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.

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.

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.

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.

Step 5:

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

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.)

This tutorial came from 99 Crafting

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

by Corey

This Halloween tip is just too cute (and easy!). Perfect for healthy treats, edible decor or a party activity for wee-ones.

What are your most clever Green Halloween ideas? Can’t wait to hear ‘em!

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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®.

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 Wendy

I love weddings. They’re a joyous occasion where you get to witness two people profess their love to one another in a very public manner. Most of the time, you’ll also see family and friends you haven’t seen in ages, which is always a treat. My cousin recently got married and the flowers at her wedding, from her centerpieces to her bouquet, were gorgeous. But to have beautiful flowers for your wedding, they usually come at a cost. That’s where going green with your wedding flowers can actually save you some money and it protects the environment at the same time. Here are 3 tips on how to be environmentally friendly when it comes to wedding flowers:

1- Choose Organically Grown Flowers: choosing pesticide free flowers are good for the environment and for the people who grow them. You can find them at local farms and farmer’s markets. They’ll have the best pesticide free flowers for you to choose from.

2- Choose In-Season Flowers: check with your flower vendor to see what flowers will be in-season for your wedding month. Choosing flowers in-season will allow you to forgo having to fly in off-season flowers from across the county, which can also bring up costs.

3- Think Local and Global: getting your flowers locally saves the earth by cutting down the gas emissions it would’ve taken to get them shipped from across the country. Plus, your flowers will be fresher and likely to last longer on your wedding day.

4- Rent, if possible: check with your vendor if you can rent the centerpiece containers instead of buying them. You can also try repurposing your ceremony flowers for the reception. This will help you to create less waste and save you some money at the end of the special day.

So if you or someone you know is starting to plan your wedding, or just loves flowers in general, consider these tips on how to go green with flowers.

What are some other tips you have for going green with wedding flowers?

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Wendy Yu is a digital marketing professional living in New York City. When she’s not using the power of social media to share ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly, she is exploring the city, trying local foods, and learning more about how she can reduce her carbon footprint.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Green Halloween® or our partners.

I’m sure before you Discover more at My Fitness Hub for fitness exercises you start with reading magazines and happen to make a pile of it somewhere in your drawer. For your knowledge, Fitness Magazines are not just a great read: They can be reused over and over in several fun ways!

This New Year, why not kill two birds with one stone.  Keep your resolution for going green, getting the body you’ve always dreamed of or taking holiday weight off with fat burning pills, and organizing your paperwork, your life, and your home all at once.  You can start with that stack of fitness and health magazines that have been sitting in a pile and collecting an array of dust.  This month, check back every Wednesday to tackle one project at a time.

This Week:  Get in shape while reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Step One:  Magazine Subscription Insert Cards

Use subscription insert cards to blot lipstick! Keep stacks in your make-up organizer for ready use.

 

Step Two:  Donate Magazines

When finished with old magazines, pass them on to friends, family, or even your local doctor’s office to keep the ideas going and to inspire another.

Step Three:  Create a Fitness Scrapbook

When I’m completely finished with my fitness magazines I cut out the moves, ideas, inspiring words, and recipes into a personal fitness scrapbook.  I bought a journal for $5.00 at my local Big Lots, took a glue stick, scissors, stickers, and gems to create my work-out scrapbook on the cheap.

My personal work-out scrapbook that I bought for a mere $5.00

 

Recycle old fitness magazines by cutting out moves and recipes then using a glue stick to place them where you like then get ready to shape-up!

 

Old magazine clips have a wealth of routines, moves, and recipes!

Creating your own personal scrapbook gives you time to research and reset your brain for easing into a fitness routine for the New Year!

Step Four:  Use Tear-Out Cards!

Take tear out cards and mix n’match by using a hole puncher and place them on a ring for quick and simple work-outs!

Step Five:  Cut and Paste low-cal Recipes on Index Cards

Be sure to buy an index card box too with a variety of colors then cut and paste your favorite healthy recipes.  Use a label divider to keep your recipes stored in order such as, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and smoothies.

Magazine subscription cards also make great bookmarks for the avid reader!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.