This Adorable Halloween Decor TikTok DIY Is An Inexpensive Must-Try

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By D.G. Sciortino/Oct. 8, 2023 8:30 am EST

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Decorating can be the best — yet most expensive — part of the Halloween season. Especially if you want an over-the-top decorated house for Halloween. But, there are tons of budget-friendly and kid-friendly DIY Halloween decor crafts out there that can turn your house into a haunted haven. You and your family will have a great time making these adorable cheesecloth ghosts, better still, you can make several of them for under $15.

Most of the items you'll need for this item can be bought at a dollar store. And it can be completed in a few simple steps. You can put together one of these ghosts in less than 15 minutes. It actually takes less time to make than you will spend waiting for the finished product to dry. The best part about this DIY is that you can customize it to your liking. You can add some light to illuminate your ghost, you can position its arms so that it can hold items — such as this tiny Dollar Tree pumpkin — or you can paint gold or other colors to match the rest of your decor.

How to make a DIY cheesecloth ghost

@scandihomeandlife
super easy DIY cheesecloth ghosts 👻 I’ve been seeing versions of these all over tik tok and had to give them a try! so easy, a little messy + super cute. supplies: -cheese cloth -plastic cups or jars/bottles/etc -pipe cleaners -balloons -glue, modpodge or liquid starch start by finding cups or jars that are the right height for how big you want your ghosts to be. then take a pipe cleaner and cut it in half to shape the arms. I taped them to the inside of my cup to keep them in place! be sure to fold over the “hands” so that they have a nice rounded look. next blow up a balloon (pretty small) and tuck it into the top of your cup. after that, lay some cheese cloth over your ghost shape to determine how long you need to cut it. this does not need to be exact and my cuts were v messy! I made three similar sized layers for each ghost. last, mix up two parts glue or modpodge with one part water. soak each cheese cloth layer and wring it out pretty well before layering it over your ghost shape. adjust the pieces and then let that ghostie dry! mine took around 24 hours to fully dry and harden and then I wiggled out the cup and popped the balloon. I used a hole punch to make little ghostie eyes but they were pretty cute with no faces too! if you can find a teeny tiny cowboy hat, please put that on top of your cheese cloth ghostie and also mail me one so I can too 🤠👻 happy spooky season! #cheeseclothghosts #diyghostdecor #diyhalloweendecor #cheeseclothghost #ghostdecoration
♬ Halloween ・ cute horror song - PeriTune

You can get white cheesecloth from Amazon for about $1 a yard, and everything else is available at Dollar Tree. If you want different-sized ghosts, you'll have to use different-sized cups. Jars or bottles will work as well. First, you'll tape your pipe cleaners to your cup to make your arm shape. You can place part of your pipe cleaner on the inside of the cup, then tape it on the inside and shape the pipe cleaner outward. If your ghost is going to hold something, you might want to twist multiple pipe cleaners together for a little extra strength. If you want an illuminated ghost, you can place tea lights or fairy lights inside the cup.

Blow up your balloon and place the knotted end inside your cup. Pour two parts of glue into a bowl and mix it with one part of water. Submerge your cheesecloth into this mixture. Wring it out well, then layer a few pieces of wet cheesecloth over your balloon and cup until it's totally covered and looks like a ghost. Cut out eyes for the ghost with felt and let everything dry. Once it's dry you can pop the balloon, and you'll have an upright ghost. At this point, you can add any features and decorative accents.