Eco-Friendly Halloween Bags

One small way you can make an impact with the environment and an impression with your kids this Halloween is to use eco-friendly candy collection bags. Rather than run out and buy a new plastic bag that is already decorated, will last only one night, looks like everyone else's and will eventually end up in a landfill, try some creative ideas that you can easily produce at home.

There are a few re-usable options that you may have lying around the house already. In a pinch, a plastic grocery bag, re-usable recycled fabric type grocery bag, or shopping bag will work. And don't overrule the old standard of trick-or-treaters gone by: the pillowcase. Pillowcases are sturdy, washable, and reusable. You can even turn it into a fun Halloween craft project for the kids-take a plain pillowcase and easily decorate it with fabric markers, then set the drawings according to the marker's instructions. Try using stencils to create some spooky cats and creepy bugs, or let your youngster draw freehand with a theme in mind, such as scary monsters or ghosts.

For those of you that lean towards more involved artistic endeavors, but don't want to use the sewing machine to create a more elaborate candy bag, try these ideas. Purchase a canvas tote bag at your local thrift store, and wash it if necessary. When it's dry, embellish it with stenciling, hot-glue on some Halloween designs cut out of felt, or simply tie orange, black and white curling ribbons to the handles. Add your child's name with fabric markers, and you have an instant Halloween treasure that's sure to be used for years to come.

If you're feeling really crafty, try these ideas. Find an old Halloween themed tee-shirt, cut out the holiday design on the front, and glue or stitch it to the canvas bag. Or, you could take a picture of your little goblin all dressed up in their costume, create an iron-on transfer using your computer, and iron the transfer to a light-colored canvas bag.

Other fun options for candy containers can include household objects. Try using craft paint to decorate small buckets, using yarn or ribbon in festive colors to weave into the open spaces in baskets, and putting Halloween stickers onto storage bins with handles. Just make sure whatever kind of container you use is a size and weight that your child can tote around for the length of time your family decides to trick-or-treat.