Business Spotlight

Local woman designs children’s costumes from felt made from recycled bottles

|Steve Minich, WMTW|

While most of us wait until Halloween to think about dressing up in a costume, one woman can’t but think about it every day of the year.

Steve Minich took us to Tree and Vine, a New Gloucester company in the costume-making business.

“I mean, what’s more fun than going around with a giant squid costume on your head?” Ellen Okolita asked. “All of my designs are a little exaggerated and over the top.”

Okolita designs costumes from locally sourced felt made from recycled plastic bottles.

Each of her eco-friendly costumes are just as colorful as they are whimsical, she touts.

“I just see everything in color and why not make a rainbow-colored owl or a lime green squirrel?” Okolita said. Keep reading and watch video