Recycled Halloween Crafts

All over my Instagram feed I see content creators warning about "landfill core" this autumn. Some people will buy hundreds of cheap Halloween and fall trinkets and decorations, which according to these environmentalists, will end up in the landfill.

Some people would save them for next year, but there are most likely people who will throw them out, or donate them to a secondhand store, where they might still end up being thrown out if no one buys them.

To combat this issue, try making your own decorations out of recycled materials!

This article will share some Halloween crafts that will leave you with a cute decoration, but also provide an enjoyable activity, that is perfect for the kids.

Toilet paper roll decorations

I recently moved into my own apartment after living with my parents, so now I know just how much toilet paper a household goes through. Before I moved out, I didn't always notice how fast we'd use it up, but now I'm more conscientious of it. Why not put those toilet paper rolls to good use?

Here's an adorable craft that can easily be done by kids. You can use these as decorations, flower holders, or pencil holders. You could also put a battery powered tea light in them.

What you'll need:

Empty toilet paper roll

Paint

Paint brushes

Hot glue

Parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Set up some old newspapers on the table to prevent paint from getting on it.

2. Set up your paint supplies with a cup of water and a plate for the paint. You could also use an old piece of cardboard for the paint piles.

3. Use a medium brush sized paintbrush and paint the paper towel roll white or orange to make either a ghost or a jackolantern.

4. Use a smaller brush to do the face. For a ghost I would do two black ovals for the eyes and another oval for the mouth. For a jackolantern, I'd do black triangle eyes and a big smile, but you can make it look more spooky if you want.

5. Let them dry.

6. You don't have to do this, but you could also place them on parchment paper and fill them with hot glue about a quarter inch and the cut around it to give them a closed off bottom. This allows you to add something heavy inside like pebbles or rice, which will help it not to tip over.

7. Add a single flower or a couple lightweight flowers and display on the counter, window sill, or any table. Or you could put them on your desk and keep some pencils and pens in them.

Water bottle t shirt ghost

Around this time of the year, you'll see cutesy ghosts all over the place. With this DIY project, you can have your own little ghosts for a fraction of the cost! You probably already have all the materials you need. If you don't have an old t shirt or cloth that you don't mind tearing up, you can always go thrifting for one!

What you'll need:

Old white t shirt or some kind of recycled fabric like a sheet or old table cloth

Scissors

Water bottle

Sharpie

Instructions:

1. Use a water bottle that you've finished drinking from. Instead of throwing it out or in the recycling bin, use it for this project.

2. Fill it with a substance that will weigh it down, such as rice, dried beans, sand, stones, or water.

3. Cut out a large circle from the old white cloth you are using.

4. Drape it over the water bottle and color on the face with a sharpie.

5. Voila! Now you have a cute ghost decoration to display on your mantle or wherever you want.

Paper ghost garland

Here's another cute ghost craft! It's easy to make lots of these little paper ghosts without much effort. It's a simple paper Halloween craft that anyone can do, regardless of artistic ability.

What you'll need:

Junk mail/printer paper

String

Pencil

Tape

Black marker

Scissors

Instructions:

1. Gather your paper, whether it's the blank side of an old bill or unneeded piece of mail, or just some printer paper you have lying around that you don't use.

2. Fold the paper in half 3 times.

3. Use a pencil to draw an outline of a ghost.

4. Cut the ghost out and you'll have 8 separate ghosts.

5. Use the sharpie to draw the faces. It's more fun if you don't give them all the same face. Some can looks cheerful, others angry, some sad, or some with a silly surprised expression.

6. Tape them onto a string and hang the garland somewhere that it can be appreciated.

Potion bottle

I did this craft with a little alcohol bottle that I found on the ground. I saw it and thought, "I could use that for something." And I did! Potions and spells are associated with Halloween and you'll see them used for decorations at stores. But what if, instead, you just made your own! You can turn it into an actual spell ritual or just create it for fun. It doesn't require many materials.

What you'll need:

Glass bottle

Water

Food coloring

Glitter or shimmer powder

Instructions:

1. Clean out an empty bottle.

2. Fill it with water.

3. Add a food coloring of your choice.

4. Add some glitter or shimmer powder.

5. Stir it up and put the lid back on.

6. Display it on a shelf to look like a magic potion.

   
   

Soup can candle holder

(Picture from here: https://www.myfrugalhalloween.com/Making-Halloween-Punched-Tin-Can-Lanterns.html)

This decoration will look magical on your porch or in the driveway. To make the most out of it, host a soup and craft night! I recommend tomato soup and grilled cheese. Then you can clean out the cans and create these cute Halloween decorations with friends!

What you'll need:

Empty soup can

Hammer

Nail

Candle or tealight

Rubbing alcohol

Paint (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wash out your empty can.

2. Use a sharpie to trace out a jackolantern face.

3. Use the nail and hammer to puncture the lines, making the shape out of multiple punches so it's more like a dotted line.

4. Wipe off the remaining sharpie with rubbing alcohol.

5. Now you can place a candle or tea light inside and have a spooky Halloween decoration aglow.

6. Optional: Paint the can orange. You could also paint it white and punch out holes in the shape of circles/ovals for a ghost face.

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Those are all the recycled Halloween decoration crafts I have to share. Have fun and have a spooky Halloween!!!

About the author

Shello! My name is Mermaid Liv, a professional mermaid and content creator. I share my love of mermaiding through this blog, along with my Youtube channel.

If you've never heard of it before, mermaiding is a hobby, profession, and sport that involves wearing mermaid tails made for swimming.

I began making tails in 2013 and have continued my mermaid journey, starting my Youtube channel, working at a mermaid festival, performing at gigs, and being featured in the Netflix Docu Series MerPeople.

Follow me on Instagram for mermaid photos and videos: @the_real_mermaid_liv and be shore to check out my Youtube channel.