Halloween is the second most decorated holiday of the year. That will have a tremendous impact on the environment. But it doesn’t have to at your house. You can do so many things for more ethical and eco-friendly Halloween decorations (think GOURDS!) that are much more creative, beautiful, and CHEAPER than your traditional store bought decorations. You thrifted, searched your home, and DIY’d your costume and your kids‘. Do the same with your home for an ethical and eco-friendly Halloween. 

1. Keep it Simple

Our little one is small enough that he doesn’t know the difference, so we are still able to keep it minimal. I’ll let you know how that goes in the coming years! But for now, most of the decorating (especially the table) is for me.

I understand that older kids want to get into the spirit, and may have specifics ideas about what a Halloween house should look like. But there are fun ways to do that with them as well, including getting them involved in some of the DIY decorations. 

Halloween doesn’t have to (shouldn’t) be an over the top extravaganza of plastic and waste. Take a step back, take a look at what you have in your home already, and upcycle, DIY, and repurpose your way to ethical and eco-friendly Halloween decorations.

2. Pumpkins and Gourds and Corn, Oh My!

Pumpkins are probably the easiest eco-friendliest decorations, besides the ones you already have. Head over to your local farmer’s market or farm and pick up as many organic and local ones as you can load up on and you have a full set of decorations.

Get creative with how you carve, paint (use a plant based, biodegradable paint), cover them and you could be done with your decorations. Roast up the seeds for a great snack and topping!

This year, I bought a bunch of spiral eucalyptus, a few pumpkins, and the best gourd I’ve seen this year, for our tablescape (total = $14) from our farmer’s market. Everything else was found in my house. We have a huge century plant in the backyard that I use for almost every tablescape, grabbed some cheesecloth that was falling apart, and some shredded paper that came with a gift.

Our wreath is the weeds and a few loquats from our backyard and the rest of the spiral eucalyptus, and this DIY.

We will paint a few pumpkins later on in the month once we go to the pumpkin patch, using our eco-kids finger paint. The paint is completely plant based, so your pumpkins are still compostable (and if your little ones are still putting things in their mouths, they aren’t harmful).

And that is it. A few gourds and other plants are all I am buying.

Some other plant based ideas:

 

Apartment Therapy

When the holiday is over, pumpkins can then be painted bright red, green, and metallic for gorgeous Christmas decorations (if you live in a climate that will let them keep, we do not, but my mom does this every year, and they are gorgeous!). But try to get a plant based paint, so you are able to compost when you’re done!

3. Found Items

Just like with Halloween costumes, getting creative and using items already found in your home can be so festive. You can make a sheet ghost or mummy for your lawn, interesting wreaths, any number of spooky vase and jar tablescapes or a few of my favorites:

Compost and Cava’s DIY, No Waste, No Spend, Spooky Witch’s Kitchen

Old Clothes Scarecrow

When my brother was about 3, and had outgrown a camo outfit and jeans, my mom made the cutest scarecrow out of it. It is so cute, and so reminiscent of him at that age. It is also a great way to keep old clothes that can’t be donated because of condition out of a landfill. The Spruce Crafts has a pretty detailed, and great example, how to, but it’s pretty easy. Just stuff and button and there you go!

Upcycled Bottles

Paint a few of the bottles already in your recycle bin to make spooky apothecary or character bottles and candlesticks.

 

4. Thrift it

Just like you can find great costumes at Goodwill, you can find so many great, or ready to be made great decorative items there as well. Think old frames that can be painted gothic. Candles, and ghost and skeleton parts. Or spooky candlesticks in different sizes, painted the same color, or haunted figurines. All at a fraction of the price and with very little environmental impact.Just head to your local thrift shop with an open mind (and a tiny budget), and see what you find. Many shops, including Souther California Goodwills, have a dedicated Halloween “Bootique”

 

5. Think Reusable

The biggest problem with most of the Halloween decor is that it is not only plastic, but also disposable. Halloween is happening next year, right? So why not think long term. Felt pumpkins, cheesecloth spider webs, and glass apothecary bottles all can add a bit of spookiness, year after year.

The possibilities are really endless. Just browse Pinterest for a few minutes, and most of these ideas will not only help keep your Halloween decorations ethical, but are also MUCH CHEAPER than traditional store bought decorations. I would love to see your DIY, Ethical and Eco-friendly Halloween Decorations (inspiration for next year!), Send them our way!