I remember as a kid growing up that Halloween meant an excuse to raid my parent's closet and sneak up to the attic for the really good stuff! Raised on a farm, we seldom went to "town" for shopping and never would have considered spending cash for a plastic or store bought costume. I do recall my mother being enticed to sew a few frightening costumes - but my Halloween childhood days were pretty much left to home-made creations.
To my delight - one of my favorite "green" websites has a slide show of "home-made" costumes using recycled materials. Most are pretty creative. Slide 14 is super creepy, but I just kept wanting to stare and study it. Hint: it's made from old dolls. Numbers 6 and 12 might not be suitable for younger eyes. Take a look and tell us what you think!