Whilst fun for kids, Halloween has a negative impact on the environment due to the large amount of plastic waste generated from costumes and props. Environmental charity Hubub estimates that 83% of the single-use costumes purchased each year will simply be thrown away and will end up in landfill. The majority of these costumes are made from pollutant, oil-based plastic and cheap manmade fabrics, such as polyester, which aren't biodegradable. Last year, in the UK alone, a survey conducted by the Fairyland Trust estimated that Halloween generated 2000 tonnes of plastic waste!
With this in mind, we caught up with one of our favourite craft bloggers, @chloefleury, and challenged her to create three cute fancy dress looks that can be worn on Halloween and beyond. In addition to choosing clothing which can be worn again and again, Chloe shows how you can make your own props using paper and natural materials, so not only will your little one have a brand-new wardrobe, they'll be helping to save the planet too.
22 Oct 2020
- THE LITTLE WITCH -
"When I saw these cool eye-motif tights at Childrensalon, I immediately thought how cool it would look for a witch costume! The tights give a modern twist to the traditional witch costume, and I love that Lula will be able to wear these beautiful and fun pieces on a regular day, together or separately."
HUBBLE, BUBBLE TOIL & TROUBLE
Create a bewitching look with a chic black dress, chunky boots and these cool tights from Wauw Capow.
What you'll need:
Materials:
- A large sheet of white paper for the body of the hat
- Purple paper (or any contrasting colour)
- A pair of scissors or a cutter (with cutting mat)
- Paper glue
- A pencil
- A paintbrush
- A tube of black paint (watercolour or acrylic)
- A tube of gold paint (acrylic)
For the hat:
- Draw and cut the pieces on paper as above and paint it black.
- Paint stars on the paper using the gold paint.
- Glue the circle down to the tabs at the bottom of the cone.
- Finish your hat by adding the purple strip of paper around and the buckle.
For the broom:
- Go on a nature walk with your kids to pick up a long straight stick and small thin little branches.
- Tie them all together using the ribbon.
- LITTLE FLOWER POT PEOPLE -
"Who said Halloween costumes need to be scary? Take advantage of dress-up day on 31 October to have fun and create something bright and cheery. With inspiration from Bill & Ben The Flower Pot Men — popular TV show characters from the 1950s — we chose these flower power pieces from eco-conscious kids designer Mini Rodini."
What you'll need:
Materials:
- A large sheet of cardboard - this can be recycled using a box
- A large sheet of green paper.
- A pair of scissors
- Coloured paint (watercolour or acrylic)
- A pencil
- Some coloured ribbon
- Cut out the shapes on the cardboard.
- Cut out the paper leaves using the green paper
- Glue the large piece of cardboard to make a tube, stick the thin strip of cardboard on the edge of the cardboard circle.
- Assemble.
- Paint the pot and glue the green paper leaves inside the pot.
- Glue 4 pieces of ribbon inside the pot to tie them on your child’s shoulders.
- LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE -
"If you're on the hunt for a last-minute costume, look no further than this. We're big fans of Stella McCartney Kids' colourful and fun clothes. When I saw this collection online, I pictured Anouk, my youngest, in it with a sun on her head! A super-easy and quick costume to make — and it’s adorable! Get your kids involved in the process by giving them the brush. They’ll have fun painting the props."
- OVER THE RAINBOW -
Planet-friendly designer Stella McCartney brings sunshine and rainbows to a dreary day with this super-cute look.
What you'll need:
Materials:
- A large sheet of cardboard - this can be recycled using a box
- A tube of white paint (watercolour or acrylic)
- A tube of yellow paint (watercolour or acrylic)
- A paitr of scissors
- A pot of paper glue
- A pencil
- Cut a circle and measure your child’s face to draw a smaller circle at its center.
- Cut small strips of cardboard.
- Paint and assemble the elements.
- Stick 2 pieces of ribbon at the back of the sun to ties the sun of your child’s head.
- Glue the clouds to the sticks.
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All images by @robynshinn