Garbage bag ghosts are easy to make and hilarious to hang on ceiling fans or around the house. Made with basic supplies, they are perfect for Halloween!
You might also like my felt Halloween candy pouches (a sewing project for kids), haunted Pop Tart houses, or EASY pencil-painted pumpkin t-shirts!
The nice thing about having a large age gap between our kids is that we can bring out old craft projects and give them a new life! I remember making ceiling fan ghosts when my boys (now 18 and 16) were in preschool. Now that I have another little boy in preschool, it was time to make them again.
Ceiling fan balloon ghosts are SO EASY to make and absolutely hilarious. They are cute hanging from the fan, but turn the fan on and they take on a completely different look---chasing each other in a circle. I'm not big on creepy Halloween decorations or haunted houses that pop all over this time of year, so these little guys are just my style.
Why I Like This Craft
- Basic supplies. All you need is a trash bag, a balloon, tape, a marker, and some string!
- Quick project. These balloon ghosts take about 2 minutes to make and will entertain the kids all month long.
- Fun to hang indoors or outdoors. Make sure to watch our video to see them in action!
Jump to:
Tips and Tricks
(Make sure to watch our video to see these ghosts in action. They are hilarious!)
- Use garbage bags with flap ties. The flaps really make them look like ghosts with the scalloped edge vs. a cinch tie.
- Use white balloons. Because the trash bags are white, it's best to use white balloons.
- If hanging from a ceiling fan, tie them to the fan blade. These work best when tied around the fan blade vs. taped to the blade.
Supplies
- Trash Bags: My favorite bags to use for making ghosts are the ones from the dollar store that have flap ties. You get 12 in a box. The flaps really make them look like ghosts with the scalloped edge vs. a cinch tie.
- Balloons: White balloons are the best to use since the bags are thin and colored balloons would show through.
- Tape: As far as tape goes I've found that packing tape sticks to the balloons the best, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Permanent Marker: You can use a permanent marker to add the eyes and mouth, or use black construction paper cut into ovals and taped onto the garbage bag.
- Fishing line or string: I had some fishing line, but string would work too.
How To Make Garbage Bag Ghosts
Step 1: To make a balloon ghost, simply blow up a white balloon and tie it off.
Step 2: Add a piece of rolled-up tape to the top of the balloon.
Step 3: Slide the balloon inside a trash bag and attach the tape to the top seam of the trash bag.
Step 4: Draw a ghost face on the trash bag with a black marker.
Step 5: Turn the bag over, bring the sides of the bag together to give it more shape, and tie it off with a string.
Note: My marker was drying out and not showing up as dark as it could. I edited the final images to darken the eyes and mouth.
Step 6: Use the same string to hang the ghost from a ceiling fan blade.
Mac asked me to make him another one to attach to a balloon stick so that he can run around with it. Smart boy!
Garbage Bag Ghosts FAQs
My favorite bags to use for making ghosts are the ones from the dollar store that have flap ties. You get 12 in a box. The flaps really make them look like ghosts with the scalloped edge vs. a cinch tie.
It is fun to hang garbage bag ghosts on a ceiling fan and watch them fly around. These work best when tied around the fan blade vs. taped to the blade.
Fishing line works best for hanging ghosts in a tree. Tie the line around a tree branch.
More Halloween Crafts To Make
MADE THIS CRAFT AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!
Garbage Bag Ghosts for Halloween
Equipment
- scissors to cut the string
Materials
- 1 white trash bag tie flaps vs. cinch closure are preferred
- 1 white balloon
- tape
- permanent marker
- string
Instructions
- Blow up a white balloon and tie it off.
- Add a piece of rolled up tape to the top of the balloon.
- Slide the balloon inside a trash bag and attach the tape to the top seam of the trash bag.
- Draw a ghost face on the trash bag.
- Turn the bag over, bring the sides of the bag together to give it more shape and tie it off with string.
- Use the same string to hang the ghost from a ceiling fan blade.
Leave a Reply