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Archive for the ‘Fun ideas’ Category

Votive Tutorial

Sunday, October 27th, 2013

Need something to add a creepy atmosphere to you home or front stoop on a starless night? Try making a DIY votive!

Grab a scary stamp and some black ink. I chose a stamp of “The Screm,” but you could use spiders, bats, or whatever you have on hand. Stamp with the black ink several times onto tissue paper. I used white so that the color of the jar would change the appearance of my stamped images. Set these aside.

Step2


Step 2:

Choose a nice used jar. Mine is a jelly jar. Those are usually decorative, and small. Swirl a dab of yellow paint around the inside along the bottom.

Step2


Step 3:

Swirl some orange around the top, blending the two colors as you go. Experiment with different color combinations. Let dry. I used tempera paint. Acrylic would work too.

Step3


Step 4:

Carefully cut out your stamped images. Using Mod Podge, or your favorite gel medium, carefully glue them to the side of your jar. There are endless ways to line them up. After you are finished gluing your pieces down, use additional Mod Podge to cover the paper with a thin layer. Let dry.

Step4


Step 5:

Disguise the screw on edge of your jar with some decorative yarn, twine or ribbon.

Step5


Step 6:

Place a small candle inside and enjoy! Try using beeswax candle. They are more environmentally friendly.

(Please note that the type of paint you use on the inside will affect the care of the jar. A tea light candle with a metal holder will prevent wax from dripping on your jar and ruining the paint.)

Step6

This tutorial came from 99 Crafting

For more Halloween crafts follow us on Facebook facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

Green Halloween for Teens

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Halloween can be a tricky time for parents with teens. Once filled with excitement for costumes, treats, and family activities, teens may become embarrassed by Halloween traditions. It doesn’t have to be that way though! Green Halloween can help you reinvigorate your teen’s excitement for Halloween while also promoting a healthy and eco-friendly Halloween for all.

Bring emphasis to your table décor by utilizing CV Linens’ lavish selection of cheap table runner, are designed to be placed down in the middle of your table, to define your guest seating area as well as to create a stunning focal point to accentuate your centerpieces, table runners are an essential asset to tablescapes.

Instead of regular old trick-or-treating, suggest reverse trick-or-treating to your teen. The idea is that for every candy they receive at a house, they give a healthy, eco-friendly treat back and inform the household of the benefits of greening up Halloween. Rather than just going through the motions for candy, your teen may feel an added sense of purpose in going door to door to spread the green initiative. You can also try candy trading with your teen. Allow your teen a certain amount of candy to keep and offer incentives like DVDs, clothes, or something they’ve been pining for depending on how much candy they haul in. Programs like Halloween Candy Buy-Back will transfer your excess candy to Operation Gratitude, which sends the candy to troops overseas.

Your teen doesn’t want to trick-or-treat this year? That’s quite all-right, there are still plenty of Halloween activities teens enjoy. Why not host a scary movie marathon? Encourage your teen’s friends to bring healthy, eco-friendly snacks or even donations for charities like Change for Children or UNICEF. If you’re looking to attract a spectrum of ages, start out with a not-so-scary Halloween- themed movie and work your way up to a full-blown fright fest later on in the night. Another fun way for your teen to participate in the Halloween festivities is to create a haunted house in the front yard. Like the movie marathon, encourage donations and healthy snacks. Have your teen and his or her friends make spooky DIY costumes to frighten participants for a good cause!

Halloween doesn’t have to be boring for your teen. Talking to your teen about greening up Halloween can change their perspective on the holiday and give them a sense of purpose. Whether he or she decides to trick-or-treat for good, create a haunted house, host a scary movie marathon, or do something different like a air compressor guide by PAN, your teen will begin to re-embrace a holiday that they once cherished while also promoting green values and healthy living!

By Peter Piscia

For more family ideas follow us on Facebook facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

Candy Experiments

Monday, October 14th, 2013

Need a way to get rid of that trick-or-treating candy? Just squash it. Squash it to learn about air pressure or the molecular structure that is.

Loralee Leavitt’s book Candy Experiments is a great science activity book for kids. Leavitt uses candy as the subject to study a variety of scientific principles. This journey began when Leavitt’s four year-old daughter was sorting through her Halloween candy and asked, “What would happen if I put these Nerds in water?” This simple question gave birth to the website Candy Experiments, where many of the book’s activities come from.

