After Halloween: 16 tips for going green with your pumpkins, costumes, candy and crafts

Posted by lindseyshoe

Halloween is over and now we wonder what to do with out “leftovers”; the decorations, crafts, pumpkins, candy and costumes. Find out how you can even go green with your after-Halloween.

After Halloween: 16 tips for going green with your pumpkins, costumes, candy and crafts
Cleaning up the house this week, I realize that it’s time to put away the Halloween decorations, pumpkins, candy and costumes and start thinking about getting the house ready for Thanksgiving. Before you take everything from after Halloween and throw it in the trash, consider these environmentally friendly options to your Halloween treats.
What can you do with Pumpkins after Halloween?
Consider these eco-friendly options to your pumpkins and jack o lanterns:
Compost your pumpkins by either placing them in your compost bin or by breaking them up with your kids; place them in the backyard and cover them with leaves.
Seed saving means you can plant your own pumpkin seeds and grow your own pumpkins next year.
Or you can (if you haven’t already) scoop out the seeds before composting and toast your seeds in the oven. Try any of these recipes from Cooks.com, and then enjoy your seeds instead of the candy.
Continue in the Halloween tradition and develop your own pumpkin patch graveyard. Break up your pumpkins into small pieces and bury them in the ground to enrich your soil. You may want to put them in your flower beds to give them a little energy boost for the long cold winter.
What can you do with Halloween costumes after Halloween?
Develop a dress up box or corner in your play area and let your children enjoy their costumes year round.
Save your costumes for next year in case your children grow into them (this year my youngest was able to wear her sister’s costume from last year, saving me some green and going green by recycling).
Consider swapping Halloween costumes for next year or for your dress up box.
Donate costumes to thrift stores, like Goodwill.
Transform an old costume into a new one. One year for an Egyptian play at my daughter’s school, I recycled my Cleopatra costume into a brand new look for her to use for the school play.
Get crafty–if that Halloween costume has been used and abused, take what you can from it and use it for crafts. For example, my daughter’s princess dress is very well loved. Cut it at the waist and sew the waist shut. Then, using the arms of the dress, sew them onto the “hem” of the dress and create next year’s trick or treat bag, or add a drawstring for a backpack or purse for your children to play with.
What can you do with your Halloween candy?
Give it to a teacher you know to use as rewards in her classroom.
Set it out at work in the break room and brighten their day.
Set it on your desk for visitors to your office.
Donate it to a charity, homeless shelter, or other organization.
Send it to a soldier overseas.
What to do with Halloween crafts and decorations?
This is easy, crafts and decorations can be used over and over again. Just the other day, my daughter wanted to put ears on a picture she was making, so I grabbed the foam pumpkin piece and cut the curves to make ears for her funny face picture.
Donate them to a teacher or preschool. Many teachers pay for decorations and some craft and classroom supplies with their own money. Make a teacher’s day, save her some money and reuse your supplies by sharing with others.
Consider using these tips for making your Halloween not only orange, but after Halloween very, very green.
Do you have a tip for going green after Halloween? Share it with us!