If your children are anything like mine, they start talking about what they are going to be for Halloween next year while they are sitting around the kitchen table dressed in their Halloween costumes eating their Trick-or-Treat candy this year.

As much as this discussion makes me roll my eyes and smile at the same time, it is also a blessing in disguise. It gives me plenty of time to gather ideas, as well as items, for next year’s costume.

The first place I visit is my Sister-in-Law’s closet. She has a bin full of Halloween costumes and accessories that her kids have used over the years.

The second place I look is around our own house:

• I look through all the dress-up items that we have gathered through the years from various birthday parties, Christmas presents, and other unknown occasions that required my kids to wear cowboy hats, bandana’s, and ride stick ponies.
• I look through our own bin of previously worn Halloween Costumes to see if we can mix and match…create something new, re-wear a costume, or see if the younger one can fit into any costumes the older one has out-grown.
• I look through closets, drawers, craft area, and toy bins for items that can be made into costumes, such as old sports outfits and torn clothes.

The third place I look is Goodwill.

Not only can you find many Halloween costumes that have been donated, you can also find bits and pieces of costumes and accessories that you can add to items you already have.

Creating New-To-You Halloween costumes is a fun way to get the kids imagination and creativity flowing while at the same time teaching them about saving $ and resources by Reducing and Reusing rather than consuming new.

Do you have Halloween costume ideas you would like to share? I am always looking for new and fun costume ideas for my kids and would love to hear yours. Leave me your ideas in the comment section.

In addition to being a Healthy Living Diva contributor Lena is also a working mother of 2 very energetic and slightly green conscience children. Come by and visit at OverCoffee.