Now that my youngest is in preschool, he’s getting really into doing art projects and simple crafts. And my oldest has always been into painting and fun, so we’ve started doing more simple crafts at home. This ghost craft is our new favorite one because it’s super simple and pretty hard to mess up. And as a mom of a perfectionist kiddo, crafts that are hard to mess up are sometimes the best! This would be a fun craft for a Halloween party for kids, just an afternoon of Halloween fun, or really any time you just need to burn some time! It’s great because it takes a bit more time than say just coloring these Halloween coloring pages!
Supplies
Supply Notes
Cotton balls – just grab the cheap ones from a grocery store! You want this ghost to look fluffy so the cotton balls are the best option for this. Otherwise, you could also use white pom poms like these or something else, but it’ll be more expensive and not as fluffy. Glue – I recommend just using regular old Elmer’s glue to keep this as easy as possible. And the glue works much better on the cotton balls than gluesticks. Ghost template – you can download the ghost template here. Clothespins – if you’re working with older kids or seniors or someone who doesn’t to touch the cotton balls for some reason, clothespins or chip clips work really well for picking up and placing the cotton balls. But if you’re working with kids who don’t care, fingers work great too! Black paint – for the eyes and mouth, you can either use black paint (I recommend washable Crayola kid’s paint) or you can just use black pom poms instead (make sure to get the bigger size!). I personally like the pom pom method, but I know some of you probably already have black paint on hand so that may be the easiest option for you!
How to Make This Ghost Craft
There’s really not a lot to this ghost craft, which is why it makes such a great craft for kids! Start by downloading, printing, and cutting out the ghost templates. You’ll need one for every one who is making their own fluffy ghost. Then give everyone a ghost template, a bottle of glue, and a bowl with white cotton balls and black pom poms (if you’re using them). Have kids squeeze out a little line of glue along the edge of the ghost. I like to start on the edges and work my way in, but you could also start in the middle and go out if that’s easier. Just make sure to leave the eyes and mouth empty! Oh and do a little bit of glue at a time because even though it won’t dry super fast, it does get messy when you have glue all over the page that’s not covered with cotton balls yet! Using either the clothespin or fingers, place a cotton ball on the beginning of the line. Continue adding cotton balls until you’ve covered the entire line of glue. Then add another line of glue, continuing to go around the ghost. Repeat the same process all the way around the edge of the ghost then move in. Keep adding glue and cotton balls on top of the ghost, continuing to leave the mouth and eyes empty. Once you’ve filled in the entire ghost other than the mouth and eyes, add glue to the eyes and mouth.
Add either black pom poms or black painted cotton balls on top to complete the guest. Set the ghost aside to let the glue dry before handling it.
Expert Tips
Start by giving kids just a handful of cotton balls and then add more as they run out so that you don’t have to pick up a ton of cotton balls off the ground after the craft is complete. Get the big fluffy cotton balls rather than smaller ones (jumbo ones are great) so that they cover up more space on the ghost!
More Easy Halloween Activities
If you like this ghost craft, you’ll love these other fun Halloween activities!
Halloween games – over 50 of the best ever Halloween games including tons of activities for kids! Halloween truth or dare questions – this fun truth or scare game is great for kids and adults!Pumpkin patch craft – a simple festive craft for kids using apples and paint! Halloween scavenger hunt – a fun set of clues for kids to follow that ends with a Halloween surprise!Free printable Halloween bingo – a great set of Halloween bingo cards to play in the classroom or at a Halloween party!
