You Don’t Have to Be a Russian Czar or Sherlock Holmes to Capture the Eco-Magic of Easter Eggs!

When I think of Easter Fun, I think of Easter Bunnies and Bunny workshops – busily designing and coloring the best Easter Eggs in the world (the equivalent of Santa’s Christmas workshop) – who then wrap their precious cargo inside hand-made (paw-made) baskets – and who then pass them onto Easter Bunny-shaped Gnomes who randomly hide these treasures underground and across the globe!  Our mission then as tradition-bound humans – is to find these precious symbols of rebirth, renewal, and happiness and incorporate them into our own unique springtime sunshine celebrations!  So if you haven’t done so already, here are some eco-friendly, eco-adventurous Easter Egg ideas from the Chief Easter Bunny himself!

1- Book Yourself a World-Class Easter Egg Hunt Vacation!

Easter Egg Hunts are great cultural festivities that come together with religious traditions to add fun and excitement to the Easter Bunny’s appearance for kids and adults alike.  Here then are four of the best Easter Egg Hunts in the world:

The Faberge Easter Egg Hunt in London, England – See www.The-Big-Faberge-Egg-Hunt-London Hosted by Russian jeweler, Faberge, and billed as the “World’s Largest  Luxury Easter Egg Hunt” as well as a major charity event, over 200 Giant Fiberglass Easter Eggs have been planted throughout the city of London decorated by some of the world’s most famous artists, designers, jewelers, actors and architects. Each egg has its own secret code word which finders use to text to a designated number.  The Grand Prize is a diamond encrusted Jubilee Egg made by Faberge in honor of the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.  Hunt organizers hope to raise 3 million dollars with the proceeds going to two charities – “Action for Children” and “The Elephant Family”.

The Beatrix Potter Easter Egg Hunt in Cumbria, England – See www.The-Great-Peter-Rabbit-Easter-Egg-Hunt Located in the Lake District of North Western England and covering 2600 square miles of terrain, this year’s annual Easter Egg Hunt will be celebrating the 110th anniversary  of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” written by English natural scientist and conservationist, Beatrix Potter.  One hundred and ten ceramic eggs have been hidden all over the countryside and once all the eggs have been found the great Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt of 2012 will be over.

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, USA – See www.VisitNC-Annual-Easter-Egg-Hunt-at-Biltmore This year’s Easter Egg Hunt coincides with the opening weekend of the 27th annual “Festival of Flowers”.  Three hunts are scheduled beginning at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.  Magic shows, Children’s music and stories and Photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny are included as well.

The High Altitude Egg Hunt at Copper Mountain, Colorado, USA – See www.Copper-Mountain-Easter-Egg-Hunt Located between the ski resorts of Vail and Breckenridge and billed as the largest Easter Egg Hunt in Colorado with 50,000 eggs to find, there will be an “all-new Egg Putt-Putt – 9 holes of “greens” on the snow with Easter eggs for golf balls.

2- Get Tickets for an Easter Egg Rolling or Tapping Contest!

You don’t have to have a spoon or an invitation to the “White House” in Washington, D.C. to participate in an Easter Egg rolling contest nor do you have to fly to Russia to compete in an Easter Egg-knocking contest.  The tradition of egg rolling competitions goes back centuries across the globe – in England and Scotland, in Germany and Denmark, in the Netherlands and Lithuania and even ancient Egypt.   And if you want to see some serious egg-tapping, check out Marksville, Louisiana which holds its internationally recognized “Easter Egg Knocking Contest” on the courthouse square every year on Easter morning.  Note: All chicken, duck, turkey, and guinea eggs are allowed.

3- Go High-Tech with Easter Egg Geocaching!

They are doing it in La Vergne, Tennessee and in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin – in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and from Cape Cod Massachusetts to the Sacred Rocks Reserve in southern California – Families across the nation are using their GPS devices to locate the coordinates of hidden Easter Egg treasures.  After finding each cache, the Easter Egg hunter signs a log or takes a picture to prove that he or she has completed this part of the search.  Prizes are awarded at the end or with each cache found.

4- Go Underwater with Easter Egg Diving!

