Eco-friendly Halloween Costume Ideas

More and more of us are waking up to the fact that Halloween, whilst full of spooky fun, generates a scary amount of waste. An estimated 83% of Halloween costumes contain non-recyclable plastic, and on top of this the sweet wrappers, single use tableware and decorations add to the problem. 60% of those who buy pumpkins to carve do not make any food from them, imagine all the delicious pumpkin pie that could have been made!

 

Here at Worn In Wardrobe, we help to tackle the estimated 7 million fancy dress costumes that go to landfill each year by facilitating their re-use. By reselling them to a circular community, next year (or sooner!) each costume can be re-worn by another trick-or-treater. That’s not just extending the lifetime of the costume, but potentially preventing the purchase of a new costume too. And that’s really what we’re all about, reducing the amount of clothes bought new.

 

But as well as buying preloved costumes making or upcycling a costume from old clothes, fabric scraps and natural materials is another great option for an eco-friendly Halloween. This is a great way of reducing waste and having fun with your kids at the same time! Who doesn’t love a homemade outfit? Below are some ideas I’ve gathered to give you some inspiration.

 

Kids scarecrow halloween costume

Scarecrow

Think double denim, dungarees, checked shirts and old hats, with strips of paper for straw (or real straw if your feeling fancy!). A well-placed sunflower would look awesome too.

Mummy

Tear up an old white sheet (or any pale fabric you have lying around) into bandages and secure with safety pins or in knots!

Kids DIY mummy costume halloween

Kids halloween ghost costume

Ghost

Judicious use of scissors or a black marker and an old white sheet. It’s a classic!

Witch

Any black top from Mum or Dad’s wardrobe with a belt and any tutu or skirt underneath. A stick, twigs and twine can be used to make a broomstick and a wand. The classic pointy black hat can be made from craft paper, but equally any old or quirky hat would look great too!

kids witch halloween costume

 DIY skeleton costume

Skeleton

Cut out skeleton bone shapes from an old black top and black leggings, and wear over a white top and white tights or leggings!

Robot

A great option if you have a cardboard box lying around. Cut out holes for the arms, head and torso. Then get decorating! All manner of items from the recycling bin can be can be glued on, or it can become a painting project.

Kids robot costume
  
If you’re struggling for materials, a trawl through your local charity shop usually comes up trumps! Happy Halloween!