Here’s a favorite tradition of our family in outdoor Halloween decorating:
RING OF GHOSTS
Materials: 3 Double-size sheets 3 1/2-inch long flexible PVC pipe, stakes, or wooden dowels 3 Small white plastic trash bags Duct tape Newspaper string or zip ties Black marker (optional)
Instructions: 1. First, determine a good place for your ghost gathering. Find a wide open area, or you may decide to group them around a tree or utility pole.
2. To make the ghost heads, crumple up newspaper and stuff three plastic garbage bags to the desired size.
3. Glue one of the PVC pipes to one of the bags and wrap tape around the neck to secure it. Repeat for the other ghosts.
5. Cover each ghost head with a sheet, tying a string or bow under each head. The head should be in the middle of the sheet, so that the outer edges can be attached to neighboring ghosts.
You can make ghosts taller or shorter, but you need to adjust the size of the sheet you use to accommodate them. Our ghosts will be just under 4 feet tall.
4. Push the PVC pipe into the ground in a circular fashion approximately 1-2 feet apart. The sheets must touch the ground and cover the support. You can also use stakes or wooden dowels, but your ghosts won’t have as much movement as with PVC pipe.
6. Finally, knot the ends of the leaves to give the impression that the ghosts are holding hands. Because PVC is flexible, your ghosts will now sway and sway in the wind!
7. If desired, make Casper faces on the sheets with black marker.
We have 3 children, so we always do 3 ghosts, but you can connect as many ghosts as you want!
It will look like they are playing a spooky game of “ring-around-the-rosy”!
Click here to see our Ghost Ring
FLAGPOLE HUSBANDS
These spooky decorations are easy if you have an angled flagpole attached to the front of your house.
Scary Flagpole Ghost: Hang a “Scream” style mask on the end of the flag pole. Tie a white sheet or a generous piece of white tulle around and behind the mask. This terrifying creature will appear to be flying as its white clothing billows in the wind.
Frankenstein flagpole: Hang a Frankenstein mask at the end of the flag pole. Tie a dark colored garbage bag tied behind it. Crushing the garbage bag around the edges will add to the creepy effect.
Witch flagpole: Hang a witch mask at the end of the flag pole. Attach a witch hat to the mask, then tie a dark-colored garbage bag tied behind it. Crush the garbage bag so that the witch’s robe billows in the wind.