We are getting closer to this celebration, and every year costumes or decorations are bought that at the end of these dates are thrown away, so we recommend that if you are one of the people who loves to live this tradition to the fullest, use recycled materials to help the environment. We explain here ideas to make costumes that are more ecological.
What to keep in mind when making costumes with recycled materials
The first thing will be to identify the materials to which we can give a second life, instead of using new materials that will end up generating more waste. At home there is always an option to recycle as long as you use your imagination, so look for clothes, plastic, cardboard boxes, or sheets of paper that you can reuse.
- Plastic: from buttons to tubes or bottles and bags, which will be used to wrap or decorate.
- Clothing: you can put something similar to the costume clothing that you need to look for as inspiration in your closet, or take the clothes that you no longer use and reuse the fabric to form something new.
- Paper: it can be easy to reuse thanks to its ease of work.
- Cardboard: cardboard boxes can be used to give life to a costume or to create its accessories, the only thing we would have to do to them would be to paint them.
Before starting, make sure that the composition of your recycled materials is in good condition and does not have toxic elements, to avoid some allergies that may occur when rubbing the skin.
Halloween costumes with recycled materials
1. Animal masks
For these masks, you will need a cardboard box large enough for a head to fit inside. Now, with the help of markers or paper that you already have at home and glue, you only have to decorate it according to the animal you like.
2. Dragon costume
We will make a tail and wings with cardboard and colors. The first thing will be to mark the design of the wings and tail on the cardboard, give it a color to your liking, and cut, we will make two holes on each side of the center and we will pass tape through the holes, so we can tie it to the arms to prevent it from slipping. fall. Since you have to cut the tail, you will only have to fold a part of it to place it in the waistband of the pants.
3. Eiffel Tower costume
With a large cardboard box, cutter, tape, aluminum foil, and glue. Draw the Eiffel Tower on the cardboard 4 times, the bottom part should be the width of the shoulders of the person wearing the costume. Cut the four pieces and glue the corners by folding the pieces together to meet at the top. Cut out a square the size of the base of the tower and cut 4 strips to glue on each side, cut a hole to fit the head. Finally, glue the tower to the base and that’s it, you can color it with paint you already have at home.
4. Diver pumps
You will only need two recycled plastic bottles. Paint the bottles black and decorate them to your liking, glue the bottles, and add a cord to each of them so you can hang them as a backpack on your back. With some glasses and a plastic tube, which you will paint equally black, you will have your costume ready.
5. Rubik’s Cube
The Rubik’s Cube may not be as popular today, but it’s still a throwback to the ’80s, plus it’s super easy to make. With a cardboard box of the appropriate size for the person to see inside, cut one of its faces, and in the other three make holes where the arms and head can pass through. Now just paint it like a Rubik’s cube.
6. Space rocket
You will need two recycled plastic bottles, silver paint, cardboard, straps, glue, red and orange fabric. The first thing will be to attach the straps to a piece of cardboard to simulate a backpack, we will paint the bottles silver and while they dry we will use the red and orange fabric to create the flames of the rocket, with the help of the glue stick the flames to the inside of the mouth of the bottle to simulate that they come out of it, and glue the bottles to the piece of cardboard. Ready, all that’s left to do is hang it from your shoulders.
7. Fairy costume
With the help of cardboard and straps. Draw the wings on the cardboard, decorate them to your liking with your favorite colors cut them, glue the straps to the cardboard to simulate a backpack and that’s it.
8. Thomas Train
This costume is one of the characters that children like the most, so it can be an excellent option. You will need a cardboard box, a sheet of paper, straps, and disposable plates. Cut the two longest sides of the box, paint it blue, make two holes on each side of the box, and pass a rope on each side through them so that it can be carried. Now, paint the plates blue and with a black marker make the lines that will simulate a tire, glue three of each lake. Finally, draw the character’s face on the white sheet of paper and glue it to the front of the box, so it will be ready.
9. Skeleton
The basis of the costume will be black clothing. On white fabric or sheets, draw the bones that are part of the arms, legs, and chest, cut them, and glue them on the black fabric in the corresponding order. Now when you put on the black clothes it will look like what you see are real bones.
10. Witch costume
For this costume, we will use black plastic bags, a belt, and duct tape. The first thing will be to cut the bags into strips of different widths and we will stick them to the belt with adhesive tape. This way when we put on the belt, the straps of the bag would give the appearance of a skirt. Complete the costume with a black T-shirt and hat.
This story was originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
