Halloween Decoration: How to Make Cheesecloth Ghosts (Video)

Image via: Ashbee Design

[ad#co-1]

Supplies

• Foam ball wrapped in foil or tennis ball
• Wire and wire cutters
• Black marker or black felt, scissors and glue
• Liquid fabric starch or liquid fabric stiffener
• Cheesecloths
• Empty plastic bottle without the lid
• Container or spray bottle
• Led votive candles (optional)
• Fishing line for hanging (optional)

Watch a video on how to make cheesecloth ghosts:

You can find the link to the video here.

Directions

• Place the ball on the bottle opening. The ball will be forming the head of the ghost, so make sure that the size of the ball is in a good relation with the size of the bottle, which will be forming the body of the ghost.
• Wrap the wire around the bottle neck and form two “arms” with the ends of the wire.
• Prepare the cheesecloths and place one piece loosely over your bottle-ball-wire body creation, to make sure that the piece of cloth is enough for your ghost. If it’s too small, don’t be disappointed; just layer enough of them until you are able to cover the body. When you are satisfied with the cheesecloths, remove them from the body.
• Fill a container with your liquid starch or a spray bottle. The part that follows is going to be messy, so make sure to cover your workplace for an easier clean up afterwards.

Image via: Country Living

• Soak a piece of cheesecloth with stark and wrench it very well. Place the piece over the body, just as you did before (if you want to use a spray bottle, place a dry piece of cheesecloth over the body and spray the starch on it until it is completely wet). Let it dry for about 10 minutes and then repeat the process with more cheesecloth if necessary until all the body parts are covered and your ghost looks done.
• Let the cloth dry completely and then gently remove your ghost from the bottle-ball-wire body. You can use your fingers to roughen up the cheesecloth’s ends if you like.
• Cut out two ghostly eyes and even a mouth from the felt and glue it onto the ghosts head or just paint them on using a black marker.
• Place your ghost over a led votive light to give it a gloomy after dark look or use a piece of fishing line to hang the ghost from the top.

Image via: Scrap Orchard

It is a great idea to make more than one cheesecloth ghosts for really successful Halloween Decoration. Try making different sizes of ghosts by experimenting with bigger bottles and larger balls, even balloons. You should be careful though if you’re planning to use them for outside decoration, since a possible rainfall is most likely to wash out the starch and undo your ghosts, so better use them in an area that is protected from rain.

For more Halloween craft ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! We are closing in on Halloween and what better DIY Saturday project than preparing your home for trick or treaters? Today, I will share with you creative outdoor Halloween Decoration ideas to make your home as festive as the neighbors! From outdoor ideas to light your front yard to creative wreaths for your front door.

Image courtesy of Buckets of Halloween Ideas

Halloween Wreath

Whether you want a scary scene on your front lawn to a decorative front porch. Be creative with natural materials, fun colors, and festive Halloween decor.

Image courtesy of Home Base Design

Outdoor Halloween Ideas from HGTV

Easy Decorating Ideas for your Outdoor Home from Ehow

Use these simple ideas for creating a memorable outdoor Halloween experience.

1.) Set out carved pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns with votive candles inside them. Put them around your door and along your walkway. Or line your walkway and stairs with jack-o’-lantern candles or lanterns.

2.) Hang white Christmas lights in trees or along fences.

3.) Make a scarecrow. Scatter autumn leaves, miniature pumpkins, gourds and uncarved pumpkins around the scarecrow.

4.) Have the scarecrow hold up a sign that says something fun like, “This way to tricks, that way to treats.”

Image courtesy of Stylish Eve

5.)Make smoke around your doorway with a fog machine or by putting dry ice in a bucket of lukewarm water. The water-to-ice ratio should be about two-to-one. Hang spider webs and large plastic spiders around the front door.

6.) Hang an old bed sheet and make it look like a ghost. Cut out a face.

7.) Place a small electric fan underneath the ghost so that it flutters in the wind.

8.) Display decorative ghosts or jack-o’-lanterns in every window of the house facing the entry.

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.