I’ve always been a big fan of making my own Halloween costumes, and I’m also a big procrastinator, so what better way to get your spooks on then cobbling together a last-minute eco-friendly costume?  Who needs all the plastic waste and boringness of store-bought costumes, when with a little ingenuity you can impress the  superhero skivvies off your Halloween date.  Gina also has some excellent costume ideas to dress for the New Depression.  So dig through your closet, your recycling bin, or a nearby thrift store, grab you canvas bag for candy and ring those doorbells!

1. Non-GMO Corn (pictured):  Borrow my idea from last year when I was an ear of corn!  Paint a strip of large-bubble wrap with non-toxic yellow paint, tape it around your torso, wear green pants and a green hoodie for the husk, and a blond wig for the silk.  Extra credit for keeping it organic with a non-GMO sign.

2. Christmas Tree:  I wish I had the pictures to share, but in college I borrowed my brother’s idea and went out as a Christmas Tree.  Real simple. Green shirt, brown pants, and a strand of energy-saving LED Christmas lights wrapped around your body.  Watch the crowd light up when you plug yourself in at the party!  I added a little extra flair and taped hand-drawn paper ornaments to my chest and a star to my forehead, but I leave the details up to you.

3. Planet Earth:  Find an old map of the world, wrap it around your body, and try to keep cool!  Put some melting ice on your head for added macabre hilarity.

4. Recycling Bin: Reducin’, reusin’ and and lookin’ good!  Wear a blue shirt and pants, (sure, jeans count!) pin some cans and scrap paper to yourself and hit the town.

5. Mother Nature:  Pin some flowers to a green dress, fashion a crown out of twigs, and share your organic love with everyone.

6. It’s Easy Being Green:  When I was around 9, my friend and I went as just green and red.  We’re not entirely sure why we did, it had nothing to do with Christmas, but I think it may have had to do with procrastinating.  We just wore our respective colors and painted our faces red and green.  Genius.  You can even make your own face-paint with non-toxic items in your cabinet.

7. Car-Free Zone:  Cut down on your carbon-footprint while increasing your candy-footprint!  Wear all black, use masking tape to create a dotted line down your middle, and if you have some handy, pin toy bicycles all over yourself.

8. Gross-ary Bag:  You could go as a reusable canvas shopping back, or you could borrow this kid’s idea and scare your environmentally sensitive friends by dressing as a wasteful Gross-ary bag!  Materials?  Boxes, food packages and fake roaches!

9. The couple from the High Fructose Corn Syrup Ad: Lately we’ve been talking about the Corn Refiner’s Association Sweet Surprise commercials, which attempt to dispel accusations that HFCS is unhealthy.  Well, here’s your chance to uncover the masqurade and explain to everyone the potentially horrifying effects of loading our bodies with this junk.  All you really need is a popscile and some facts.

10. Methane Producing Cow:  Andy recently alerted us to the sharp rise in methane levels, and we all know it’s those trouble-making cows letting one go that are probably to blame.  So, how about heating up the atmosphere at your Halloween party by dressing up as a cow (white clothes, black circles cut from construction paper or the reverse) and carrying around a whoopie cushion?  Ahh, whoopie cushions the classic party-starter.

Alright, there it is, no more excuses, get dressed and head out with the rest of the green ghouls.  And report back with pictures of your brilliant creations.
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