Get into the spooky season with these sustainable decor ideas
Izabella Jaspar, Contributor
Every Halloween season, all the plastic and cheaply made decorations debut in stores. This results in more unwanted waste in the landfill, which in turn is harmful to the environment. However, the spooky season does not have to be any less festive without these things. There are ways to use items that are already at home to save money. These sustainable decor ideas will add spice and uniqueness to your home.
Spooky garlands
We all shop and collect all kinds of paper bags from the grocery store or mall. One way to repurpose those bags is to make paper pumpkin wall art. Start by cutting out pumpkin shapes and attaching any string available and then you have a cute pumpkin garland. If you do not have any string, just use tape to attach the pumpkins to the wall to still give the same effect.
If there are fruits such as oranges, lemons and apples that are about to go bad, they can turn into a ghost and fruit garland. Simply dehydrate the fruit, grab some old rags or any fabric you have, use paper to stuff the inside to make the head, and then use elastic bands to secure and string. Now you have an aesthetic garland that is biodegradable and reusable.
Jack-o-lanterns of the future
In the same grocery theme, tin cans can be used to make any jack-o-lantern designs. Perhaps a ghost, bat, or the traditional jack-o-lantern. To achieve this, use a sharpie to draw a design, a nail and hammer to punch out little holes and add any battery-powered fairy lights or candles for the classic jack-o-lantern look.
Bring old clothes back to life
Create blood drips or garlands out of old unusable clothes.If there is any old clothing after a closet clean out, perhaps a red t-shirt or any spooky colour will do. Simply cut out shapes that resemble blood drips out of the t-shirt and attach them to any pictures hung in your house to add a little bit of spookiness.
If you are not the most crafty person, there are still ways to be sustainable this Halloween. Thrift stores always have unique home decor and Facebook Marketplace always has good deals on second-hand decor or supporting a small business on Etsy. It is time to think more consciously about what decorations for different seasons will last; as well as in what ways to reuse common waste into a new life. Small ways to be more environmentally friendly during Halloween will make a big difference for our planet.
