How to Make Cheesecloth Ghosts for Halloween

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With just a piece of cheesecloth, some Mod Podge, and a little black felt for the eyes, you can make this easy Halloween craft.

Many years ago, I had an adorable cheesecloth ghost that I bought at a craft sale. I enjoyed using it in my Halloween decor while my kids were growing up.

Sadly, after a series of moves a few years back, it looked pretty sad and misshapen, but the good news is that these cute and spooky Halloween cheesecloth ghosts are a snap to make!

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Easy Halloween DIY

Supplies:

two 26-inch square pieces of cheesecloth
Mod Podge Fabric Stiffener
aluminum foil & soda bottle (for the ghost form)
black felt for the eyes (or googly eyes if you prefer!)
hot glue

I purchased a package of cheesecloth and a bottle of Modge Podge’s “Stiffy” (which is similar to a liquid starch) from Amazon, but I’m sure craft stores would carry these supplies as well.

I have also seen some tutorials where people use spray starch from the laundry section, or even Elmer’s Glue with a little bit of water added, but I haven’t specifically tried those methods so I can’t vouch for how well they work.

The Mod Podge Stiffy was reasonably priced and seemed easiest, so that’s the method I chose and it worked like a dream!

How to Make Cheesecloth Ghosts for Halloween

DIY Cheesecloth Ghosts

Step 1: Prepare Your Work Surface

It’s a good idea to protect your counter or tabletop from the starch or glue mixture. I used parchment paper, but wax paper or even a piece of cardboard would work nicely.

Step 2: Create the Ghost Shape

There are so many ways you could do this, so just use what you have on hand– don’t overthink it!

I used an empty plastic bottle with a piece of aluminum foil shaped into a ball for the head. You could also use a styrofoam ball, tennis ball, or even a small balloon for the head of the ghost.

I also shaped the arms from foil and attached them to the sides of the bottle with wide strips of packing tape. Pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, or even floral wire could also work to create the arms of the ghost structure.

Step 3: Coat the cheesecloth in Fabric Stiffener

I placed enough cheesecloth for one ghost (a 26″x 26″ square) into a gallon-sized zipper bag.

Then I squirted in a few drops of the Mod Podge fabric stiffener and worked it around in the bag, which was a simple way to fully coat the layers of cheesecloth without a lot of mess.

Tip: Add more Mod Podge or a few drops of water as needed to ensure that the cheesecloth gets fully coated in stiffener. It really doesn’t take a lot though.

Step 4: Drape the Cheesecloth

Remove the wet cheesecloth from the bag and gently drape it over the head structure of your ghost form. Take your time arranging the cheesecloth pieces to create folds and flowy parts at the bottom of the ghost.

It’s very important that you use enough cheesecloth so that it “puddles” at the base of the ghost. This is the part that will support the little ghosts so that they stand on their own after they have dried and the bottle underneath is removed.

I let my ghost dry overnight. You want the fabric stiffener to be fully dried before removing the supports underneath.

Step 6: Add the Face

Once the ghost is dry and stiffened, it’s time to add the face. I cut out felt eyes and a mouth and hot glued them on for simplicity.

Step 7: Create some Fun Effects

I shaped the arms slightly differently for each of my ghosts.

One cute ghost has its arms forward, so it can hold a small white pumpkin. The second has the arms spread wide to hold a small banner I made using brown paper and twine.

Get creative and have fun making each of your ghosts special!

(I think I got my mini alphabet stamps from the Target dollar section, but THIS set from Amazon is similar.)

Add a little bit of twinkle to your spooky cheesecloth ghost by tucking a string of fairy lights up underneath. I love the extra touch this adds for the Halloween season!

Cheesecloth Ghosts Halloween Craft

Aren’t these adorable little cheesecloth ghosts just perfect for Halloween?

Display them with some little plastic spiders and my favorite flameless taper candles ,and your Halloween decor is ready to go!

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Happy Halloween 👻,

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