Having an Eco-Friendly Halloween for Kids

Yesterday, The Green Connoisseur told you all about having a Green Halloween - from finding vegan and organic candy to having a costume swap. Today, we'll talk about some eco-friendly kids' Halloween costumes and projects that are a real treat! Tom Arma Costumes Tom Arma is a very well known photographer, famous for his 'Save the Animals' series. His costumes were inspired by that series, and so he has brought to the public a slew of adorable animal costumes for babies and kids - such as the elephant (above left) and this adorable butterfly (right.) Only a limited number of costumes is created each year and the different styles sell out rather quickly. The Wall Street Journal called Tom's costumes "the Armani of the Kiddy costume world," and the costumes can be purchased for around $50 to $60 each. The Green Connoisseur loves this next bit of info, taken from Tom Arma's website: '100% of the electricity used to make this Tom Arma costume is offset with 100% Green-e Certified Renewable Energy.' Way to go, Tom! Do-It-Yourself Recycled Kid's Costumes If you'd rather avoid the commercialism of the spooky season, you can easily make some clever recycled kid's costumes with a little imagination and some materials you already have lying around. Lego Costume - This costume is so simple to make! We found this one at Craftzine.com and all you need is a cardboard box and six round food containers. With a bit of paint and some tape, you've created an adorable Halloween costume that is eco-friendly and fun for the kids! Find out exactly how to make this Lego costume here. Recycled Samurai Costume - We found this absolutely adorable costume on TheDailyGreen.com, created by instructables.com user Joto. Using corrugated cardboard and an old calender, Joto created this delightful costume. You could use old magazines, a box, a bit of paint, scissors and a stapler to create your own version of this costume. While you're at it, check out the other costume ideas from TheDailyGreen.com here. Spooky Witch Mask - This spooky witch mask can be easily created with a recycled paper plate, some scrap raffia, a kitchen funnel and some paint. With a bit of imagination, you can use these same materials to create a slew of different masks for your child to wear. Have a brainstorming session to come up with some truly unique ideas. Adding basic leggings and a long-sleeved shirt can complete most masks. For the witch mask, a simple black dress and a broom will do the trick! Learn how to create the mask step-by-step here. Creating Your Own Non-Toxic, Safe Face Paint Finally, no costume is complete without the painted face. However, many commercial face paints contain dangerous chemicals that you don't want slathered all over your child's face. Here's an easy recipe to create paint in all colors for Halloween.

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp cold cream or moisturizer
• 1 to 2 drops food coloring

Voila! A great looking face paint that you know is perfectly safe! Using the information and tips above, you can create an eco-friendly Halloween for your kids. Whether you purchase the adorable Tom Arma costumes or work together with your kid to create one of the DIY ones - you're doing something great for the Earth while getting into the spooky spirit of the season.