How to Make Cheesecloth Ghosts: A Hauntingly Easy DIY (2024)
Last Updated on October 31, 2024 by Beth Martin
Boo! Did I scare you?
Well, get ready to spook your neighbors and trick-or-treaters with some seriously spine-chillingly adorable decorations!
Making cheesecloth ghosts is a classic DIY that’s been haunting homes for decades, and it is one of the easiest Halloween crafts for adults and kids alike. I love making and decorating with these cute ghosts as soon as the slightest chill is in the air.
So, let’s join the fun and learn how to create this spooky Halloween craft that’ll make your home the talk of the neighborhood! Get ready to unleash your inner ghostbuster – err, ghost-maker!
Materials Needed for Your Cheesecloth Ghosts
Essential Supplies
- Plastic (to protect your work surface – I love using old drycleaning bags)
- Cheesecloth (or other light fabric like linen or cotton)
- Liquid starch
- A large bowl for the starch
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Glass or plastic vases or bottles (check your recycling bin for these)
- Flexible wire (I love this type because it’s extremely easy to shape and cut. I use it on so many DIY crafts, and it lasts forever.)
- Ping pong balls (for smaller cheesecloth ghosts) or a styrofoam ball (for a larger ghost form)
- Balloons (for larger ghosts
- Black felt (or other colors if you are feeling daring)
- Glue (I swear by Sobo – it’s like the adult version of Elmers)
Optional Supplies for Customization
- Mod Podge
- Statues or figures that might make fun forms (think brass animals, a porcelain hand, etc.)
- Fishing line
- Acrylic paint
- Paint marker
- Googly Eyes
- Glow-in-the-dark paint
Where To Find These Materials
This whole supply list is extremely simple, and you should be able to find everything you need at your local craft store, from Amazon, or even in your house already.
Get creative with your materials, and don’t feel like you need to follow this list exactly. I had a bunch of old white linen sheets with a huge hole in them, and the cloth made the cutest ghosts! So look around and see what can spark your imagination.
Step-by-Step Guide to DIY Cheesecloth Ghosts
Prepare Your Work Surface
Cover your work surface in plastic.
I love using the plastic bags from my dry cleaning here, but a garbage bag works well, too. If you are messy like me, make sure you cover your whole table. Better safe than sorry, right?
Secure your edges with some tape so your work area won’t move around too much.
Make Your Ghost Forms
To make the ghost form, tape each ball to the top of your vase. The ball will be the head, and the size of your bottle will determine the body size.
Ping-pong or wooden balls are perfect for smaller heads, and a styrofoam ball is great for a larger ghost form.
At first, I used whiffle balls (the kind with a bunch of little holes), but you could see this pattern in my finished cheesecloth ghosts. So, don’t make this mistake like me, and choose a ball that’s smooth.
Simply place a line of masking tape around the top of each vase to secure the ball. You don’t have to go crazy here but add enough tape so the head won’t fall off (eek).
If you want to add arms, use the flexible wire to create the rough ghost shape that you like. I added arms to about half of my ghost forms so I would have a good variety of shapes.
Wrap the wire around each bottle or vase at the level where the arms make sense. I added big loops at the end of each arm for hands, and this turned out to be a great idea. The little arms looked extra spooky with outstretched hands!
If you are worried about your wire slipping around, feel free to tape it in place.
Prepare Your Cheesecloth (or Other Fabric)
Now that your forms are ready, it’s time to prep the fabric. Cut the cheesecloth so it will cover your entire ghost form.
Consider if you want to have a longer “tail” or extra drape. If so, add extra length to your cheesecloth shapes so there’s extra fabric to hang.
Don’t worry about being too perfect when you cut out your fabric. Ragged edges and unusual shapes will only add more personality to your final cheesecloth ghost.
I ripped some of my shapes so they wouldn’t be uniform, and the final result was super cute.
Shaping and Styling Your Ghost for Maximum Spookiness
Now, the fun (and messy) part!
Pour the liquid starch into a bowl.
There are a few other ways to set the cloth, including Mod Podge or Elmer’s glue. I think liquid starch is so much easier because the glue mixture route is very messy, making the cleanup a pain. Liquid starch cleans up simply with water, it’s already the right consistency, and it’s cheap.
If you still prefer the Mod Podge (or glue) route, mix two parts of Mod Podge with one part of water. The glue mixture should be very thin.
To make your cheesecloth ghosts, dip each piece of fabric liquid starch until it’s pretty wet. The cheesecloth should be saturated but not dripping, so ring out any excess liquid.
Next, drape the cheesecloth over your ghost form. You can drape multiple layers of cheesecloth to make a more layered looking ghost, or use a single piece for a more translucent effect.
