By Fodhla O'Connell-Grennell
As Halloween celebrations begin, many people will decorate and design their haunted homes. However, one worry with this is that most shop-bought decorations are either made or packaged with non-recyclable plastic, synthetic fabrics and toxic paint and it is usually hard to find eco-friendly alternatives. They can also be quite expensive which is why many households already favour creating their own decorations at home. To do this and to avoid waste, there are some great upcycling techniques you can use with things you may already have in your house.
Carving Pumpkins
A classic decoration, but carving pumpkins can be an easy way to be a little bit more sustainable while decorating. It is fun for the whole family as you can watch many YouTube tutorials on how to make different, scary faces on your pumpkins. Once Halloween is over, the pumpkins can then be composted so that there is less waste and your garden is fertilised.
Cemetery
Another fun idea can be creating a front-garden cemetery with some old cardboard boxes, non-toxic paint, scissors and wooden stakes. Once again, you can watch creative tutorials on how to make your cemetery as authentic as possible and you can even get moss from your roof and soil to make it look scarier. If you have any broken dolls, decorate them so they are spooky too and add them to your terrifying cemetery.
Mad Scientist Lab
In the windows of your house, you can create the spookiest science lab. With empty jars that are gathering in your home, fill your front windows and shelves with them. Add water, bio paint, broken doll parts and even bio-glitter to have the scariest home on your road.
Sheet Ghosts
This idea is one of the easiest; sheet ghosts are perfect as a last-minute idea. Get old sheets from your house, stuff them with items from your recycling bin, tie a string around the neck of the ghost to make its head and finally paint a face on it. Hang the ghost from a tree to get the best possible effect. This will really compliment your spooky cemetery.
Tin Can Lights
While you are carving your pumpkins, you can carve your tin cans too. If you have any old cans in your recycling bin, take them out and make them into lanterns. Cut off the top of the can, add decorative features and make a little opening big enough to fit a tealight candle. Place these around the home so that your house is spooky inside and out.
Be Green for Halloween
The biggest worry about Halloween is the waste it can bring. All of these decorations, you can keep in a box and pull out every year and with time add more to your sustainable collection. Now that you have these five, budget-conscious ideas, why don’t you start decorating your home today? You’ll be happy to save your money while helping the environment.