After Christmas, Halloween is the second biggest Holiday for consumer spending on decor.

Aside from all of the human and environmental costs associated with cheaply made, cheaply bought decorative items, store-bought decor rarely comes with the *charm* that comes along with handmade items.

If you’re looking for fun, easy Halloween crafts that can later become decor, check out Patern Mart and do a search under “Halloween.”

My top craft-of-the-week? Needle felted pumpkins (no knitting required!), made from wool (which, as I noted below is ultra-Earth-friendly). Try Decadent Fibers for kits and materials.

If you’re not feeling crafy? Check out Etsy – the online marketplace for all things handmade. I mean, who can resist these itty-bitty-wooly candy corns?

I know you’ll find this astonishing and sad (and you’ll be justified in thinking my parents neglectful) but when I was a child, I never once had a store-bought costume.

Can you believe how awful it must have been for me to hunt through my parent’s closets trying on over-sized shoes and hats, or rummaging through my mom’s art kit looking for paints and random bits of fabric? Can you believe how crushed I was having to dream up ways to actualize the costumes in my mind: an Ewok, a chicken, or a dragon? It’s true, I’m still traumatized…

Of course, you know me well enough to know that I’m only kidding. Creating costumes is one of Halloween’s greatest joys! It’s not only rewarding for children to strut around in something they made themselves, but the there’s also great joy to be found in the entire process – beginning to end.

Okay, so avoiding off-the-rack costumes puts some meaning back into the holiday, but how is it green?

It’s green when the materials you make it with are easy on the Earth, such as:

• Reused, vintage, recycled or reclaimed materials
• Fabrics such as Organic cotton, hemp or burlap

My #1 favorite? Wool. Not only is it non-petroleum based (like polyester is), it’s compostable, biodegradable and naturally fire retardant! Perfect for Halloween.

Halloween may be all about the candy (for some) but it doesn’t have to be all about the sugar.

Many wonderful, natural and even good-for-you sugar-alternatives exist such as agave, molasses and date sugar; this week, I challenge you to give some of them a try.

PCC Natural Markets has a great online guide to natural sugars, including a chart with information on how to adjust recipes calling for conventional sugar. It also discusses the pros and cons of each choice. Read it and find out why honey is one of my all time favorites.

(Photo from www.pccnaturalmarkets.com)

Green Halloween® and CODE APPAREL design challenge

Move over Project Runway! Now kids (up to age 17) can boast their artistry with a Green Halloween-inspired t-shirt design contest hosted by Code Apparel.

See your art in print on ethically and sustainably sourced t-shirts worn all over the US and feel great knowing that a percentage of the sales will be contributed back to Treeswing, an organization all about making being a healthy kid fun.

Plus once the winning design has been chosen, we’ll be hiding t-shirts all over the US, to be found only by Geocaching. Stay tuned!

Here are the details

• Step one. Submit designs via e-mail to: Designer@Code-Creations.com with Green Halloween design in the subject line.
• Step two. Once approved, your design will show up on the Let’s Vote page.
• Step three. Tell everyone you know to log on and vote!
  Submissions must be received by September 15th. Winners will be notifies by October 5th.

Questions? Contact Designer@Code-Creations.com.

Â

President Bush recently gave his approval to legislation banning lead from toys meant for children under the age of 12.

This is an important step forward in our ability to protect children from this dangerous neurotoxin which can often be found in products made for Halloween.

Even with Halloween products purchased at major chain stores, lead has been found in costumes, masks, fake teeth or gold grills, makeup, treat bags (i.e. plastic pumpkins), and more. Take a peek at just some of the recent recalls due to lead in fake jewelry! In 2007 alone, over 45 million toys were recalled due to concerns about lead.

The bill also bans six phthalates from use in toys meant for children under the age of 12. Phthalates, used to make plastics flexible, can also be found in may Halloween items are are linked to health concerns such as cancer, reproductive problems, and birth defects, amongst other things.

When considering items for your family’s Halloween, natural materials are usually the best. Wool, silk, cotton and hemp make great costumes, treat bags, and more. Wool is especially great for Halloween because it is naturally flame retardant.

This silk costume (and photo) is from Sarah’s Silks, a Green Halloween sponsor.