by Corey

Yup. I know these guys. The one in the “This is what AWESOME looks like” t-shirt is my brother, Chris (dad, teacher-by-day, ACDC-cover-band-rock-star by night). The bathing beauty is my dear husband, Ryan. Like many dads (and moms, to be fair!), they hadn’t thought twice about their Halloween costumes until their kids we’re hanging all over their legs,  one hour before the Halloween party began, begging to see their costumes.

“Uh-oh,” Ryan whispered to me. “What am I going to be?”

We quickly scanned the room, his eyes settled on my old robe. “Gimme that. And that,” he said pointing to my blue shower cap.

He threw the get-up on (yes, with shorts underneath!) and there it was, his Halloween costume.

Chris’ kids apparently helped him throw his costume together too. (Although he swears he’s not actually wearing one. “What? You don’t think I wear this everyday?”) Still, the costume works.

So, green guys – even if you too have less than an hour, and not a dollar to spend, you can still hold your head up high with these last-minute (green) Halloween costumes (for guys):

• Young Republican: Oxford shirt, khakis, blue and red tie, loafers, hair parted on the side.
• Plumber: Saggy pants, work boots,  old-white t-shirt (one size too small), baseball cap, tool-belt, toolbox
• Olympic swimmer: Speedos, kids’ swimming medal around the neck
• “Mommy“: Wear Mommy’s clothes
• Greek God: White sheet wrapped into a toga (Yes! Wear shorts!), cut ivy down from your tree outside and form into a wreath

Get the kids in on the fun and invite them to dress Dad for Halloween. They may (or may not) come up with a killer costume, but the process is sure to bring on the giggles (and the good memories too).

Have fab and funny costume ideas for your last-minute, eco-friendly man? Do tell!

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Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

Our grand-girl, Zoe, told me she wanted to be Cleopatra for Halloween and asked if I’d help her make a costume.

We talked about what she wanted it to look like: a long white dress with a “collar” out of something with gold or silver threads plus a headband “crown,” and a belt.

I knew we could make the dress out of a sheet and I immediately thought about doing the collar and crown from this apron (for a queen who wanted to look like she cooked but never set foot in the kitchen?) that I’d inherited from an aunt. The fabric, a very lightweight brocade, is shot through with lurex threads that makes it shine like a star!

We might have chosen to make the dress by draping and cutting, but I’ve been wanting to teach Zoe to make her own clothes and sew from a pattern so the  $4 I spent on this project went to purchase one.

From there, Zoe pinned and cut the pattern, sewed the straight seams and ironed. (I sewed the curves. Too much ripping discourages a newbie.)

Once the dress was done we moved on to the collar. I used the facing from the dress as a template for the part that sits near the neck and measured out to each shoulder then added this measurement to the facing. The apron fabric is scratchy so I lined the collar with a piece of silk that I had stored in my sewing closet for 20 years or more! Added one snap to the back and voila!

For the belt, we gathered some gold fabric at the back. folded it in and sewed it down, then added two snaps to close it. Next we cut the original waistband and ties from the “apron” and folded this piece over the belt for an added no-sew decoration.

Next up—the crown. I had some stiff buckram-like material and used that to form a head band and the diamond. Once it was sized to fit Zoe’s head, we glued fabric to the front of each piece, then glued the two pieces together and added a couple of small stitches so the diamond couldn’t fall off.

In reference pictures, there seemed to be decorated braids at the front of Cleopatra’s hair, but I didn’t have any beads in appropriate colors. When I found some black beaded trim, it added just the right touch.

Finally, we decided she needed some jewelry that at least looked like it was worthy of a queen if not as quite as costly.

I dug out some gold paper candy wrappers from my crafting stash, and made a chunky ring and bracelet simply by molding the paper into the form we wanted. The charm for the necklace is a circular shell covered in the same paper.

The outfit was complete at a cost of $4 for the pattern. We used items that would normally have been tossed. Zoe launched her sewing career and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach her and see her joy in learning as well as wearing our creation.

The project took about a day to complete so there’s still time if you’d like to make one for your trick-or-treater.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

We thought that in addition to reminding you to check out www.GreenHalloween for ideas, we’d pass on some tips from our fellow green bloggers.

1. From green blogger and independent crafter Becky Striepe, comes an idea for a simple Halloween scrap banner. And if you’re into banners, here’s a paper one we created last year.

2. Do you read Healthy Home magazine? If not, you should. You can get awesome ideas for all things healthy and green, like this BPA-free pumpkin puree that’s easier than pie to make.

