Do you have a closet filled with old Halloween costumes from past holidays? Don’t just send them to the landfill as your kids outgrow them. From DIY decorations to dress-up boxes, they can come in useful on a rainy day! Put them to good use by recycling them in new, fun ways. Here are five ideas to help you get started.
1 Repurpose them for upcoming events:
Kids rarely want to dress up in the same costume twice. You wouldn’t want to wear the same dress to two parties in a row, either! But you can breathe new life into old costumes by refashioning them with some new accessories or props. Before you bid adieu to last year’s Funidelia fancy dresses, think about upcoming theme parties or other events that they might be useful for. Add fangs and a cape to a princess dress and you have a bride of Dracula costume, or ears and a tail to a ballerina costume and you have an Angelina Ballerina outfit for World Book Day.
2 Cut them up for arts and crafts:
Even cheap supermarket costumes have quirky, fun details that could be used in arts and crafts projects. Break out the scissors and salvage some of these details to fill out your art supply collection. Sequins, netting, and glittery fabrics are all fun for collages or sewing projects with the kids.
3 Host a costume swap with friends and neighbours:
It would be a shame to get rid of your daughter’s Frozen costumes, so pass them on to a friend who would be delighted with them. Many communities and playgroups hold clothing swaps, to find new homes for children or baby clothes that have been outgrown. You can use this same idea and host your own costume swap. Talk to your group of friends to see if anyone’s interested, or find out if your local nursery, school, church, or playgroup is already holding a seasonal event like this. You’ll get rid of old clothing and costumes, and maybe score some new ones!
4 Transform them into decorations:
To follow along with the arts and crafts theme, another idea is to use your costume pieces as decorations next year. Broomsticks, skeletons, and masks can all be hung up in and around the house. Add lighting effects to bring them to life, and you won’t have to spend more money on decorations for your next Halloween party.
5 Donate your duds:
Finally, if you have costumes in good condition and can’t bear to cut them into scraps or upcycle them, why not pass them on to someone new? School and community theatre departments are always looking for props or costumes. You could also simply pass them on to charity, or hand them down to friends with little ones they might fit.
Whether you decide to donate them to charity or have a blast with arts and crafts, there’s no need for your costumes to ever go to waste.
