Halloween is in the air and if you need a fast and cheap decoration with a big impact these DIY Floating Yarn Ghosts are just for you. The supplies can be found at the Dollar Tree and you can make a whole school of spooky ghosts for a few bucks.
All you need to whip up this project is some cheap white yarn, black paint, and a fishing line. Grab a piece of cardboard from your last Amazon delivery to use as a free template for the tassel ghost.
Tassel Ghost Banner Supplies
The main ingredient in this cheap Halloween decor project is white yarn. Believe it or not, Dollar Tree has added a whole craft section to their stores and they have multiple kinds.
I checked out all the white options and went with “Just Yarn” because it had the most yards and would give me the most ghost for my buck. Any white yarn will work for this but I’d recommend sticking to the cheap stuff and saving your nice yarn for crocheting scarves or doing some weaving.
In the same craft section, you can find black craft paint. I have a hoard of craft supplies so I just used some paint I had on hand. You could also use a sharpie, a paint pen, or even small black beads for the eyes.
The secret to decent-looking eyes is to really goop on the paint, as the paint dries it will hold two strands of yarn together so your eyes won’t split down the middle.
Halloween on a budget? Check out these DIY Dollar Tree Halloween Decorations
How to Make the Tassel Template
The secret to making this garland quick and stress-free is a piece of cardboard. I cut the flap off a box that’s been hanging around for a while.
The size of your template will determine the size of your ghost. You’ll want the cardboard to be at least 4 inches wide and about 2x the height of your final ghost.
Fold it in half and cut two notches, about 2 inches apart in the fold. You’ll use the notches to hold the center of the tassel in place while you’re wrapping the yarn for the body of the ghost.
The opening at the bottom (opposite the fold) will give you an easy entrance point for your scissors.
I was able to get 9 (possibly 10, my 5 year old kept stealing them) ghosts out of my ball of yarn. My cardboard template was 14 tall (before folding) x 5 wide and my ghosts were all about 6.5 inches tall.
Floating Yarn Ghosts
Halloween is in the air and if you need a fast and cheap decoration with a big impact these DIY Floating Yarn Ghosts are just for you.
Materials
- White Yarn
- Black Paint
- Fishing Line
Tools
- Cardboard, approximately # x 5 inches for a # inch ghost
- Scissors
- Paint Brush
Instructions
- Fold the cardboard in half and cut 2 notches in the fold, about 3 inches apart
- Cut a piece of yarn about 6 inches long, slide the yarn into both notches on the cardboard
- Wrap the yarn around the cardboard 25-30 times
- Slide the short piece of yarn out of the notches and tie it tightly around the wrapped yarn
- Slide the top blade of the scissors between the pieces of cardboard and cut all of the yarn
- Cut a short piece of yarn and tie around the tassel about 1.5 inches below the top knot leaving a head roughly the size of a golfball
- Add black eyes with craft paint
- Slide fishing line through the ghosts head, hang individually as ornaments, or string several together for a garland
Notes
For best results with the eyes really goop on the paint, as it dries it will hold the yarn stands together
One ball of "Just Yarn" from the Dollar Tree made 9 - 6 inch ghosts ghosts
Check out my Halloween Page for more ideas or start here:
