Make Your Own Cute Ghost Mug Decor With A Dollar Tree DIY

Are you someone who unpacks the Halloween decor the minute Labor Day has passed? Once your first ghostly accent is in place, you've still got weeks to add more to your spirited displays. Break up the delightful, yet predictable pumpkin monotony with a decor piece you're not likely to find in any store — or anyone else's home. Create adorable, affordable Halloween decor using a Dollar Tree glass coffee mug that looks good enough to sip.

Dollar Tree Clear Glass Mugs are a surprisingly versatile canvas for crafts. Pair them with a few other Dollar Tree finds and some simple supplies to whip up a faux coffee drink topped with a delectable-looking orange "whipped cream" and smiling ghost. Along with a mug, grab a pack of large foam floral crafting balls, bottles of both orange and white paint, colorful drinking straws, and a pack of Spooky Halloween Ornaments with ghosts. If you can't find these at your local store, check the aisles for other baubles featuring small plastic ghosts like LED string lights or a light-up necklace.

To make the faux whipped cream, source something like this ASTRYAS Simulation Whipped Cream Glue. Mixing the white glue with orange paint will give you the perfect pumpkin-like color, but if you can track down orange cream glue, save yourself a step. One thrifty option for the whipped cream is kneading up a combo of corn starch, paint, and silicone glue with gloved hands. You'll also need craft glue, scissors, and a piping bag or plastic baggie with a closed star piping tip. Your creamy, ghostly concoction is sure to get you inspired for Halloween.

Before opening the paints or glue, gauge how well the foam balls you've bought will fit into the mug. One — or half of one — will serve as a base to boost another ball coated in whipped cream topping beyond the lip of the mug. You may need to cut the balls for the right fit; one ball should rise 1½ to 2 inches above the mug's rim in a dome.

Prep your mug by giving the interior a smooth coating of white paint. Ensure that the paint adheres by cleaning the glass well; vinegar is a secret weapon when it comes to painting glass, since it banishes grease and dirt like a charm. Once the paint has dried, mix up your orange faux-whipped cream and scoop it into a piping bag or a plastic baggie fitted with a closed star tip. Coil a generous squeeze around the interior base of the mug — enough to hold one of the foam balls in place. Pipe on another bit of glue to hold the ball that will rise out of the mug. Starting at the mug's edges, pipe a continuous stream of faux whipped cream around the ball until it's entirely covered.

Remove the hanger from one of the ghost ornaments, and sink its base into the cream near the mug's handle. Cut two pieces of straw: one about 2 inches long and another slightly longer. Place them in the cream on the opposite side from the ghost. You can also add a small squeeze of cream atop the ghost's head to hide where the hanger sat. Finally, find some empty shelf space to display your new Halloween creation