DIY Outdoor Hanging Light-Up Ghosts

Get ready for Halloween with these Outdoor Hanging Light-Up Ghosts. These easy-to-make glowing ghosts will add some spooky fun to your yard on Halloween night.

Halloween is so exciting for kids.  They love all of the spooky and fun Halloween crafts like Halloween Window Clings, the Fun Food ideas like Melting Witch Bark and Spider doughnuts, the pumpkin carving, the Halloween books, the excitement of trick-or-treating, and of course all of the candy.

I know they will absolutely love these light-up ghosts as outdoor decorations that add a touch of spooky fun to the outside. The neighborhood kids will surely anticipate your doorstep, and your kids will love helping you prepare these ghostly friends for a fun display.

Supplies You’ll Need

(for two ghosts)

• white fabric like poly-cotton. I found this already cut into the four yards I needed at Wal-Mart
• white paper lanterns
• black felt
• glow sticks – note: these will only stay active for about twelve hours, alternatively for a longer light up ghost, try fairy lights
• string

Equipment Needed

Scissors

Waterproof Fabric Glue

How to Make the Hanging Ghosts

Cut the four yards in half

Make ghost eyes and mouth shapes from the black felt – enough for two ghosts

Assemble the paper lanterns

Activate your glow sticks and tie them to the inside of each lantern

Note: Glow sticks will only stay active for about twelve hours, so activate them on the day of your party or Halloween night

Cut a small slit in the middle of each fabric piece

Slide the lantern string through the slit cut into the fabric

Glue the ghost faces onto the ghosts

If needed: tie a longer piece of string to the lantern for hanging from tree branches

Ideas for Hanging the Ghosts

Use shepherd hooks to hang ghosts in your yard

Hang ghosts from branches on a tree

Hang the ghosts on your front porch

Need Your Ghosts to Glow Longer?

Use fairy lights that are battery-operated with a remote and a timer

They also make colorful fairy lights for a colorful ghost display

Pro-Tips

• For the brightest illumination, activate your glow sticks an hour before dusk, so they are at their brightest when dusk sets in.  It takes them a while to get bright.
• The brightest glow sticks are in the camping sections.  Coleman does a really good job.
• Any color will do.  Why not try an assortment.

Variation

Can’t find paper lanterns? Try a balloon instead. New LED Balloons come in packages of 5 or more.  They come in several colors & last 15 hours. (I found mine in the Wal-mart party section.