Trick or treat?! On October 31st, you’ll definitely hear this phrase from lots of little ghosts, witches, and bats ringing the doorbell. Although Halloween isn’t as big here as it is in the USA, more and more families enjoy celebrating the day at home or at kindergarten with a spooky-sweet party. Of course, the right costume is a must! In this article, you’ll learn how to make a Halloween costume for your little explorer quickly and sustainably (using items you probably already have at home), along with other tips for an environmentally friendly Halloween kids’ party.

What is Halloween anyway?

Today, Halloween mainly stands for the joy of dressing up, being spooky, and spending time together—and, of course, for a bag full of sweets. But where does this tradition actually come from? Unfortunately, it isn’t known exactly, but it’s likely that Irish immigrants brought the festival to the USA, and from there it spread to us. One theory is that Halloween is based on the Celtic festival “Samhain.” The Celts celebrated not only their harvest, but also believed that on this evening the “other world” was open—the world of the dead. According to legend, the dead tried to take possession of the souls of the living. To escape this, the living hid or dressed up in spooky masks.

The explanation for the name, however, doesn’t originate with the Celts, but with Christianity: Halloween derives from “All Hallows’ Evening,” meaning “Eve of All Hallows.”

Halloween costumes for children to make yourself

Dressing up is a lot of fun for most children, and the selection of costumes is huge. However, costumes and accessories are often made from less environmentally friendly materials like plastic and are usually worn only once. But you don’t necessarily have to buy something new for a spooky costume: we have ideas for how you can easily make costumes for your little explorer yourself—and quickly craft a last-minute Halloween costume.

Ghost

Let’s start with the classic Halloween costume: the ghost! All you need is a disused white bedsheet or a white tablecloth and a pair of scissors to cut two viewing holes in the fabric. Alternatively, you can also use a large T-shirt and draw a spooky ghost face on the front with a textile marker. You can use white face paint on your child’s face so they look completely ghostly.

No white T-shirt readily available? How about a Pumpkin costume instead, which you can simply craft with orange fabric and the same creepy face on the front.

bat

For the bat mask, you can either draw a bat outline freehand in the size of your child’s head on a thicker sheet of paper, such as construction paper, or use a Pattern or a drawing template from the internet. Then simply cut out the mask, paint it as desired, punch two holes on the left and right, and thread a rubber band through. Make sure the mask fits comfortably and that the eye holes are large enough. Keep the rest of the outfit completely black, and your little bat will be fluttering around on Halloween.

Unicorn

It doesn’t always have to be a scary costume for Halloween. A cute alternative is a unicorn costume. You need this for :

• A simple hairband

• A party hat or a homemade horn made of construction paper

• Felt or cardboard in your desired colors

• Decorations for embellishing, e.g., artificial flowers and leaves, beads, cotton, glitter, stickers

• Sewing thread and sewing needle

• Liquid glue or hot glue gun

• Scissors

Make two holes in the “horn” on the right and left sides so you can slide it onto the headband and position it in the center. Then let your creativity run wild: you can craft small ears from the felt and glue them onto the headband. Decorate the rest with whatever decorative materials you have on hand.

The colors you use on your headband should ideally be reflected in your clothing. Do you have Tüll or a Tulle skirt ? Perfect for a magical unicorn costume!

Hexe

Attention, parents of little witches: with a black dress , a Spider painted on the cheek, and a Broom in hand, your little witch is ready to go. If you don’t have a broom, look for a long pole during a nice walk in the forest. All Bibi Blocksberg fans can combine a green dress with white leggings or pants and a red headband .

Baby costumes for your little explorer

Your baby may not be able to ask for trick or treat yet, but you can still celebrate Halloween together. After all, a first Halloween is a great opportunity to capture a cute photo and later show your little explorer their very first costume.

If you want to dress up your baby, make sure the clothing is made of skin-friendly substances such as cotton and linen, doesn’t constrict, and contains no swallowable parts. Since you probably can’t keep up with how quickly your little explorer is growing , it generally isn’t worth buying a special costume, as it likely won’t fit next year. A more sustainable idea is colorful romper , which can also be used after Halloween. They come in all sorts of shapes, such as pumpkins, elephants, or bats, and feature many funny motifs that will still bring good cheer even after Halloween. Maybe you’ll be lucky and find Second Hand or at a flea market a cute Halloween outfit for your baby that you can also pass on or sell afterwards.

Halloween children's face paint

With makeup, you can easily enhance a simple costume and give the outfit that certain something. You can let your creativity run wild, and almost anything is possible—of course, depending on your makeup skills. From an all-white look with black eyes for a zombie to a superhero or a witch with a spider web painted on the face.

Since makeup can irritate the sensitive skin of your little explorer, you should avoid it completely with babies. When purchasing products, make sure they are Natural cosmetics , dermatologically tested, and free from harmful ingredients.

More tips for a sustainable Halloween

Not only can a new costume generate a lot of waste, but so can the Halloween kids’ party itself. With our tips, you can make the spooky celebration more sustainable:

DIY Halloween decorations

Instead of buying new decorations, you can find autumnal Halloween accessories right on your doorstep: with leaves and chestnuts, you can beautifully decorate your home, and many children enjoy making things from the collected materials. Try crafting Chestnut figures or Leaf Garlands . If you want it a bit spookier, you can craft black wool spider webs and cut out small ghosts on white paper that you can glue to the window.

No Halloween without a pumpkin

The pumpkin is, of course, a must-have at any Halloween party and a real all-rounder. Pumpkin carving creates a very special Halloween atmosphere that your little explorer will surely enjoy. Take care of hollowing it out and cutting it yourself, and let your child do the face painting and other decorations on the pumpkin—even without hollowing it out, simply painted and decorated, it’s a real eye-catcher .

We hope these ideas inspire you to enjoy a sustainable Halloween with your child—with more spookiness and togetherness, and less waste and plastic. Happy Halloween!