inside of the jar.
If spiders aren’t your thing then maybe you’ll be charmed by the delightful Mummy Luminaries, inspired by the Pottery Barn and created by the same person who did the banner above. What a talented lady!
But let’s face it you put a pair of eyes on anything and it makes it look creepy. Am I right?
Easy Low-waste Halloween Costumes
Made substantially from reusable and compostable items, this is a simple but effective Head on a Plate costume.
I have a think for card-based costumes so looooooove this DIY Ring Pop Costume by Studio DIY.
I’m also loving this easy-peasy Pac-man dress that allows you to use a simple black dress. So much so that I’ll be sporting it come the 31st!
I find Costume Works a great resource for DIY costume ideas and if you’re a sewer you’ll find free Hallowe’en sewing patterns on So Sew Easy.
If you’ve a dinosaur fan in the house you may like this downloadable template for a paper dinosaur tail.
And if you’re looking for something a bit more terrifying, there’s a whole series of tutorials on how to make your own burlap / hessian masks online. This is the tamest of the ones I found. The others totally freaked me out!
Low-Waste Halloween Treats
Every year I’m asked the same question, how do I avoid plastic when buying treats to give out at the door?
In the past I’ve made my own honeycomb but stopped when I discovered that it turns to gloop if it isn’t eaten straight away – unless you coat it in chocolate, which is too expensive for me.
I’ve seen others suggest home-made popcorn, granola, cookies and buns. This might be an option but I’m a bit concerned that this stuff will turn to mush under the weight of shop-bought sweets.
We get approximately 40 trick or treaters on Hallowe’en night, so I won’t be making these gorgeous Hallowe’en goodie bag toppers myself but I think they’re ideal if you’re having a Hallowe’en party with fewer guests.
To make them a bit more sustainable I’d suggest replacing the plastic bag with a compostable paper lunch bags instead, which you can get these in most supermarkets.
Other Sustainable Hallowe’en Ideas
If you have more energy than ideas then check out my Hallowe’en articles from last year including;
- Sustainable-ish Food & Table Decorations
- Sustainable Hallowe’en Decorations
- Scrumptious Hallowe’en Treats
- Low-waste Hallowe’en Costumes for Kids
- Hallowe’en Paper masks for Kids
- Hallowe’en Paper masks for Adults
- Do-able Hallowe’en Make-up Ideas
E
living lightly in ireland 
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