As the days grow cooler and leaves begin to turn, I can’t help but long for Halloween – it’s one of my favorite days of the year. If you’re anything like me, you are already considering how to decorate your doors and windows and what costume to wear. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time between now and Oct. 31 to prepare for trick-or-treaters and haunted houses in the greenest way possible.

Try your hand at making all-natural face paints with this easy-to-follow recipe (courtesy of Green Halloween):

•1 tsp cornstarch
•1/2 tsp water
•1/2 tsp all natural diaper rash cream
•1-2 drops natural/ organic food coloring

In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch. Add baby cream and food color and mix a bit more.

Looking for some eco-friendly decor? Comb through your recycling bin for coffee cans, yogurt cups, or cardboard tubes. With a little paint and some pipe cleaners, these throwaways can be easily transformed into pumpkin faces, black cats, spiders, and skeletons.

Finally, there’s a great list of homemade Halloween costume ideas here. You can opt for an old standby like a white sheet with two holes. Or, you can be more elaborate. My personal favorite is the “Cereal Killer” costume, which requires a few cereal boxes, kitchen knives, and some red paint - how marvelously green!

Image courtesy of Crafting a Green World.