mostly-Green Halloween, part one (updated)

I have a 5-part Halloween series planned for you  and this is part one: Decorations.

As a parent of a toddler, I’d say that we’ve eased our way into celebrating Halloween.  The first year we did nothing.  Last year we did a little and this year we’re doing a little more with M.  Having just turned the calendar to October, I’ve noticed that this year feels different to me.  This is the year that I feel like I need to really consider what Halloween will look and feel like around our house.  M is really in tune to these things now.  And it seems however much we decide to do, we’re setting the standard now.  We’re creating traditions that I am certain she will remember next year.  Knowing this, the choice is easy for decorations.  Think green.

After some thought and browsing around online, this is how we’re going green this Halloween:

• This one’s a no brainer.  A la naturale pumpkins and gourds are not only festive, their relatively inexpensive.  I’ve already decorated our steps outside with little pumpkins, medium pumpkins and colorful gourds we picked at a local farm.  We’ll carve the pumpkins just before Halloween.  I love gourds throughout the house too, especially across the mantle.  The “pie” pumpkins sitting pretty in the kitchen make me crave pumpkin pie and my favorite, pumpkin bread.  The gourds and carved pumpkins will eventually find their way to the compost when Halloween has come and gone.  The pie pumpkins will get cooked and then frozen so we can have sweet treats throughout the Winter, or at least Thanksgiving!
• This year we’re going to make a scarecrow for the yard.
  

  our own Captain Scarecrow, 2009

  M’s still young, so a scarecrow is perfect for right now.  I have a dancing goblins idea I stole from a neighbor in Illinois that I’ve been dying to do.  Maybe next year.  For the scarecrow, we’ll dig through Daddy’s closet for old clothes then stuff them with newspapers or leaves.  Not sure how we’ll stand it up yet, but I’ve read a broomstick works.  We’ll make the head out of an old sheet, again stuffed with newspapers or leaves.  A few buttons and yarn will make the face and hair.  Still trying to figure out which old hat we’ll use.  I like the fact that a scarecrow will be a family project made of stuff we find around the house.

• 

  photo from green-vaccine.com

  The thing I can’t wait to make are the tin can luminaries to line our walkway.  They seem pretty easy to make, and I know M will enjoy pounding holes with the hammer.  All we’ll do is gather tin cans, peel the paper labels off, wash them, then fill with water and freeze overnight.  We’ll punch holes with a hammer and nail, including holes on top for a handle.  After the ice melts we can paint the outside (or not) and attach a handle made from a wire hanger.  Candle goes inside and voila!

These ideas are simple, but that’s the point.  I want Halloween to be filled with traditions we can continue and also add to every year.  Like I said before, I also want to set a standard.  If a mostly-green Halloween is our standard now, then a green Halloween will just be “normal” for M in the years to come.  Fingers crossed.

Look for a mostly-Green Halloween, part two next Saturday!