As I mentioned last week, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. And it is, by my guess, one of the most destructive and least ethical holidays. The costumes are one of the most wasteful parts. And don’t get me started on the sexualization of little girls at Halloween. There was a good rant that followed seeing this. But, they don’t have to be. Here are a few simple ways to make ethical Halloween costumes For kids.
Within the last few years, our Halloweens changed dramatically. Instead of getting super creative with my own and in more recent years, my husbands outfits, I got to experience the joy of dressing up the cutest little fox ever.
Now, I realize that my experience comes from dressing a toddler, who does not have many opinions about his costume. So, I don’t have much advice for those of you whose kids are asking for specific costumes. I know (actually, I probably don’t) how difficult these conversations are, and how persistent little ones can be when they need that Incredibles costume.
But, there are a few things that we can do as parents to make ethical Halloween costumes for kids. Many are the same as what you can do for your costume, but with a little inspiration to help with the kids. And most of the time, they are cheaper than what you would find in the store (win!).
Get Them Involved
Ok, I obviously have no direct experience with this, but I have watched my niece get pretty creative with her own costume. Start early, and get them thinking about what they already have, what they could make on their own, and ideas to make other things. And then start planning. One of the best parts of Halloween as a kid was finding the pattern and material for my costume. Make one of their best parts creating a unique and special to them costume from found materials around your house or a thrift shop. Maybe let them shop your closet?
DIY
While running off to the fabric store, buying yards and yards of fabric, much of it ending up in the trash, is not the most eco-friendly option, it is still better than the store bought polyester and plastic. And, you can find eco-friendly fabrics on Etsy or Amazon, as well as your local fabric store (maybe). Even Michael’s has some eco options.
Take a look at these great cardboard box costumes from Red Tricycle:
Get Traditional
Ghosts, bats, cats, spiders. All really cute, all super traditional, and all (usually) able to be made from things you have at home, with a few small accessories.
Black leggings and sweater are the perfect bat, cat, or start to a spider. Just add headband ears and tail (a scarf) or arms. Almost any kind of animal just needs a basic outfit, some face paint, and ears and a tail.
Look Around The House
Look around the house, and get creative. Take a look at what Style Smaller did for her girls.
Have old sheets? Beyond the ghost, you could rip them up for a mummy, wrap for a statue of liberty, tie for anything with a cape. And if you can sew? The possibilities are endless. You might be surprised what you can find around the house.
Have them Wear Something They’ve Already Worn
Last year, we were all set to have our little one dress as a jockey and we were going to be horses. We had a great little satin-y jacket that we were going to have him wear inside out, and a few felt accessories and hand me down knee high boots. I made horse ear headbands for me and Alex. It was adorable. It was also well over 90 degrees, and was not going to work.
So, we improvised. He was a fox! And I made a few masks for me and Alex using recycled felt.
The instructions are here (no sewing!). We had a knit diaper cover and beanie that we got as a baby shower gift, I made a bowtie, and there it was! Easy, very little impact, and we re-used the masks and tie for his fox themed birthday party and for our dress up drawer.
Thrift
Yes! Kids can thrift too. While our little one was a fox, a good friend’s little guy was an old man, wearing a suit (for a toddler) and a bow tie she found at a thrift shop, with a DIY walker (complete with tennis balls). It was cheap, ethical, and just about perfect!
If they are a little older, let them go crazy in the thrift shop and then help tailor the items to their perfect costume.
Next steps: Donate or Hand me Down
When Halloween is over, your creative costume shouldn’t go to waste. Once your little one is done, pass those great costumes along. You will be doing another mom a favor (win!) and giving someone else an ethical Halloween costume! Or create a dress up or costume drawer for future Halloweens, costume parties, or just for fun.
And if you have ideas for an almost two year old, send them my way! We haven’t figured this year out yet!
