Upcycle Empty Soda Bottles Into Spooky Halloween DIY Decor

Arguably more so than any other holiday, Halloween encourages creativity and ingenuity. That's true for the costumes and the food, but especially for the decorations. By taking inspiration from the supernatural and the fantastical, you can use any old thing lying around your home to make Halloween decor for the spooky season that ranges from the genuinely terrifying to the impossibly adorable. These DIY floating ghosts made from empty soda bottles fall firmly into the latter category, and they're so easy to make you'll be rushing to try them out for yourself. 

Most of the items needed for this cheap and easy DIY Halloween decoration you're likely to already have. This version uses an empty soda bottle, a round object like a playground ball or a balloon, a couple of clothes hangers, and a bowl. The only things you'll need to purposefully buy for this DIY are cheesecloth and fabric stiffener, which may already be a part of your stash if you're an avid crafter, anyway. You're also going to need tape and either black fabric or cardboard.

To make this budget-friendly Halloween craft, start by taping your round object to the top of a plastic soda bottle. Carefully use a kitchen knife or a precision craft knife and make two incisions on the bottle, one on each side. They should be long enough to fit the shoulders of the hangers. Insert the hangers into the bottle with the hooks facing downward. This will be your ghost's frame (or, for a spookier name, its carcass), which you'll cover with the cheesecloth. Make sure your piece of fabric is long enough to puddle generously at the bottom of the carcass. You can also layer multiple pieces for a more textured, albeit less transparent, look.

In the bowl, mix equal parts fabric stiffener and water, and drench the cheesecloth completely. Work the mixture evenly into the fabric, then squeeze out the excess. Unfurl the cheesecloth thoroughly and drape it over the carcass. The water mix will drip, so place the ghost over a surface you don't mind dirtying with glue. Parchment paper is a good choice to prevent the cloth from sticking. Crease it between the hangers and the round object to form small arms, and adjust the bottom so it doesn't look overly messy. Let it dry for at least 24 hours. 

Once dried, the hardened cloth should come right off and stand on its own. Cut eye, mouth, and nose shapes from black fabric or cardboard and glue them to the ghost. For a touch of whimsy, place string lights underneath. 

In these adorable ghost decorations, the clothes hangers can be replaced with pipe cleaners, also known as chenille stems. These will give you more flexibility when shaping the ghost. Tape them to the bottle and point them forward to make it look like the ghost is holding something. Once dried, place a miniature pumpkin on the arms. On Amazon, you can buy a pack of 200 pipe cleaners for $6. Organic Cheese Cloths cost a little over $4, while a fabric stiffener like Mod Podge's Plaid Stiffy Fabric Stiffener costs around $13. For a more affordable alternative to the latter, try cornstarch, mixing it with warm water in a 1:2 ratio. Mason jars, cups, and vases can also replace the bottles in case soda isn't a part of your usual grocery list.

A great way to adjust the cheesecloth and fabric stiffener method to make smaller ghosts is to use skewers, foam balls, and aluminum foil to form the frame, instead. Use one end of the skewer to pierce the foam ball and the other to anchor it in a box or surface deep enough to hold it upright. Covering the foam balls with aluminum foil will prevent the soaked fabric from sticking.