Shape the cheesecloth ghosts until you are happy with the overall form. What you see is what you get here, so play with the cloth until you are happy with your ghost.
Consider how you will use your ghosts when you are creating the forms. For a ghost that will stand up on its own, make sure there’s a thick layer of cloth at the base – think of this like the ghost’s feet.
If you want a cheesecloth ghost that looks like it’s flying, don’t let the cloth extend to the table so it looks like it’s floating in place.
Drying Time and Patience
The least fun part, but maybe the most important, is letting your cheesecloth ghosts dry overnight. Depending on how many layers of fabric, the type of fabric you chose, and how much fabric stiffener is on each piece, your project could take even longer to get completely dry.
I found that forms made with cotton took a few days to dry, while the cheesecloth ghosts dry overnight.
Once the cloth starts to set, you can move it around a bit to make sure there are no little puddles of liquid starch. This will help your ghost to dry quicker, and you can manipulate the form some, too if you want.
For some of my ghosts with lots of extra cloth, I raised them a few inches during the drying process. This gave the cheesecloth ghost a realistic feel of flying, which looks great hanging.
Add Eyes and Facial Features
Finally, adding facial features will make your cheesecloth ghosts really come alive. You will be shocked at how cute these are once you add eyes and a mouth!
You can keep your faces super simple or go all out here.
I cut my eyes out of black felt, and I love the simplicity of this look. For my floral ghosts, I also tried burgundy and cream felt, and this really made the colors stand out.
I freehand cut out the eyes and mouth from black felt with scissors, and I did my best to make the set of eyes match. I used Sobo (my holy grail of glue) to stick the eyes on.
And voilà, just watch your ghost come alive!
Feel free to experiment with other mediums here. I think both acrylic paint and googly eyes would be a really fun way to add extra personality.
Displaying Your Spooky Creations
Now, decorate your home with your fun creations!
Place these cheesecloth ghosts around your home and watch your space come to life with Halloween spirit!
If you want to hang your creations or make a garland:
- Use a needle and thread to create a small loop on the top of the ghost’s head.
- Tie a fishing line to the loop you made for a seamless look.
- Hang these around your home for the ultimate Halloween spirit.
For a Halloween garland, hang multiple ghost friends from the same string. This is a super cute way to decorate a mantle, stair rail, window, or doorway.
I love how my ghosts look hanging from my living room curtain rods. They look so ethereal yet cute at night!
Try placing a ghost in a cloche and filling the body with a mini LED light strand for a more sophisticated Halloween look. This idea is so simple and inexpensive but looks super high-end.
Customizing Your Cheesecloth Ghosts
Want to take this project a step further? There are endless ways to customize this project to match your specific Halloween decor.
For a cute Halloween theme, consider adding accessories like bows or florals.
Feeling more eerie? Add chains or glow-in-the-dark paint to make these ghosts pop.
Be creative with your forms too!
I tried other shapes, and they came out shockingly well. My most successful forms were a brass owl and a porcelain hand. (Don’t worry – the starch cleans right off.)
Once wrapped in cheesecloth, they both look amazing. Just be careful how you drape the cheesecloth to keep the form you want. For intricate details, I made sure to really soak the fabric, and I was shocked at how great this worked.
Troubleshooting Common Cheesecloth Ghost Issues
Not happy with any part of your project?
If your ghost shape looks droopy or misshapen, adding a little more starch and reshaping can fix almost any issue.
Holes in all the wrong places? Just cut the cheesecloth and drape it over the ghost form to cover up any issues. There is no harm in adding a few more layers to a project that’s already dried.
For any of my ghosts that couldn’t stand on their own as I hoped, I simply made them hang instead.
Is the dry time taking way longer than you expected? A hairdryer is your best friend here. If the cheesecloth is super thick, spread it out a bit – but no matter what, it will dry eventually.
Trust me, you really can’t go wrong with this DIY, which is why I love it so much!
That’s A Wrap
And there you have it, folks – your very own army of spooky DIY cheesecloth ghosts ready to haunt your cozy home this Halloween! With these easy-to-follow steps, you can transform these simple materials into ghostly works of art.
The key to truly spine-chilling (or absolutely adorable) decorations is letting your creativity run wild. Experiment with different sizes, expressions, and placements to create a unique ghostly gathering that’ll have your guests doing double-takes all night long.
As the witching hour approaches and jack-o’-lanterns flicker to life, your handmade cheesecloth ghosts will be the stars of your Halloween decor. So, grab that cheesecloth, and let’s get crafting – those ghosts won’t make themselves!
Happy haunting, and I hope you enjoy making cheesecloth ghosts as much as I did!
Have any questions? Please feel free to reach out!
Cheers!