Billed as an “Easter Eggstravaganza”, children are being encouraged to dive, splash, and swim for eggs at the ‘5th Annual Easter Egg Dive’ at the Fairmont Aquatic Center in Salt Lake City next month.  And in Key Largo, Florida, adult divers and snorkelers are getting “egg-cited” about the upcoming “12th Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt” headed up by Captain Spencer Slate of the Atlantis Dive Center who dresses up each year in a giant bunny costume with dive gear. Participants are taken out to a secluded location on glass-bottom boats to one of the Keys’ pristine reefs “where revelers plunge for the hard-boiled hoard during the two-tank trip.”  The proceeds from this popular hunt acts as a fundraiser for handicapped and needy kids within the area especially during this holiday season.

5- Go Gaga Egg Watching at an Easter Egg Drop Near You!

Easter Egg Celebrations are now ‘High-Flying’!  All across North America, Easter Egg Hunts are now beginning with ‘Easter Egg Drops’ where thousands of plastic Easter Eggs filled with candy and prizes are dropped from Helicopters or Hot Air Balloons.   Many are church-sponsored or parks and recreation-sponsored. They are doing it in small town places to big city places – from Alachua, Florida to Montgomery, Alabama, from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania to North Las Vegas, Nevada, from Burlington, North Carolina and Bluefield, Virginia to Owasso, Oklahoma and The Twin Cities of Minnesota and from Marion, Illinois and Rochester, New Hampshire to Laguna Hills, California and Portland, Oregon.

6- Host An Easter Egg Tea Party!

In keeping with an organically-themed Easter Egg tea party, offer your invited guests eco-rich reminders of  sensory verdancy with springtime favors, décor, and food items including: 1-Pastel-colored recyclable napkins, a hand-stitched tablecloth with ribbon-accented designs and handmade soy and beeswax candles; 2-Reusable papier-mache eggs and bunny and chick figurines made from recycled wool sweaters or leftover milk jugs and juice cartons; 3-Freshly-picked floral cuttings and garland arrangements straight from the garden along with twig-decorated candle rings; 4-Homemade-styled Easter basket or Easter bonnet place settings filled with a selection of real grass, organic lollipops, nuts, tea bags, carrot and celery sticks, all-natural jelly beans, and ‘fair trade’ dark chocolate candy; 5-Freshly-made finger sandwiches and dips with deviled eggs, scones and crumpets and locally produced whipped cream, butter, jam, and honey; and 6- After-party keepsakes – an Easter Egg-Dying Starter Kit containing cage-free chicken eggs, red cabbage leaves, spinach and turmeric leaves, lemon peels, yellow onion skins, blueberries, beet juice, and a few unused crayon nubs – and – perhaps a personalized Easter Egg Tea Party Photo Memento set inside an eco-friendly recycled magazine picture frame.

So in conclusion, you may not be a Russian czar or czarina, rich enough to own a bejeweled Faberge Egg yet! – OR – be a world-famous super sleuth like a geeky Sherlock Holmes, able to find even the smallest clues in any Geocaching Easter Egg Hunt! – BUT – you now have creative ideas of your own to making your own Easter Fun eco-magical!

Reference Footnote: Easter Fun for me is also a special reminder of my ancient celebratory family heritage- – I can trace my own unique “Holmes “ ancestry back to one Francis Holmes, a 17th century English Puritan and Early Settler and Co-Founder of Stamford, CT. in 1640 America, who is my 9th great-grandfather – – and my unique Russian heritage can be traced back to the 10th and 11th centuries – a time period in which the first Christian monarchs of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe were suddenly bursting upon the scene including: 1- Prince Mieszko I, First Christian Ruler of Poland, my 35th great-grandfather; 2- Saint Stephen I of Hungary, my 31st great-grandfather; 3- Saint Ludmila of Bohemia, my 38th great-grandmother; and 4- Yaroslav I the Wise, Prince of Novgorod and Kiev, my 33rd great-grandfather and 5- Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great, my 34th great-grandfather.  However, I am still looking for an Easter Bunny in the family tree.

Making Your Christmas Greener & Happier – With Good Will Towards Others – And a Little Help From Santa’s Elves!

As Chief Elf of Santa’s workshop (having a Red Belt in Toy Elf Wizardry) and in charge of training and feeding Santa’s reindeer – I thought I would take some time out to invite you to learn about the “green” ins and outs of Christmas and the new ways of celebrating this holiday season without creating excessive waste – before Santa arrives where you live!

