Greener Halloween Decorations

photo: Marthastewart.com

I love Halloween!  I always have - even growing up my favorite thing to do was help decorate the house or the bulletin board at school.  I think I spend more time and effort on Halloween than any other holiday!  Some people have a big box in their attic filled with Christmas decorations...I have a big box of Halloween stuff that I reuse every year!  The past couple of years, I have been making my own decorations and even goody boxes/bags for guests at my party.

  

One year I made dozens of bats cut out of black paper to stick on the walls and windows and hang with string from the ceiling and lights (like a mobile) and reuse them every year.  This is so easy to do - even the kids can do it!  I got this idea from my favorite magazine issue, Martha Stewart Living Halloween.  Click here to download a template and go to Marthastewart.com's Bat Mobile How To for full details.

photo: Marthastewart.com

Another fun thing I make myself are goody bags or boxes.  Martha Stewart has some great templates and I just love this candy box!  It is just the perfect size for a handful of candy and treasures and looks so nice lined up on a table!  Just simply print out the 2 templates (download it here in PDF format), fold, glue edges, let dry then then poke a hole in the top to add ribbon then add goodies, close top (glue closed).  Write "Please Recycle" on the back so the recipient can recycle the paper box when they are done.  For more detailed instructions, click here.  You can also purchase some recycled paper bags and print out your own designs to glue onto the sides.

One of my all-time favorite little decorations/treats are the classic Lollipop Ghosts!  Take a lollipop (how about an all natural type like Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops) and wrap it with recycled paper tissues or tissue paper or how about an old cloth shirt or hanky.  Tie a cute ribbon around the base of the lollipop so it looks like a ghost then using a marker, put 2 eyes and a mouth.  You can put these ghosts into goodie bags, hand them out to trick or treaters, or put them on display by sticking them into the tops of pumpkins, a cake or cupcakes or even on shelves and tables using playdoh or clay.

These home-made halloween decorations will not only save you some $$Green but will also reduce the environmental impact of waste from holiday decorations that are usually made of plastic.  These can be recycled if you used paper or better yet - reused next year!

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Thanks for stopping by!  ~Sprout