By MICHELE BESCHEN
Scripps Howard News Service
Halloween celebrates all things spooky, but it doesn't have to frighten our health, our pocketbooks or the environment. Here are some ways to mark the occasion that play up the earthy, imaginative, resourceful side in all of us. The idea being, we make Halloween less of a commercial affair and more of an environmentally friendly family affair.
COSTUMES
For eco-friendly yet still playful costume options, think secondhand. Or make one yourself using items from around the house. It makes great sense to organize costume swaps with friends and neighbors and to shop secondhand stores. Creating costumes yourself is about one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects you can take on because it's all about being creative. It has to last for only one wearing, and it doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be fun! Search your closets, the kitchen and the garage. All the supplies you need are right there in front of you. Pull things together, then let your children's imagination go to work. They'll have their own ideas on how to configure things and what kind of innovative characters they want to create.
HOMEMADE BREWSIf you need "blood," face paint or other ooey, gooey concoctions, make them yourself. They're inexpensive, and you know exactly what you're putting on your or your child's skin. There are an endless number of recipes that include simple, everyday ingredients from the kitchen. The online community is an excellent resource for recipes, and it's best to try out a few to see what works best with the ingredients you have. For recipes that call for food coloring, explore using natural colorants.
REUSABLE TREAT BAGS
Create a treat bag from scratch out of materials from around the house, or use one that can double as a shopping tote for the rest of the year. Making a bag is a quick and easy do-it-yourself project that anyone can handle. Good materials to use from around the house include pillowcases and cloth napkins. The kids can have fun decorating them with paints and stencils for that special Halloween touch.