In addition to studying the three R’s in Elf School – Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic – the three NEW R’s in the Elf Curriculum are – ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’, and ‘Recycle’. We here at the North Pole earn ‘Elf Points’ for every kid and family that tries out these eco-friendly practices. At the same time, you will reduce ‘Carbon Elfprints’ by aiding in the reduction of landfill dumping.

Here then are some of the best ways to improve your ‘Holiday Greenness!’:

1-Green Your Christmas Gift-Giving to Friends & Family & Those Less Fortunate Than You
A) Give Flowers or Potted Plants
B) Give a Gift Certificate – from an Organic-Conscious Restaurant (Check out www.dinegreen.com) or a Local Spa or Wellness Retreat (Check out www.spawish.com or www.spafinder.com)
C) Buy a Share of Sustainable Livestock – For a Family struggling with hunger and poverty (Check out www.Heifer.org/gift )
D) Send Gift Boxes – Organic Fruit and Vegetable Gift Boxes (Check out www.ediblearrangements.com) -OR- Organic Snack Boxes (Check out www.healthysurprise.com)
E) Send Holiday Greetings on Recycled Paper with Earth-safe Inks or ‘E-cards’ (Electronic Cards) – (Check out www.care2.com and www.smilebox.com)
F) Give the Gift of Time, Talent, or Physical Labor – Promise to Clean out the Family Garage; Shovel the Driveway; Host a Party; Fix a Car; Organize Bills or a Closet; Redo a Resume etc.

2-Get Creative with Old Wrapping Paper, Boxes, Bows, & Ribbons, and Old Newspapers, Dish Towels, Bath Towels, Scarves, Sweaters, and Handkerchiefs
A) Give Your Pet an Eco-Friendly Gift by Reusing Leftover Wrapping Paper, Boxes and Bows to create a Pet Hide-a-Way or Toy
B) Recycle Old Newspaper Comics by turning it into this year’s Gift Wrapping Paper
C) Recycle Old Greeting Cards by turning them into this year’s Gift Tags
D) Recycle Old Scarves, Sweaters, Handkerchiefs, Bandannas, and Festive Dishtowels and Bath towels by knotting the ends and turning them into this year’s Gift Wraps. In Japan, special eco-friendly wrapping cloths called “Furoshiki” are designated for this purpose.

3- Green Your Christmas Tree Decorations By Avoiding Plastic Decorations and Instead Reusing Old Items Laying Around the House
A) Creatively hang up old mittens, scarves, and belts from your closet
B) Creatively hang up old wooden spoons, coasters, tea strainers, and corks from your kitchen cupboard
C) Creatively hang up old sewing items, and arts and crafts items i.e. pincushions, ribbon scraps, feathers, dried flowers, seashells
D) Creatively hang up old photographs, business cards, ink pens, doll accessories, and other children’s toys from your family den or bedroom

4) Green Your Outside Décor by Mixing Live Wreaths, Handmade Candle Holder Luminaries, and Energy-Slashing LED lights (Instead of Traditional Incandescent Christmas Lights)
Note: LED lights last about 10 times longer than traditional lights and use 90% less energy.

5) Green Your Christmas Dinner Table Menu & Presentation by Avoiding Disposable Utensils and Reliance on Imported Foods & Wines
A) Purchase Local Foods Grown as Close to Home as Possible – Support Your Local Farmers – Particularly Seasonal Ingredients, Condiments, and Honeys and Jams –
(Check out www.LocalHarvest.org/ for finding local food growers)
B) Create your own Festive Drinks and use locally-made Organic Wines
C) Create Your Own Homemade Christmas Dinner Centerpiece using a Natural Motif – Flowers, Stones, Water, and Floating Candles in an Old Punch Bowl or Fishbowl – OR – a Collage of Old Books, Picture Frames, and small Mirrors complemented by Cut-out Christmas Quotes, Lyrics, and Tissue Paper
D) Create Your Own Holiday Scent by boiling Lemons, Oranges, Cinnamon Sticks and Cloves on your stovetop
E) Compost your Food Scraps and Properly Store your Favorite Leftovers for Tomorrow’s Menu – a Casserole or Stew perhaps – or Home-Baked Muffins, Breads, and Cakes made with Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

