A package of cheese cloth, found at grocery stores near canning supplies or cooking utensils, is the perfect fabric to make eerie ghosts. One $2 package gives you a piece of cloth that measures 274 cm. by 91 cm. or about 9 feet by 3 feet. That is more than enough to make two large ghosts or a multitude of small ones.
If you are not sure what cheese-cloth is, let me explain. It is a loose weave white cotton gauze that is normally used to strain food such as strawberries or raspberries to eliminate the seeds before making the juice into a jelly. Of course, another use was in cheese making.
It is ideal in our ghost making crafts because although the edges are unfinished they do not unravel easily.
Although we usually envision ghosts as being white, I gave one of mine a twist by making it a sickly green. I put the cheese cloth into a solution of green food colouring and left it a few hours.
Just remember to wear rubber gloves when wringing out the fabric if you don’t want stained green hands.
Large Ghost
Supplies:
White balloon
Permanent black marker
One package of cheese cloth
String
Fishing line
Directions:
Blow up the white balloon. Tie the end with a piece of string that hangs down several inches.
Using the permanent marker, draw on a face. Will it be a friendly or scary ghost?
Roughly cut the piece of cheese cloth in half. Dab the balloon with a glue stick or a few squirts of spray adhesive before placing on the cheesecloth. The glue will help to keep the cheese cloth in place.
Tie another piece of string around the cheese cloth at the neck of the balloon. Catch the string from the balloon to give the ghostly head even more stability.
Draw the fishing line through the cheesecloth on top of the head to hang it.
This looks great hanging outside blowing eerily in the wind.
Small Ghost
Supplies:
Small Styrofoam ball
Black permanent marker
Cheesecloth
White pipe cleaner cut in half
Scissors
Fishing line or white thread
Directions:
Draw on a face with the black permanent marker
place a small piece of the cheesecloth over the head
Twist the pipe cleaner around the neck. Make the ends stick out for arms and drape some of the cheese cloth over the arms.
Attach fishing line around the head and let your little ghost fly.
Looking for an easy costume idea? Depending on your size, 2 or 3 of packages of cheese cloth will make a spookier ghost costume than a white sheet. Cover your face in white face paint and drape the sheets of cheese cloth around your body and over your head.
Don’t want to be a ghost? How about being a mummy? Same number of packages of the cheesecloth and just wrap them around arms, legs and body.
[Photograph by Linda Dunbar. Reproduction prohibited]
