Paper Towel Roll Ghost Decoration

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October is one of my favorite months of the year. I love the change of the season, the beautiful colors of the trees, the anticipation of the upcoming holidays, and of course Halloween! Although I have already started creating some of my Halloween designs, I felt like I had to wait until October to start displaying them in my house. Here is one of my easy project that would be fun to make with kids. This ghost decoration is sure to chill your home as either a table centerpiece or a decorative accent. I used household items that I already had on-hand to create this fun Halloween craft. You can also add battery operated tea lights under his ghostly body to make him glow at night.

Difficulty – Easy

Materials

• Paper towel roll
• Small piece of cardboard
• 2 Q-tips
• White acrylic craft paint
• White cheese cloth or old t-shirt
• 2.5 inch Styrofoam ball or paper crumbled into a ball
• 1 sheet of black foam or black cardstock
• Tape
• Craft glue
• Battery Operated Lights
• Ornate picture frame or mirror (optional)

Instructions

1. Make ¼ inch deep cuts evenly spaced around each end of the paper towel roll and bend the tabs out.
   
2. Cut a 4 inch square of cardboard for the base. Apply craft glue to the tabs on one end of the paper towel roll and attach to the center of the base.
   
3. Apply craft glue to the tabs on the other end and of the paper towel roll and attach the Styrofoam ball or paper ball.
   
4. To make the arms, bend the tip of one end of the Q-tips at an angle and tape them to each side of the paper towel roll about an inch below the Styrofoam ball. Apply a generous amount of tape to make sure the arms are secure and sturdy.
   
5. Paint the entire frame white with acrylic craft paint and let dry.
   
6. Cut pieces of cheese cloth and layer them over the ghost frame. After adding each layer, smooth the cheese cloth over the head and push it down where the Q-tip meets the paper towel roll to make the shoulders. You should need about 3 layers to cover the base and make the ghost look wispy.
   NOTE: Make the edges of the cheese cloth uneven and not perfectly layered to give it a more ghostly look.
7. Draw a ghost face on the black sheet foam and cut out. Apply craft glue to the wrong side of the face and attach to the cheese cloth covered Styrofoam ball. Let dry.
8. Optional: Display the ghost on an ornate picture frame or mirror to give it a more dramatic display or add battery operated light to make him glow.