Upcycling Your Halloween

With Halloween right around the corner, here are seven clever ways to use up – instead of toss out – some common household items. Not only do you (or your loved ones) benefit from something unique, but by re-purposing, you help slow down what goes into the waste stream.

Cereal Box Robot

Cardboard boxes and robots go hand in hand. This tutorial explains how to create your own Wall-E from old boxes and several other items that would otherwise be trash.

Witch Costume

Your little witch need not break the bank or wear a cheap custom shop outfit. Using items found in thrift stores (or even that back closet), recycled fabric and paper mache, a cute and unique witch’s costume is very easy to make.

Recycle Bin

With a few old cardboard boxes and some paint, your whole family could dress as recycle bins. Think beyond the usual green and blue. Our modern designs may inspire “grown up” bins for mom and dad.

Halloween Votive

Covered in orange tissue and decorated with construction paper, empty glass food jars can become votives. Use this idea to re-use the white tissue paper retailers wrap fragile items in to make ghostly votives.

Milk Jug Skeleton

Hang a skeleton at your door for Halloween made from old milk jugs. It takes several, so you may need to set them aside for this project. For more drama, you can paint your skeleton with glow-in-the-dark-paint.

Paper Mache Pumpkin

Old newspapers and paper mache were made for each other. For Halloween, why not try a pumpkin? Unadorned, this is one decoration that could easily decorate your home all autumn.

Halloween Luminaries

Upcycling those small paper bags that never seem to have a second use and empty tin cans is a snap as punched design luminaries. Give them a gorgeous and functional makeover using Halloween designs. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor decoration (depending on the location and weather) these are sure to raise your spirits.