The book is separated into nine segments; Secret Ingredients, Color, Sink and Float, Blow It Up, Squash It, Hot and Cold, Dissolve This, Crystals, and Sticky, so that your child can explore all the possible facets of the candy. With 70 different experiments, the book can be used throughout the year, and is applicable to Valentine’s and Easter treats. The book is also very visually engaging with bright, glossy pages and photographs of the various chemical reactions and transformations.

Not only is Candy Experiments a great way to find a healthy alternative to gorging on Halloween candy bars, but the book also makes science fun and accessible. It is important to engage your child in science from a young age. According to Students First, in an assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 15-year-olds in the U.S. placed 21st out of 30 countries in science performance. The study of science not only develops critical thinking skills and sparks interest in possible career paths, but children with a grasp on science will be better equipped to find solutions to the environmental problems we face. So encourage your child to discover how Pixi Sticks cool water with an endothermic reaction, that knowledge might just help them later in life (and get rid of some of that Halloween candy).

Candy Experiments has been featured in publications like Parents, Mothering, and kidshealth.org. Leavitt also regularly performs these experiments at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, and is currently raising funds for the next Festival in April, 2014.

Still want to know what happens when you put Nerds in water? You’ll just have to read Candy Experiments to find out!

Warning: This book will induce candy cravings.  For some feel-good candy options, check out our twitter party tips and Candy Cheat Sheet.

To learn more about Candy Experiments check them out at facebook.com/loraleeleavittauthor or Twitter @candyexperiment

For book recommendations follow us on Facebook facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

The Goods on Goodie Bags

Friday, October 11th, 2013

The healthy treats and treasures you are giving away this Halloween deserve to look good! What better way to showcase how special they are than with some snazzy goodie bags? Perfect for your next party. Feel free to improvise with recycled materials.

For goodie ideas, check out our list of treat alternative, Candy Cheat Sheet, and twitter party tips.

Pumpkin Pouch Party Favors

  • Orange crepe paper
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Greenfloral tape
  • Treasures to wrap up

For each pouch, cut two 10-inch diameter circles from the paper. Stack two circles and put the goodies in the center. Gather the outer edges of the circle to form a pouch. Twist the paper above the treats. Wrap the “stem” with floral tape. You may need to trim excess paper before binding. Twist a piece of tape around a pencil to make vine tendrils.

Full-moon Flavor Bags

  • Brown paper lunch bags
  • Stamps + ink pad
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Hole punch
  • Black ribbon or seam binding

Stamps the bags with fun words or pictures and fill with goodies. Fold corners back. Fold top of bag 1 1/2 inches down. Make a 2 inch paper moon. Glue moon to front of bag in top right corner. Punch two small holes through moon and bag 1/4 inch apart. Repeat in another spot in the moon. Cut two 5-inch pieces of seam binding and thread through the holes; knot to form bats (they will also secure the bag). Trim wings with scissors. To watch a visual demonstration, check out this video (just avoid all the candy she has in that bowl!).

Hand them out to your guests, and watch as they marvel at these precious bags and their delicious contents.

These crafts are from the book Martha Stewart’s Handmade Holiday Crafts.

For more party ideas follow us at facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

 

Relax! It’s Monday

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

Mondays are tough. But, just because it is the start of the workweek, doesn’t mean you can’t pamper yourself! And what better way to do it than with natural ingredients free of harmful parabans? Plus, you can use the Green Halloween team favorite gourd, pumpkin! Rich in Vitamin A, these homemade beauty treatments will help you relax and let you concentrate on what an awesome eco-friendly Halloween you are going to have!

Pumpkin Mask

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons canned pureed pumpkin
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon heavy whipping cream
  • I recommend to use under eye masks

Directions

Mix all ingredients and apply to face. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse. Voila! Smooth beautiful skin.

 

Pumpkin Exfoliant 

Ingredients

  • 1 small pumpkin
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup organic coconut oil (other oils can be used, but coconut oil is thicker than others at room temperature)
  • 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spices (I combined cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger)
Directions

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds (but save them to roast!). Roast pumpkin for 30 minutes or until tender. Canned pumpkin puree can also be used, but I prefer fresh. Scoop the pumpkin puree into a bowl and add the sugar, oil and spices. Mix well and jar. Yum! An exfoliant that smells like pie.

To learn more about pumpkins, check out this post and this post

These natural beauty ideas come from Mother Nature Network and Green Global Travel

For more natural remedies  follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween