Upcycle Thrifted Doilies Into Cute Decorative Ghosts With An Easy Halloween DIY

Doilies are no longer the must-have thing to covet among housewares, but for centuries, these knitted or crocheted lace circles were considered homemaking essentials. Finding authentic, aged specimens at secondhand or antique stores isn't too hard to do; they're some of the most common items you'll find at thrift stores. However, you might have family heirloom versions already folded in your linen closet. With a hefty dose of laundry starch and some simple steps, these dated pieces can become cheap and easy Halloween decor you can DIY. Hauntingly cute free-standing ghosts made from doilies can brighten any surface or hang eerily from clear fishing line for a spooky effect.

Along with a few doilies, gather one drinking cup and one balloon per doily, laundry starch, a mixing bowl, and a piece of adhesive-backed black felt. The cups and balloons will serve as molds for your ghosts, and little snippings of the felt will become pairs of eyes. To illuminate your lacy specters, LED tea lights (flickering preferred) or string lights will do the job safely.

Making stand-up ghosties is a not-so-obvious thing laundry starch can do, and this handy ingredient comes in many forms. For this project, liquid starch that doesn't require diluting is best. Gather up all of your required supplies because you'll need nearly everything all at once. Blow up your balloons to the point where it's the appropriate "head size" for each doily, and set it tied-end-down atop a drinking glass. Fill the mixing bowl with starch, soak the doilies, and gently squeeze out the excess before centering them atop the balloon and cup. Let them dry before removing them from the cups. The lace should be firm enough for the doilies to stand on their own. Affix two small ovals of black felt where eyes would sit. Place each ghost over an LED light in a spot where they'll receive the attention they deserve.

Want to shake the folds out of those family doilies without damaging them? Try this entire project without starch or adhesive felt. Using white balloons and clear cups, place a lit LED candle inside the cup, top it with an inflated balloon, and dot on two eyes with permanent marker. Drape the doily over top, arranging it so that the marker eyes are visible through the doily's netting. The light should shine through both the cup and the balloon to glow up your ghost. When the holiday's over, the special lace item can return to storage unharmed.