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

Want to know how the Mexicans spend All Soul’s Day and celebrate the dead? Some of our amazing friends from the original Green Halloween NYC extravaganza are hosting a dynamic, destination-driven event that demonstrates the “creativity over candy” model deliciously.

The La Calaca Arts Festival, taking place in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Nov 1-4, 2012), conjures themes of life and death, ancient and new, through art, music and culture.

Programming for the festival will take place at venues throughout the city over the four days, including a large interactive art exhibition in Parque Juarez for adults and children. During the day, lectures, workshops and guided tours of traditional altars, costumed processions and decorated cemeteries will be featured – along with installations and performances organized by local artists, non profits, and cultural institutions. In the evenings, visitors will experience the exquisite culinary options in San Miguel, while the world’s largest stringed instrument, the ‘Earth Harp’ is played in the city’s center. A large closing celebration featuring live musicians and performers – both local and international – will culminate the event on November 3rd.

Yep, you read that right. What a sweet treat: America’s Got Talent finalist, William Close (Earth Harp) will be performing for thee days during the event.

Follow La Calaca Festival on Facebook or check out www.lacalacafestival.com

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Lemon and orange slices exfoilate and polish your skin naturally!

Make sure you hit your T-zones! Your forehead, your nose, and chin to soak up oils.

Mix Egg, milk, and Honey for an easy, breezy face recipe!

One of the best ways to start the New Year is by refreshing your skin during the winter months when skin becomes dull, dry, and often tired looking from rounds of Christmas and New Year’s parties.  Here are three easy recipes for taking care of your largest organ that will cost you practically nothing!  Cheers to that!

Milk and a Washcloth: 

Take a washcloth and soak it in a bowl of milk then ring it out.  It’s best to use cow, goat, or buttermilk for smooth and supple skin.  Microwave for 30 seconds then place on face for ten minutes or until the washcloth cools.  This aids in both soft, smooth skin and is effective for getting rid of age spots since it lightens skin pigmentation.

The Breakfast Mask:

This little mask requires a blender and a little tender loving care!  I use this mask almost everyday because it is gentle and helps reduce redness, dark eye circles, and acne.  I’ve even started my teenage daughter on this regimen to gear her through the teenage years.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 1 cup of boiling water
• a drizzle of honey
• 2 TBSP milk
• 2 TBSp coffee grounds
• 1 teaspoon of Greek yogurt

Pour the oats into the blender and soak for a couple minutes in the boiling water.  Then add the additional ingredients and blend well.  Cake on face until dry then use a washcloth to exfoilate.  You can even keep leftovers in a separate container that can be heated up for 40 seconds for the next use.

Waterfall:

Take a common everyday vaporizer, preferably the warm heat model, then steam your face for at least 15 to 20 minutes.  After steaming your face, which opens the pores, then splash ice cold water onto face to close them.  Then moisturize as usual.  Prior to doing this, spend the day drinking an entire gallon of fresh water by the jug.  This will purify your skin from the inside/out. 

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!

Click here to see how to make art latte. There are some unique arts made in this particular review im about to show you.

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.

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.