If you’re looking for easy, budget-friendly decor or a fun crafting activity to do with friends or family this Halloween, grab yourself some cheesecloths.
Cheesecloths are light, gauzy fabrics that would be perfect for emulating the drifty, flowy quality of ghosts. Cheesecloth thickness is measured by its grade, depicted in units of 10. Larger numbers signify a thicker and cheesecloth, allowing less light to pass through. A grade #10 cheesecloth would be the most suitable for your airiest, barely-there ghost, while a grade #90 cheesecloth would be ideal for your sturdiest ghost.
These adorable TikTok cheesecloth ghosts are made with only six simple ingredients: buttons for the eyes, Mod Podge or liquid starch for molding the shape, pipe cleaners for the arms, balloons or styrofoam balls for the heads, jars for modeling, and cheesecloths for the bodies.
How to make cheesecloth ghosts
First, create a base to mold your cheesecloth ghost off of. Play with some pipe cleaners to create arms, and fix a round object on top of the jar to create a head for your ghost. You can also cover your ghost structure with plastic wrap so you can reuse the structure for more batches of ghosts.
Next, soak your cheesecloths in Mod Podge or Liquid Starch and wring it out completely. The soaked cheesecloths will later dry and hold their shape, and they’ll also be much more pliable to work with when they’re wet. Gently drape the soaked cheesecloths over your balloon-jar-pipe-cleaner model, and add some character to your cheesecloths. You can bunch up some cheesecloth at the bottom to make ruffle-y little feet for your ghosts and get creative. TikTok user @carolina.casual shared that you could also incorporate tea towels to make sturdier cheesecloth ghosts.
Your cheesecloth ghosts may take one to two days to dry completely. After they’ve dried, you can add decorations and remove them from their structures. Add button eyes, objects for your ghosts to hold, or even place a tea light underneath your ghosts for a brie-lliant glow.