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DIY Spooky Floating Halloween Ghost

· Leah Leatherby

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Last year around I went searching for the perfect Turkey recipe. I probably spent a couple hours each day for a week scouring the internet for a recipe that would ensure a crispy skin, but leave the inside super tender. I finally settled on a recipe that called for the use of cheesecloth. The cheesecloth was used to coat the outside of the bird to protect the tender skin. It was a win! My turkey turned out perfect. As a result I have a ton of extra cheesecloth laying around the house. Naturally I decided to use it to make Cheesecloth Halloween Ghosts. This DIY project was super fun, easy, and cheap!

Easy DIY Halloween Decoration | Spooky Floating Halloween Ghost

Floating Halloween Ghost Materials

  • Cheesecloth 1-2 packages (you can buy this from most grocery or craft stores)
  • Liquid starch
  • Balloons
  • Cup or mason jar (something to prop the balloon on)
  • Straws or sticks if you want to add arms to yours
  • Cooking spray (optional)
  • Spray bottle (optional)

Use this to create cheesecloth ghosts!

Make some seriously spooky Halloween decor with these items!

cute cheesecloth ghosts are such a fun DIY!

How To Make A Floating Halloween Ghost

Tip: I would do this project outside because liquid starch can get a tad messy.

Step 1

First you need to blow up your balloon to the size of the head you want your ghost to have. It does need to be big enough to fit on the rim of the glass or container that you will prop it on. If you are wanting your ghosts to have arms, you can stick straws, pencils, or sticks underneath the balloon. This is your basic form for making the ghost.

Step 2

Unwrap your cheesecloth, and completely unfold it. Most cheesecloth is folded numerous times when packaged. At this point you can lay it over your balloon form to test and see how it drapes. If you want it to be draped more at the bottom find a shorter glass, if you want it less you can cut off some extra. Here is an example of draping using straws to make the arms.

Creepy cheesecloth ghosts are the cutest!

Step 3

When doing this project I used a little bit of the scientific method. The good old trial and error was my best friend. There are two ways you can work with the liquid starch. The first way I tried, I poured the starch in a bowl and soaked the cheesecloth in it. After this it takes a little bit more time to squeeze the excess out and drape it over your balloon form.

The other option is using a squirt bottle filled with liquid starch. If your liquid starch is super thick, poor half starch and half water into a squirt bottle and shake. Drape your cheesecloth on the balloon form and then saturate it completely by spraying the water/starch mixture on your cheesecloth draped form.

Tip: This is where the optional cooking spray comes in to play.  I decided to coat my balloon with cooking spray to help make the cheesecloth easier to remove once it dried. This turned out to be a great idea! The forms slid right off.

Cheesecloth ghosts are such a fun project for the whole family!

Drape cheesecloth to make spooky ghosts!

Step 4

Make sure the cheesecloth is draped how you want it at the bottom, because once it begins to harden, you will not be able to readjust it. On a warm day it will take a couple hours to dry, but it could take four hours if the day is cool. Once your forms are dried, you can remove them from their stand, and they should be able to stand entirely on their own.  If they are not hard enough, just reapply the liquid starch mixture and that should do the trick!

These cute little ghosts are great for mantle or entrance to the house!

You can style your ghosts however you wish!  You can add eyes, a bow, or hang them.  I personally love them in groups of threes, so I suggest you make at least three!

ghost with no eyes

This Halloween ghost looks great without eyes, too.

These cute little ghosts are the perfect HAlloween DIY!

After I was done taking pictures my kids had a ball gluing googly eyes and adding their own personal touches to our Halloween ghosts. Happy Haunting, ladies!

About Leah Leatherby

Hi! My name is Leah Leatherby. I graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Textiles Marketing and Science. Since then, I have had four little ones – three boys and a girl. My life now consists of planning parties, baking cookies, and watching my kids. My husband has 75 first cousins alone, so we pretty much have an event every weekend! It keeps us busy, and lets me get my creative juices flowing.

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