If you're still struggling to find the perfect Halloween costume and be eco-friendly in the process, try considering some alternatives before you head to the mall to find one. You definitely don't need to buy brand-new things to look fantastic on October 31, you just need to be resourceful and explore the options that might be right under your nose.

Borrow
Maybe you loved your friend's cat or devil costume from recent years. If you are roughly the same size, find out if you can borrow it. Even if you can borrow some key accessories, you may be able to come up with the rest from your own closet. For ecample, if you had the tail and ears for a cat costume, simply wear black pants and a top and use an eyeliner pencil or mascara wand to draw whiskers on your face.

This option is especially viable when looking for kids' costumes. If your friends have a child slightly older than your own and they've outgrown last year's Spiderman outfit, see if you can borrow it for the night if you promise to return it in pristine condition. Likewise, if you have costumes from previous years that no longer fit your kiddies, offer them up to friends with young ones who may be able to make good use of them.

DIY
You probably have those occasions where you look around your home and wonder how on earth you've accumulated so much and pondering what you can do with. Well get creative! Maybe you have some boxes lying around that could be used as the "body" of a character or an object. Or perhaps that bag of pipecleaners you bought for at-home craft projects is simply not going down in size. Use your imagination and find the potential in the everyday things you keep in your home to make great outfits for you and your children.

Rent
If you're absolutely tapped on creativity, it's not too late to call some local rental shops and find out what they still have available. It may not be wildly inventive, but it will surely remove some stress of trying to think of a great costume and prevent more unwanted junk from heading to a landfill in November after you realize that you probably didn't need to outfit the whole family in items that none of you will ever wear again.

Be thrifty
Hit up your local thrift store for the key essentials for a "new" (to you!) costume. Find a leisure suit from the glory days of the disco ero and do your best John Travolta-in-Saturday-Night-Fever impression. Hey, don't mock it: he became a sex symbol thank to those tight bell bottoms; maybe it's time for a revival! There also tend to be racks full of kids costumes, sent there after a child outgrew them, and many are still in great condition and may only require some minor repairs.

Everything old is new again
Recycle last year's costume and make a few minor changes, such as your makeup. Unless you're going to the exact same party with the exact same people, no one will even likely know the difference. Look at the aforementioned thrift store to add a new element or two to a kids' costume (if possible) so aren't bored by having to wear the same thing.

Store it away
Whatever you find or buy for your costume, whether it be recycled or brand-spanking-new, keep it stored for next Halloween when you'll inevitably face the same conundrum of having nothing appropriate to wear. If you know exactly where you've put your costume essentials, you'll be more likely to head there to check out the contents than to a store to find new ones!

» Wikipedia