Spook Sustainably: 5 Creative and Eco-Friendly Halloween Décor Ideas for a Greener Celebration
- Mama Pacha
- Oct 23, 2024
- 3 min read
As Halloween approaches, it's tempting to embrace all the glitter, plastic decorations, and quick-fix costumes that fill the shelves. But what if we told you there’s a way to celebrate Halloween with the same excitement while being mindful of the environment?
Halloween can be both festive and sustainable by focusing on ethical choices, especially when it comes to decorating your home.
Lets check out Mama Pacha's tips on how to make this spooky season a little greener.
1. Choose Natural Elements Over Plastic
Plastic decorations may last years, but they often end up in landfills after just one season. Instead, turn to nature for your Halloween décor. There’s nothing more that Mama Pacha loves but a good forgage!
Foraged materials such as dried flowers, rose hips, craggy twigs, pinecones, and ferns can bring a hauntingly beautiful touch to your space. I use honeysuckle, wisteria or jasmine vines to create a natural wreath base, decorate this with your foraged treasures for a rustic, witchy aesthetic. Best of all, they’re are all biodegradable, helping reduce waste.
2. DIY Decorations: Craft with a Conscience
Making your own decorations can be both fun and environmentally friendly. Consider crafting spooky garlands (think bats or broomsticks) cut from black recycled paper, using leaves and twigs foraged from your garden or local woodland.
You can also use natural paints to create eerie designs on old glass jars, turning them into candle holders, lanterns or drinking vessels for your conjuring cocktail creations! Reusing and repurposing items you already have ensures that nothing goes to waste, and you’ll have one-of-a-kind decorations.
And don’t forget that pumpkin - Pumpkins are a Halloween staple, but often we carve them and discard them without a second thought. This year, try using all parts of the pumpkin. Roast the seeds for a healthy snack, make soup from the flesh, and compost the shell afterward. You can even paint or decorate your pumpkins rather than carving them to extend their life and minimise food waste.
3. Eco-Friendly Lighting
My favourite décor! Candles and string lights set the perfect Halloween mood, but make sure you opt for eco-friendly choices. Beeswax candles, for example, are a natural alternative to paraffin-based ones and can enhance the mystical vibe of your space. Use old wine bottles as candlesticks and (very carefully) let the wax drip down the side for a super spooky touch.
If you're using fairy lights, consider solar-powered, energy-efficient LED options and rechargeable batteries to reduce your energy consumption. Opt for plain white lights rather than Halloween themed one’s so you can re-use them for different seasons and celebrations.
4. Thrift and Swap for Your Halloween Decor
Instead of buying new, consider visiting your local thrift and Charity shops for Halloween decor. You’ll find unique vintage and pre-loved items that can add character to your decorations. The shops often have seasonal window displays to inspire you. Alternatively, organise a neighbourhood Halloween swap, where friends and family can exchange costumes, decor, and accessories they no longer use. A lot of schools are doing this for children’s outfits.
5. Composting Post-Halloween
After the festivities, be mindful of how you dispose of your decorations. Compost any organic material like pumpkins, flowers, and leaves. For decorations that can’t be composted, store them away for next year, ensuring you minimise waste and make Halloween a yearly celebration that respects the planet
Halloween doesn’t have to be a celebration that leaves a negative mark on the environment. By making ethical choices, you can reduce waste, reuse materials, and create a uniquely spooky ambiance—all while being kinder to Mother Earth ❤️
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