6) Green Your Charitable Giving – Let Your Cost Savings Support Environmental Charities and Socially-Conscious Charities
A) Donate Old Clothing to Veteran Groups, Underprivileged Kids, Homeless Shelters, and Cancer Patients
B) Donate Old Furniture to Local Thrift Shops or the Salvation Army
C) Donate Old Christmas Cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City, Nevada – (Check out www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program/) – “Children at St. Jude’s Ranch learn entrepreneurship skills – making new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive ‘green’ holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of ‘going green’.”

To learn more about Elf Schooling Activities for Children – Check out www.northpole.com/Academy. And to Make a Difference to a Needy Child – become an Elf! Check out www.beanelf.org.

Meantime, on behalf of Santa and the other Elves – “We Wish you a Merry Green Ho-Ho-Ho!”

Giving Back To An American Tradition: Personalizing Philanthropy with Your Own Green Thanksgiving!

Each year across the USA, we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of the month of November (due in large part to President Abraham Lincoln who established it as a national holiday back in 1863) – with Family, Food, and Football – and to give thanks for our own blessings and life’s bounties in the time-honored tradition of the “First Thanksgiving” when in August of 1621, 53 Mayflower Pilgrims and 90 Native Wampanoag Indians sat down together at the New Plymouth Colony to celebrate their survival and good fortune with a magnificent “harvest feast”. But ever since the advent of the television and the rise of social media in just the last ten years alone, Thanksgiving has become much more of a “pre-Christmas consumer frenzy” – a new shopping holiday – marked by “Black Friday” when major retailers open their stores early (some at Midnight) to kick off the shopping season with deep promotional discount sales.

Yet for all the shopping bargains now associated with Thanksgiving – the majority of Americans are still in fact upholding the original meaning of Thanksgiving – celebrating relationships – celebrating the day with people they love and giving back to people they don’t know – and giving those less fortunate reasons to be grateful! And for many, showing Mother Nature their gratitude by making Thanksgiving Day – a little greener.

Here then are some tips for ‘Greening’ your own Thanksgiving and personalizing a great American tradition by creating priceless memories with thoughtful acts of generosity and resourceful living.

1- SET A GREEN STANDARD AT HOME WITH THOUGHTFUL HOSTING, SHOPPING, COOKING, AND ECO-DECORATIONS

Note: The “First Thanksgiving” Dinner consisted of cod, eels, bass, clams, lobster, mussels, ducks, geese, swans, turkey, venison, berries, peas, pumpkin, beetroot, onions, beans, corn and squash.

HOSTING:
A) Start a ‘No-Waste Thanksgiving’ – Reject Disposable/Throw-Away Plates, Utensils, and Napkins – Initiate a ‘Potluck Thanksgiving’ – Have Guests Bring Assigned Side Dishes and Their Own Placement Settings
B) Share Leftover Bounty with Guests – Ensure that Leftovers are Stored Properly in Reusable and Washable Containers for Tomorrow’s Meal by Putting Out Decorative Glass Jars that Every Guest Can Fill and Take Home
C) Start a Pre-Dinner Tradition – Ask Each Guest to Bring a Small Item Representative of Something for which They are Grateful and can Exchange – Go Around the Table and Ask Each Guest to Light a Beeswax or Soy Candle in Remembrance of a Family Member or Close Friend
D) Start an After-Dinner Tradition – Update Your Photo Album – Plant a Tree Outside – Play a Game of Chopstick Pass-Along – Ask Each Guest to Sign and Record their “gratitudes” or Special Prayers for the Year Ahead on a Designated Tablecloth

SHOPPING:
A) Start Your Own Eco-Friendly Tradition by Buying Local Produce and Locally-Made Organic Wine – Visit a Co-op or Farmer’s Market  by Checking out www.localharvest.org/ – Get Together with Friends and Neighbors and Buy in Bulk from Your Local Farmer – Order a Free-Range Organic Turkey* from a Local Farm – Support a Local Orchard or Vineyard *(A Meatless Substitute is ‘Tofurkey’ – an American Vegetarian Turkey Replacement Made from a Blend of Wheat Protein and Organic Tofu)

