Halloween party ideas

We've got ideas for making your party more eco-friendly, including decorations, food, loot bags and invitations.

By

Robin Shreeves

Mon, Oct 11 2010 at 4:24 PM

Related Topics:

DIY, Halloween

Photo: Hobo!/Flickr

Looking for some Halloween party ideas? You may be planning a Halloween party for kids instead of the traditional trick-or-treating, or you may be planning a Halloween costume party for adults. Either way, you’re probably looking for some Halloween party ideas that will make your party eco-friendlier.

If so, here are some tips to green your Halloween party:

Decorations

Decorate with natural items like pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and fall flowers. When the items are no longer are needed, compost them. Halloween party ideas don’t get eco-friendlier than that.
Create a graveyard out of recycled cardboard boxes. Make headstones with funny epitaphs like “Here lies the body/of Jonathan Blake/Stepped on the gas/Instead of the brake.”
Create decorations out of items you might otherwise throw away like egg carton bats or spiders, milk jug pumpkins and more. The Go Green Blog has instructions.
Hit the thrift store for old white sheets to turn into the traditional ghost or old jeans and a flannel shirt to stuff for a scarecrow.
In the weeks heading up to Halloween, hit one or two yard sales each weekend. Many people sell old holiday decorations. You can reuse someone else’s vintage decorations instead of having to buy new.

Food

Roasted pumpkin seeds – Nothing is more traditional at Halloween than a jack-o-lantern. Don’t let the seeds from the pumpkin go to waste. Roast them up with some seasonings for a treat that your guests will love.
Pumpkin spice cookies – Your guests won’t know they’re eating healthy cookies made with pumpkin and all whole-wheat flour. They’ll just know that the cookies are delicious.
Fair trade candy – Unless the candy you purchase is fair trade, it’s hard to make sure that the cocoa beans used to make it were picked under fair conditions. It may cost a little bit more, but serving fair trade candies at your Halloween party will ensure that the treats given to your guests aren’t causing unfair treatment to plantation workers in another part of the world.
Vegetarian fare – Make sure to include some options for your vegetarian guests with Halloween treats like Spooky Ghost Meringues or Pecan-Caramel Spiders.

Odds and Ends

The loot bags – If you’re sending kids home with a bag full of treats, go for simple brown paper lunch bags made from recycled content. Throw a bunch of crayons on a table and allow kids to decorate their own bags and put their names on them.
Electronic invitations – Skip the paper invitations and send out e-vites to your party guests.
Borrow, don’t buy. If you need punch bowls or baskets to place food in, don’t go out and buy them. Ask friends and neighbors if they have any you can borrow. You’ll save money and resources
Face paint – If you need to use makeup for your costume or your kid’s costume for the party, you’ll want to check out this Celebrate Green video that shows you how to make your own safe face paint. Most popular face paints contain lead. These do-it-yourself paints are lead-free.

Got other Halloween party ideas? Leave us a note in the comments below.