Today Google Alerts delivered a series of blog posts into my in-box from the site www.TheAdventurousWriter.com.

(I’m so excited to know that other people are thinking about costumes in mid-July!)

The author made a few (creative and funny) lists I think you’ll be thrilled as I was to see:

• Halloween Costumes for Dogs and Cats
• Creative Halloween Costumes for Women, Girls, and Couples
• Easy Halloween Costumes for Men
• 30 Homemade Halloween Costumes for Couples

Of course, if you are going to make your costume/s this year, be sure to use “green” materials (used, discarded, recycled, sustainably sourced, etc.).

Stay tuned for some great pics of DIY costumes from Green Halloween 2008! (Feel free to submit photos or tell us about them, below).

Whether the handmade costumes are already complete or you’re expecting to stay up until 2 am on the morning of Halloween completing that very last stitch (perhaps THIS has become a tradition in and of itself) – the site Crafting in a Green World (blog) may be of interest to you.

Check out their Halloween suggestions here.

Still have no idea what to make? Try these resources for a bit of inspiration (just swap their suggested materials for “green” ones, whenever possible).

Robin’s FYI

Make Magazine‘s Halloween edition

Pack-o-Fun magazine’s Halloween edition

No sew Halloween costumes (this one’s for me!)

If you’re looking for used and low-cost components (or complete costumes) for this year, check out Yelp.com to find thrift and consignment stores near you.

(A recent survey by Savers, Inc found that wearing eco-friendly costumes is important to about half of all consumers. Are you one of them? Find out more here.)

I recently came across a few Halloween items I thought you’d want to know about.

All are healthy and or/”green” and – unlike most off the rack costumes – will inspire creativity and endless use long past October 31st.

Organic cotton animal/bug -print tights. These adorable tights come in four themes: bumble-bee, ladybug, giraffe and zebra but best of all, they’re made of organic cotton! Up to 18 months. Found at ThreeDaisies.com

Animal tails and snouts – for simple, quick costume and months of dress up play. Why I love these even more? Their made Fair Trade (of Alpaca wool) by women in Bolivia.

Halloween costume templates from BoxWorks.biz. BoxWorks is an innovative new company inspiring kids to see more than just trash when they look at used cardboard boxes. Although more templates will be added to the site soon, for this Halloween, check out their Robot Costume ($4) (as well as the Halloween Candy Bag and Luminary – FREE when you use the code GREEN at check out).

Have hot tips, great finds or to DIY for crafts? We’d love to hear about ‘em.

I came across this website today: ThreadBanger.com. It’s to DIY for.

They’ve got wonderfully creative ideas (with an emphasis on “green” materials) with easy-to-follow pictures, too.

Now I’m all for letting our kids make their own costumes – when they can – but helping them with the process can be a cherished experience – one that will likely be remembered even more than the costume itself. So if you’re looking for some ideas and direction for what to make and how to make it, I’d say ThreadBanger is a great place to start.

Here are a few of my other favorites:

• Knitty.com’s knitted wig
• About.com’s DIY fashion
• Budget101.com (“frightening ideas that won’t hurt your wallet”)
• AllFreeCrafts.com

Of course, our new book, Celebrate Green! also has great DIY ideas, including a recipe for making your own face paints!

I’ve been so excited to hear about all of the people organizing costume swaps. Everywhere I turn, I’m told that neighborhoods, churches, organizations, schools and groups of friends are finding ways to put “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” into Halloween action.

High-five to everyone.

But it suddenly struck me: Halloween is the second biggest holiday (after Christmas) for consumer spending on decorative items (in 2008 Americans are expected to spend 1.58 billion on decor alone). That’s almost as much as we spend on costumes (2.1 billion). We should be having decor swaps as well!

What do you think of this idea?

Have you done something like this in the past?

Share your opinions about it here (free AND zero-waste).