COOKING:
A) Stick to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables rather than Canned Goods – Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Dinner Entrees, Condiments, and Pre-Meal Snacks from Scratch i.e. Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Snacks, Apple-Raising Stuffing, Red Wine Salad Dressing, Cranberry Bread and Cornbread (Check out www.allrecipes.com)
B) Develop Your Own Signature Cocktail using Organic Juices and Organic Spirits. Make Your Own Hot Apple Cider with Organic Apple Juice, Cinnamon Sticks, and Cloves Heated on the Stove

ECO-DECORATIONS:
A) Decorate with Recycled & Natural Materials – Recycle Old Napkins with Buttons, Applique, and Trim – Reuse Old Fabric Scraps to Make Ornamental Pumpkins and Puffy Gnomes – Reuse Old Sweaters to Make Recycled Felt Leaves – Turn Pinecones into a Festive Turkey-Shaped Centerpiece – Turn Children’s Placemats Into Activity Placemats or Printable Thanksgiving Day Bingo Posters
B) Decorate with Edible Materials – Make Garlands of Fresh Popcorn and Home-Baked Cookies – Make Mantle Trimmings with Fresh-Cut Greens – Make Napkin Rings with Asparagus – Make Votive Candle Holders with Cored Apples – Make a Special Turkey-Molded Jello Dessert (Check out www.countryliving.com/, www.familyfun.co.com/thanksgiving, and www.marthastewart.com for more ideas.)

2-VOLUNTEER TIME OR TALENT FOR A CHARITY

Thanksgiving is a Time to Reach out to the Homeless, the Hungry, the Elderly, the Disadvantaged and Veterans in Need. One way is to Volunteer with Your Local Soup Kitchen or with a Local Health, Educational or Arts Organization. Another Way is to Organize a Group of Locals from Your Own Church or Synagogue to Volunteer on Thanksgiving Day. Any way you volunteer, you will be making a difference in someone’s life and creating precious memories! Be Sure to Check Out these websites: www.volunteermatch.org/ (Volunteer Match)
www.1800volunteer.org/ (1-800-Volunteer.Org)
www.pointsoflight.org/ (The Points of Light Foundation)
www.nationalservice.gov/– (The Corporation for National and Community Service)
www.liveunited.org/ (United Way)

3-DONATE MONEY OR ITEMS FOR A CHARITY

Thanksgiving is a Time To Seek Out Organizations to which You Can Safely Donate Food, Clothes, Books, and Various Household Items to Those Less Fortunate During the Holiday Season. Here are some outstanding examples:
-One Way is to Contribute to Your Local Food Bank.
-Another Way is to Contribute to the Veteran Memorial Foundation by Supporting Our Homeless Heroes this Thanksgiving thru their “Adopt-a-Vet” program. Check out www.thevmf.org/.
-Another Way is to Contribute to Non-Profit Organizations that Provide Specialized Meals and Groceries to Men, Women, and Children Living with HIV/AIDS, Cancer, and Other Life-Challenging Illnesses. Check out www.foodandfriends.org/.
-Another Way is to Contribute to American Indian Communities – Specifically ‘National Relief Charities’ – a Nonprofit, “Dedicated to Quality of Life for Native Americans Living on Remote and Poverty-Stricken Reservations in the Plains and Southwest.” Material Donations can be Given in the Form of Food, Water, Produce, Personal Hygiene Items i.e. Soap, Shampoo, Toothpaste, Household Cleaning Products, Toilet Paper, Laundry Detergent, Linens, Blankets, Coats, Winter Clothing and School Supplies. Check out www.nrcprograms.org/.
-Yet Another Way is to Contribute to Your Local Historical Society and Become a Good Steward so the Past is Preserved for Future Generations of Americans. Ideas for Donations include Community Artifacts i.e. Signs, Postcards, Flags, Maps, Photographs, Letters, and Genealogies. Why not Check out www.NorthAndoverHistoricalSociety.org/ and Learn About Their Preservation Efforts to Save a 200 Year Old Carriage Barn!

