Sustainable Halloween Costumes: Creative, Budget-Friendly and Plastic-Free

On October 31st, it’s Halloween again! The spooky holiday is gaining popularity across the globe and more and more people are celebrating it.

We’re always up for a party, but when it comes to Halloween what truly scares us is the terrifying amount of waste that comes with it.

Every year, millions of kilos of plastic decorations are sold worldwide. Even worse? Most Halloween costumes end up in the clothing bin after just one night. A shame, especially considering that most of these outfits are made from polyester or other synthetic fabrics that are anything but biodegradable.

Luckily, there’s another way!

In today’s blog, we’re sharing our favourite tips for creating a sustainable Halloween outfit: easy, budgetproof, original and kinder to the planet.

Happy you, happy wallet, happy Earth!

What is Halloween anyway?

Halloween takes place every year on October 31st, the night before All Saints’ Day (November 1st). The name comes from the English All Hallows’ Eve, which is the evening before All Hallows’ Day.

The holiday traces back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the transition from the “lighter half” of the year to the darker one. The Celts believed that on this night, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to roam the earth.

To honour or scare off these spirits, people lit bonfires and wore masks. Over the centuries, these rituals evolved into the Halloween we know today: pumpkins, haunted houses and trick-or-treating.

While the holiday is huge in the United States, Halloween is becoming increasingly popular in other places too. Some people decorate their homes and kids go trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood. And of course, there are plenty of Halloween-themed parties across the world.

How to choose a sustainable (and budget-friendly!) Halloween outfit

Buying an outfit you’ll only wear once is not just a waste of money, but it is also bad for the environment.

Here are some of our tried-and-tested tips for a more sustainable Halloween costume:

1. Rewear your Halloween costume from last year

The most sustainable outfit is the one you already own. Of course, we’re not saying that from now on you should go to every single themed party in the same costume. But.. It’s worth considering rewearing costumes you already own. Especially if you’re celebrating with a different group of friends or attending multiple parties.

Less stress, less waste and more time to enjoy the candy.

2. Borrow a costume from a friend (or a clothing swap group)

Chances are that your friend who goes all-out for Halloween every year has a few costumes tucked away. And honestly, it’s quite flattering to ask, because you’re basically saying “I love your style!”

Just one pro tip: discuss how precious the item is before borrowing it. Between fake blood, face paint and red wine, accidents happen and it’s best to set expectations upfront.

3. Make a DIY costume from clothes you already have

Even if you’re not the craftiest person, DIY Halloween costumes are easier than you think. Here are a few foolproof ideas:

• Captain Hook: white blouse, blazer, plenty of rings and necklaces. You can craft your hook by sticking the hook from a clothes hanger in a paper cup and wrapping it in foil.
• Sugar Daddy: dress a pack of sugar up as a baby and you’re done!
• Witch: black scarves, flowing sleeves, bold eye makeup and a broom.

Need more inspiration? There are hundreds of simple DIY Halloween costume ideas online and most of them don’t require buying anything new.

4. Create a costume from clothes you can rewear

If you do decide to buy something new (or second-hand), try to pick pieces you can wear again.
For example:

• Go as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a black turtleneck and jeans.
• Or be a fairy by combining a puff-sleeved blouse with the right accessories.

It’s all about creativity over consumption.

5. Go for a plastic-free Halloween outfit

If you’ve come up with such a brilliant costume idea that you have to buy something new, try to keep it as plastic-free as possible.

Many store-bought Halloween costumes are made almost entirely of polyester mixes and they’re rarely recyclable. So, choose natural materials instead: organic cotton, hemp or Tencel.

A sustainable and affordable Halloween

When you look at the cost per wear, that cheap party-shop costume isn’t so cheap after all.
There are endless ways to celebrate Halloween sustainably and affordably.

Halloween is the perfect moment to let your creativity run wild and you can do it without creating waste!

Happy Halloween!