These doily and lace ghosts are an easy Halloween project made with fabric stiffener, lace or vintage doilies, and whatever you can find around the house to use as a form.
They’re simple enough for kids to help with, and every ghost comes out a little different depending on the fabric and shape you use.
Just be warned: your hands are going to get covered in glue.
Supplies
- Lace, doilies or other lightweight fabric
- Mod Podge Fabric Stiffy
- Black Sharpie marker
- Something with a rounded top to use as a form
- Plastic wrap
- Hot glue gun, optional
- Pipe cleaner, optional
I found Mod Podge Fabric Stiffy at Dollar Tree, which made this an especially inexpensive Halloween project.
If you can’t find Fabric Stiffy, regular Mod Podge can also stiffen fabric, although the finished ghost may not be as rigid.
Another budget-friendly option is a 1-to-1 mixture of white PVA glue and water.
How to Make Doily and Lace Ghosts
Start by covering whatever you’re using as a form with plastic wrap. This helps keep the fabric stiffener off your form and makes it easier to remove the ghost once everything is dry.
Next, soak your lace or doily completely in the fabric stiffener. You want the entire piece saturated.
Gently squeeze or press out the excess stiffener. Avoid twisting delicate lace or vintage doilies.
And yes, this is the point where your hands will be covered in glue.
Drape the wet fabric over something with a rounded top.
Finding the right form was actually the hardest part of this project.
For one ghost, I hot glued half of a Styrofoam ball to the top of a pill bottle. I also used a pipe cleaner to hold part of the fabric away from the bottle so the lace didn’t fall straight down.
For another ghost, I repurposed an old wooden snowman and used that as my form.
A salt and pepper shaker can work too. Just cover it with plastic wrap first so you don’t end up with glue inside the shaker.
Once the fabric is draped over the form, arrange the folds while it is still wet. This is when you can create the shape and movement you want in your ghost.
Then leave it alone and let it dry overnight.
Add the Face
Once the fabric is completely dry, carefully lift the ghost off the form.
Use a black Posca paint marker to draw on the eyes and mouth.
That’s it.
You now have a lightweight lace ghost that can stand on its own.
Make Them Your Own
One of the best parts of this project is that no two ghosts have to look alike.
Try different sizes of doilies, lace scraps or lightweight fabric. Change the height and shape of the forms underneath them to make some ghosts tall and narrow and others short and round.
You can even make a whole group of them using different fabrics and forms.
It’s an inexpensive Halloween project, a fun way to reuse old lace and doilies, and simple enough for kids to help make.
Just plan on washing a lot of glue off your hands when you’re finished.
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