4-RUN OR FUND-RAISE AN EVENT FOR CHARITY

Thanksgiving is also a Good Time to Hold an Auction, Throw a Greenhouse Party, or Create Your Own Fundraising Campaign for a Great Cause! Best of all, Why Not Test Your Own Physical Fitness for a Charity Benefit by Running a Marathon or Half Marathon? Here are some shining examples: www.thethanksgivingmarathon.com/ in New York City
www.atlantatrackclub.org/ – Atlanta Georgia’s Thanksgiving Day Half-Marathon
www.some.org/ – Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunter in Washington D.C. – Sponsored by SOME (So Others May Eat)
www.crowdrise.com/ – The Crowdrise website is a “unique blend of online fundraising, crowdsourcing, social networking, contests, and other nice stuff.”

In Conclusion, Thanksgiving is at its Heart – a Time of ‘Green Reflection’ – To Give Thanks To Those Who Have Tried To Make a Better World In Years Past and Those Who Are Trying to Make a Difference Now In Both Conserving our Natural Environment and Enriching the Lives of Our Fellow Human Beings. Being the 11th Great-Grand Niece of those Mayflower Adventurers who perished the First Winter, It Is Important to Remember Their Courageous Efforts, Their ‘Mayflower Compact’ – a Socially Conscious Contract Binding Them Together for the General Good of the Colony – a Charitable Tradition we try to Honor every Thanksgiving Day since!

Garlic-Ribboned Wreaths, Egg Carton Bats, and Candy-Wrapper Costumes—Hey, It’s Cool To Be Green on Halloween!!!

Having Spooky Fun on Halloween doesn’t need to be expensive. Indeed according to the National Retail Federation, Americans this year are expected to pay $6.9 billion on costumes, candy, and decorations averaging out to about $72.31 per person. Now to cut down on all the waste that will be generated and save yourself some money, the only limitation on your budget will be your imagination – your green imagination – and there are plenty of sources out there to help you along the way when it comes to making your own Halloween decorations, costumes, and accessories out of reusable, secondhand, and eco-friendly biodegradable materials! A great reference guide to begin looking can be found on www.greenhalloween.org/. Below are some crafty examples of how you can save some money whilst saving the planet:

Green Costume Ideas:

1-Swap or Borrow Costumes – Find a Costume Swap near you. Check out www.Facebook.com/costumeswapday.
2- Reuse Old Costumes – Check out Goodwill stores near you or Goodwill’s online auction site. See www.shopgoodwill.com or www.locator.goodwill.org
3- Make Your Own Costume – There are many online sites that offer easy ideas for great costumes. Check out www.instructables.com – the Halloween Section.
4- Upcycle Your Recycling Bin – Look into your recycling bin for old cardboard boxes and make your own unique cardboard costumes – i.e. a monster truck, a cardboard box robot, a walking aquarium or a rubik’s cube. Check out www.costumeideazone.com.

Green Treat Ideas:

1- Make your own reusable trick-or-treating bag using old pillowcases or sewn up T-shirts or even an old lunchbox.
2- Give out greener goodies like organic granola bars and honey sticks. Check out Yummy Earth’s brand of organic lollipops and Bug Bites’ brand of organic milk chocolates as well.
3- Instead of candy – give out little trinkets to kids – stickers, 3-D cards, recycled whistles and spinning tops, seashells, polished rocks or crystals, beads, mini cookie cutters, mini toothpastes, seed packets, soy-based crayons, and yarn bracelets to name just a few.
4-Planning a Green Halloween Party? Check out Creepy Cuisine at Disney’s www.familyfun.go.com-Halloween Recipes or www.allrecipes.com-Halloween Treats.

Green Decoration Ideas:

1- Scary Brains made of dried cockscomb flowers. See www.marthastewart.com – Monster Bash Party Ideas.
2- A Halloween Banner made of leftover scraps of fabric – See www.theribbonretreat.com – Fabric Halloween Banner.
3- Jack-o’-Lantern Luminaries made of old metal coffee cans and soup cans. See Martha Stewart Holidays.
4- Do-It-Yourself Spider Webs made of old boat nets, cheesecloth, screen nettings or pipe cleaners crafts. See www.pepperdesignblog.com.

Are you ready now for a green blast of activities this Halloween? Don’t forget to check out your local pumpkin farm, zoo, or aquarium for special spooktacular eco-friendly events!