
By Renee Halloran, contributing writer.
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This Halloween do you plan to trick or treat the environment? Parents magazine featured costumes made from recycled materials in its October issue. Even Martha Stewart dedicated an entire episode of her daytime show to homemade costumes. Forgo the costume shopping rush; create your costume at home using materials you have around the house. By reusing materials you already have, you can shrink your Halloween costume’s carbon footprint. Reuse and recycle household clutter into a unique and creative costume.
Cardboard boxes can provide the perfect template for larger ideas. A hole can be cut on the top so the box
can fit over your head. With a little paint and some detail work, you could be a robot, or popular “boxy” Disney characters like Wall-e or Buzz Lightyear. Cardboard pieces can also be cut and painted to become wings or armor.
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This Halloween do you plan to trick or treat the environment? Parents magazine featured costumes made from recycled materials in its October issue. Even Martha Stewart dedicated an entire episode of her daytime show to homemade costumes. Forgo the costume shopping rush; create your costume at home using materials you have around the house. By reusing materials you already have, you can shrink your Halloween costume’s carbon footprint. Reuse and recycle household clutter into a unique and creative costume.
Cardboard boxes can provide the perfect template for larger ideas. A hole can be cut on the top so the box
can fit over your head. With a little paint and some detail work, you could be a robot, or popular “boxy” Disney characters like Wall-e or Buzz Lightyear. Cardboard pieces can also be cut and painted to become wings or armor.

Don’t forget about that broken umbrella taking up space in the closet. With just a few cuts and a little stitching that garbage is a creative bat costume. Its durability will allow it to be used over multiple years.
Instead of throwing away socks when they get warn and holey, collect them till Halloween time. They can be sewn on to your shirt to transform any outfit into a cute octopus costume.
Old sheets are versatile costume items. A classic ghost is easy and timeless, as is a toga. With a little more creativity, a sheet can become a mummy or an accessory item such as a cape.
Katelyn Warner, a sophomore at Buffalo State University says she is approaching her Halloween costume in a very similar way as she did in grade school.“I think up my costume the week
before, then I scrounge around the house for clutter I can glue together.” This year she is making a sheep costume out of painter’s pants and cotton balls. “I have fond memories piecing together my childhood costumes; I am doing it in the same fashion this year because it is easy and more practical than buying
something.”
This Halloween, think about
reducing your household clutter while keeping the environment in mind; recycle materials into a clever costume. This sensible act is also easy
on the wallet and a good way to get your childhood creativity flowing.
Instead of throwing away socks when they get warn and holey, collect them till Halloween time. They can be sewn on to your shirt to transform any outfit into a cute octopus costume.
Old sheets are versatile costume items. A classic ghost is easy and timeless, as is a toga. With a little more creativity, a sheet can become a mummy or an accessory item such as a cape.
Katelyn Warner, a sophomore at Buffalo State University says she is approaching her Halloween costume in a very similar way as she did in grade school.“I think up my costume the week
before, then I scrounge around the house for clutter I can glue together.” This year she is making a sheep costume out of painter’s pants and cotton balls. “I have fond memories piecing together my childhood costumes; I am doing it in the same fashion this year because it is easy and more practical than buying
something.”
This Halloween, think about
reducing your household clutter while keeping the environment in mind; recycle materials into a clever costume. This sensible act is also easy
on the wallet and a good way to get your childhood creativity flowing.