Dressing up for Halloween is a fun way for kids and adults to express themselves, try on new personalities or celebrate their favorite movie characters, but the merriment may come with a hefty environmental price tag. Too many of us buy ready-made, fast-fashion costumes, wear them once and throw them away. Store-bought costumes tend to be made with unsustainable materials such as plastic and polyester, which can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills, causing harmful microplastics to enter our waterways.

The eco-friendly alternative is to create a costume from items we already have or will use again. That means ditching the plastic, glitter and chemical-laden makeup. It is an opportunity to dial up our creativity and do-it-yourself spirit.

• Check the closet, thrift stores and online marketplaces. Outgrown clothes can be repurposed for a unique boho or witchy look. Layer items in unexpected combinations to make everyday garments take on new personalities. Mix colors. Add a vest. Tie a scarf around the head. Wear multiple hats and mismatched belts.
  
  
• Go natural for makeup or effects. Choose eco-friendly paints or natural dyes, including black tea, coffee, turmeric and paprika to color fabrics or decorate handmade, creative costumes. For witchy green skin, slather on a face mask. For rosy cheeks and lips, use a slice of beet to stain the skin. Blend vibrant, shimmery mineral powders [1] for eyes, face or lips. Use eco-friendly face paint kits [2] , such as those available at NaturalEarthPaint.com.
  
  
• Use household items. Cardboard boxes embellished with foil scraps and reused lids make great robots, astronauts or knights in armor. A white sheet with cut-out eyes is the quintessential ghost. Blankets and shower curtains can be fashioned into superhero capes.
  
  
• Swap or borrow. Get together with family and friends and choose from a pile of costumes from years gone by. Have fun tweaking them and making them new again.
  
  
• Handcraft a mask. Gather leaves, flowers, pinecones, feathers, acorns and other natural specimens, as well as paper bags, recycled paper, felt fabric and cardboard. Make a sturdy shape for the base of the mask and cut out an oval for the eyes, then glue the decorative elements. This is a great craft project for kids.
  
  

 Eco-Friendly Costume Ideas

•  Garden or Forest Fairy: Wear practice clothing from dance class and layer it with colorful scarves, fake plants, leaves and flowers. Cut wings out of poster board.
  
  
• Mother Nature: Wear something green and make a crown from pinecones, sticks or leaves.
  
  
• Bat or Owl: Make wings from an old umbrella and use fabric scraps for feathers.