Artist Resin Craft Idea: Halloween Cheesecloth Ghosts
It’s almost Halloween and we have another great Artist Resin craft idea that is perfect for the spooky season! Today we are teaching you how to make Halloween cheesecloth ghosts that are easy and fun to make!
Halloween cheesecloth ghosts are a classic craft project. They have been made by kids and adults for years. Traditionally they are made with glue, cornstarch water, or Modge Podge. Today we are giving you a slightly different version of this classic by using Counter Culture DIY Artist Resin.
Using artist resin means that your cheesecloth ghosts will not only look amazing but will also be durable enough to keep for many seasons. The traditional adhesives of cornstarch and glue are water soluble which means they start to droop when humidity levels are high. Coating your cheesecloth in resin will allow your ghosts to remain sturdy no matter the conditions.
You can even hang them outdoors without having to worry about them breaking down in the rain. This is a super simple and fun resin project that is sure to get you in the mood for Halloween!
Artist Resin Craft Idea: Halloween Cheesecloth Ghosts
Kids (and the young at heart!) are looking forward to Halloween. They are getting their cute, scary, or clever costumes ready and thinking about filling their trick-or-treat bags with all the yummy candy they can hold. Another fun part of the spooky season is all the amazing decorations that come with it.
Some people really go all out to decorate the outside of their homes for trick-or-treaters while others stick to the indoor decor. Whichever camp you fall into (or if you’re somewhere in between) this is the perfect Halloween craft project for you!
The cheesecloth you’ll use for this project is already white and perfect for being transformed into the traditional ghost. You can, however, customize them any way you like! Adding some pigment powder or dispersion colors to your resin would give you ghosts of any color. Or, here’s an idea we really love: use our glow-in-the dark powders to make your ghosts extra spooky! You could even add glitters if you like your ghosts with a little bling.
How to Display your Ghosts…
There are also several ways that you can display your ghosts when they are finished. Because the cheese cloth will have hardened completely the ghosts will stand up on any surface. You can display them just as they are or you could put flameless candles under them. Since the cheesecloth isn’t opaque the light from the flameless candles would shine through nicely.
Another option would be to hang your ghosts so that they look like they are hovering or gliding along. Attaching fishing line (which is almost invisible) to the top of their heads will make it appear as though they are flying on their own! However you choose to display them, these ghosts are sure to be a big hit!
Halloween Cheesecloth Ghost Supply List
- Cheesecloth
- Scissors
- Balloons
- Counter Culture DIY Artist Resin
- Measuring and mixing cups
- Stir sticks
- Gloves
- Mixing bowl
- (Optional) Colorants, glow-in-the dark powders, glitters
- Plastic or cardboard containers to make stands for your ghosts (2 liter bottles with the tops cut off, plastic yogurt containers, oatmeal containers etc.)
- Protective covering (such as a vinyl shower curtain or table cloth)
- Painter’s or masking tape
- (Optional) straws, pipe cleaners, or barbeque skewers to make arm like shapes in the cheesecloth
- Petroleum jelly
- (Optional) Sharpie or felt to make eyes and mouth. Other decorative items to add to your completed ghost.
Step By Step Instructions
- First lay out your protective covering to make your work space. This project can get a little messy.
- Start by blowing up your balloon(s), these will shape the ghost heads. Decide how many ghosts you want to make and inflate the amount of balloons you need. You can make them different sizes if you want a variety of shapes. You could also use Styrofoam circles or anything circular for this step but the balloons will be easier to remove since you can pop them.
- Next, assemble your stands by taping your balloons to the top of your container. You can attach skewers or straws covered in painter’s tape or pipe cleaners to your stand so that you’ll be able to drape your cheesecloth over them and make arm like shapes.
- Next, cut your cheesecloth to the size you want it. If you leave it long you’ll be able to arrange it into a flat surface at the bottom which will allow the ghosts to stand up.
- Then apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to your balloons. This will help prevent the resin from curing onto the balloon itself.
- Next, mix equal parts of the Artist Resin following the instructions on the container. Be sure to mix well for 2-3 minutes scraping the sides of your container and your mixing stick.
- If you are using any colorants or glitters now is the time to add those to your resin.
- Next, put your resin into the mixing bowl. Wad up your cheesecloth and put it into the bowl. Make sure that the whole cheese cloth is well covered by the resin. Squeeze out any excess into the bowl.
- Now open the cheesecloth and lay it over the top of your stands. Arrange the cloth to make your ghost shape. If you spread the cloth out at the bottom your ghosts will be able to stand up when cured. Repeat until you have assembled as many ghosts as you like.
- Allow the resin to cure for 24 hours and then pop the balloons and remove the ghosts from their stands.
- Finally, it’s time to add any facial features or fun decor pieces to your ghosts!
The Wrap Up!
When your ghosts have fully cured you can still have more fun with them. Use a sharpie or black felt to add eyes and a mouth. Or, use a hot glue gun to add some plastic spiders or pumpkins. If your ghosts are of the fancy variety you could also add some fake jewels or a top hat to really dress them up!
There are so many ways you can make these ghosts your own! We would love to see what you come up with so be sure to post your creations in our Facebook group or tag us on Instagram with #counterculturediy.
If you want more inspiration and information we have a Facebook group for that. Join us in Counter Culture DIY Artist Support where we, and other artists, offer ideas, answer questions, and support each other!
Do you have an art project using any of our products that you want to share? Send it to us at [email protected], and we can feature them here!