DIY Glowing Halloween Ghost: Part 2 Final Results! ~ A Beauty in the Chaos

Hi everybody! I am so incredibly sorry that this is getting posted so late in the day. Last night we had some crazy thunderstorms roll through, lost power for a bit, and it rained like mad. So I didn't get outside like I anticipated. However, I was able to finish the ghost project and I am so excited with the results!

Before we begin with the final part of the tutorial, I'd like to give a big shout out and thanks to my husband Akim. Not only did he help me with much of this project, but when I got seriously frustrated with the torso (fun combinations of words were used) he assured me that it looked ok and encouraged me to continue on. So thank you babe!

What You Will Need:

Everything shown can be found at your local discount or craft store

Packing tape
Monofilament (fishing line)
Plastic drop cloth (found in the painting section, the cheaper and thinner the better)
Cheese cloth
Light source (I picked this up at Walmart, you can use glow sticks or any directional light)
Scissors
"Ghost" Body (you can find directions for how to make this here)

FYI the drop cloth and cheese cloth are strictly for decorative purposes and not necessary for the function of this project. If you so choose you can omit them, I am only including them as that is what I used to create this look.

Step 1: Hang the Ghost

Make a small hole at each location marked by an arrow - 4 holes total

Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut a pair of holes on either side of each shoulder blade (I marked locations in the picture with green arrows. The holes do not need to be large, just big enough to thread the mono filament through.

Once tied off you will have a loop of filament though each shoulder to hang the ghost with

Cut a long piece of monofilament (you can always shorten it later if needed) and thread each end through one of the holes in the shoulder. Tie the ends together, and pull the slack back out so that the tied ends rest in the area of the shoulder between the holes. Sorry I do not have a good picture of this, but to describe it differently you will end up with a large loop of filament, with a portion of it threaded through the shoulder of the ghost. Do this for each shoulder.

Step 2: Decorate Your Ghost (optional)

Plastic drop cloth "skirt" secured with tape

To extend the skirt of the dress, I cut a large piece of plastic drop cloth (didn't measure just eyeballed it) and draped it around the waist of the ghost. I played with it a bit until I found a shape I liked and then taped it in place. I didn't worry about it being even or anything like that, I only made sure there was some extra to pool on the ground. It can get windy here in October and I anticipate anchoring the ghost at the base with some rocks and I wanted some extra "fabric" to hide them.

"Cloak" created by draping cheese cloth and securing with tape around the neck

Next I started draping the cheese cloth to create a cloak-type look along the back and shoulders. I didn't cut the cheese cloth to any particular shape, I just pulled it out of the package and tried out a few different ways of draping. When I decided on which way I liked best, I used packing tape to secure it in place.

"Hood" also created with draped cheese cloth, secured with tape

For the final part, I draped another piece of cheesecloth over the head to create a veil/hood-like look and then just let the rest of the cloth fall down the back adding another layer to the cloak. Again I used packing tape to secure it in place.

Step 3: Light Up Your Ghost

LED spotlight used to light up ghost from below

     If you have a directional/flood type light like I do, just plant the base at the bottom of the ghost and shine it up the torso. I found this LED prism spotlight light at Walmart for relatively cheap and I personally think this type of light looks the best. It has this cool swirling type effect which I think really adds to the overall look of the ghost, and you can keep the light source hidden down on the ground. If you don't want to go that route, I have seen people use glow sticks to light up the ghosts (just activate them and tape them on the inside of the torso), I have also seen people use Christmas lights on a strand. It's really up to you on what you want to use.

     That is it! Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing how it all turned out! When it dries up a bit outside I will get pictures of the whole scene and post them, it just wasn't going to work out today. If you like this project feel free to share on your own sites, feeds or whatever you use. If you are feeling generous make a note for others to visit here. And of course I would LOVE to see what you come up with on your own! As always if you have any questions or comments, post them below or send them to my email at Abeautyinthechaos@gmail.com.

See you next week!