Halloween Green

If you're still scrambling to find a Halloween costume, time is running out. And while orange and black may be the traditional colors of Halloween, this year green is the way to go when it comes to costumes.

Here are a few ideas for fun, last-minute costumes that are eco-friendly and wallet-friendly, too.

Always start with items you have around the house. A plain white bedsheet and a pair of scissors are all you need for the Halloween classic ghost costume.

Too generic? Check out the kid's room. If your child is involved in a sport or activity such as football or cheerleading, their uniform can double as a Halloween costume. If that's not enough of a stretch for them, a little makeup can help you along. You can turn them into a "zombie" cheerleader or a "vampire" football player. A sports shirt or jersey and a few accessories and you or your child can go out dressed as their favorite athlete.

Got a clear trash bag on hand? Buy a bag of balloons and you can be a bunch of grapes or a bag of jellybeans, depending on the color of balloons you choose. Cut two holes in the bottom of the trash bag wide enough for your legs to fit through. Reinforce the holes with duct tape or other secure tape. Next, cut armholes in the side of the bag large enough for your shoulders to stick out. Keeping the bag slack in the waist, gather extra material around the neck and trim away until you have about eight inches left. Take off the bag and reinforce the armholes with duct tape. When you're ready to get going, step into the bag and fill it loosely with balloons until they come up to slightly below your armpits. Tie fabric or ribbon into a bow around your neck and then roll the lip of the bag downward. You're ready to roll. 

White- or neutral-colored thermal underwear and an inexpensive roll of gauze (or two) purchased at the drugstore for a few dollars lends itself to a fruitful mummy costume. To make the gauze look aged and worn, you can pre-cut it into long strips and soak it in boiling water with a few black tea bags thrown in, then hang it over the shower rod to dry. When you're ready to go, loosely wrap gauze around from head to toe, leaving eye, nose and mouth holes, of course. 

Is someone in your house an aging hippie? They say everything old is new again. Borrow a tie dyed T-shirt and pair it with some ripped jeans, some round-lens sunglasses and a few strands of groovy love beads, and a modern-day hippie costume is born.

If you have a pair of overalls, plaid shirt and a hat, you can easily create a cute cowboy/girl costume. 

How about recycling some cardboard boxes? An old cardboard box, cut with head and arm holes and some colored wrapping paper, markers, and tape and you can have a great oven, washing machine or even iPod costume!

If comedy is your thing, how about wearing all black and using white duct tape to make a line of dashes vertically down the front of your clothing? Then, attach a plastic fork to the front. Voila! You are a fork in the road. 

Have a great idea for a last minute Halloween costume? Please share it in the comments section below.