3. Lots of parents today are opting out of masks and choosing face paints instead. But these can contain chemicals that you don’t want on your children’s skin. What to do? Make your own! You can check out our recipe here, and for more ideas, check out this article on Greenwala by Danika Carter, or this one from Diane MacEachern at Big Green Purse.

4. Great tips on avoiding GMO sugar this Halloween from My Healthy Green Family.

5. Emily Roach at Random Recycling loves roasting pumpkins seeds. Here’s her recipe.

6. From Robbie Schneider at Going Green Mama, what to do with that mammoth Halloween stash.

7. The Smart Mama, Jennifer Taggart, suggests using tee tree oil to keep your carved Jack-o-lantern from molding. And Danika Carter, from Your Organic Life says adding those little silica gel packets works well too.

8. And finally, Tamara Rubin, writing for DrGreene.com, explains how to avoid exposing your kids to lead during Halloween festivities.

What’s your favorite eco-friendly Halloween tip?

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Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

By Corey & Lynn

If you’ve ever participated in any kind of swap, you know what a great feeling you get when you trade what you don’t want/need anymore, for something you do.

Well, multiply that feeling by the number of kids you have and add the fact you don’t need to spend any money and you’ve got a great experience coming up when you participate in National Costume Swap Day™!

The idea for National Costume Swap Day came to us three years ago. Within weeks, we’d registered swaps all across the country (and Canada!). That launch made such a huge splash that we even had a segment on Good morning America.

Last year, the number of swaps grew into the hundreds and this year, under the leadership of Green America and in partnership with Kiwi magazine, it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.

Plus, for all our Canadian friends, this year kicks off National Costume Swap Day Canada.

So whether you’re planning a swap or want to find one to attend, check out the Costume Swap Day website and find out how to set up a swap, list a swap or seek out a swap near you.

Then mark your calendar and have fun!

(Note, if you’re busy on October 13, the official date of National Costume Swap Day, many swaps are taking place on multiple weekends or other days throughout October.)

What do YOU think is the best part about swapping?

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

Get a jump-start on going green this Halloween by repurposing your child’s costume from last year into something new this year. Not only will it save time and money, reusing an old costume is eco-friendly and is a great way to get creative this year. It’s perfect for busy parents and those who want a unique costume for trick or treating. Here are some simple tips that will turn last year’s classic costume into this year’s brand new Halloween costume.

Princess to Angel or Fairy

If you have a princess costume, you’re in luck because this one can easily be transformed.  The first option is to turn your princess dress into an angel costume by ditching the crown for a pair of angel wings and a halo. The second option is to make it into a fairy costume by adding fairy wings and a wand. Check out your local thrift stores to find classic costume accessories like wings and halos, or go to a craft store and make your own. You can have your child add personal touches with glitter and by gluing on “jewels” or colored feathers.

Capes for Vampires, Wizards and Superheroes

A nondescript cape can be used for a multitude of costumes. Create a vampire costume by putting a cape with dark clothing and adding vampire fangs  with non-toxic or home-made face paints. Make your own magician or wizard costume by adding a top hat or pointed wizard hat and a magic wand. You can even use the cape for a superhero costume. Have your child wear matching shirt and pants and create their own unique superhero logo out of fabric scraps. Then sew or pin the logo onto the front of their shirt. Go a step further and stuff the sleeves of your child’s shirt to create a “muscular” appearance.

Ghost to Mummy

If you happen to have a ghost costume, aka a white sheet, cut it up into strips and wrap/tie the strips around your child’s body and you’ve got an instant mummy costume! You can take this mummy costume to the next level by soaking the strips in dark tea for a stained appearance. This will make your child look like a mummy who’s been in the tomb for a long time!

Wicked Witch to Kitty Cat

Don’t feel like being wicked this year? Turn your witch costume into a cat costume with these simple steps. Shorten the length of the witch dress and add a pair of cat ears and a tail. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, go ahead and shorten it that way. If not, you can make a nice hem with some fabric glue. You’ll be the cat’s meow!

Creating a Zombie Costume

Lastly, you can make almost anything into a zombie costume by cutting holes, ripping the costume, and adding zombie makeup. Become a zombie bunny rabbit, a zombie cheerleader, or a zombie pirate! Get creative with the details and let your child’s imagination run wild.

Costumes as Decorations

What about costumes that your child has completely grown out of? Reuse an old scarecrow or skeleton costume by stuffing it with newspaper and setting it up in your yard as a decoration. You can also hang old Halloween masks around your home or on your front door like you would a wreath. You’ll add a creative touch to your Halloween decorating.

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This post was written by Tonja Thompson, a writer who loves Halloween costumes, being thrifty, and anything creative. She has a degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and currently writes for HalloweenCostumes.com.