Learn How to DIY These Cute Ghost Lanterns for Halloween
These cute ghost lanterns are an easy and affordable Halloween craft that will add a spooky, festive touch to your home decor.Â
Made with inexpensive materials, like lanterns and flexible cutting mats from the Dollar Tree, this DIY project is fun and simple.Â
Plus, by using hot glue, you can easily remove the ghost faces later and reuse the lanterns for other seasons! Let’s jump into making these cute but spooky lantern ghosts.
Tools and materials:
- Black metal lanterns (found in Dollar Tree Plus section)
- Flexible cutting mats (from the kitchen section)
- Black paint (or a black Sharpie paint pen)
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Tea lights (battery-operated)
- Template for ghost face (optional, or freehand the eyes and mouth)
- Paintbrush (if using paint)
Table of contents
1. Pick up the lanterns
Start by choosing your black metal lanterns. You can use either the larger or smaller sizes — or a mix of both. Make sure the lanterns have glass or clear plastic panels where you will be attaching the ghost face.
2. Trace and cut the flexible mats
Take the flexible cutting mats and place a lantern directly on top of one. Trace the side panel of the lantern onto the mat, which will act as the ghost’s "face."Â
After tracing, cut out the shape using scissors. Repeat this process until you have three cut-outs for each lantern, leaving one side open to add a tea light later.
3. Create a ghost face template (optional)
To ensure your ghost’s eyes and mouth are centered, you can create a template for the face. Draw or print out a simple ghost face with two eyes and a mouth.Â
Place the template on the cut-out, trace the eyes and mouth with a pencil or marker, then fill them in with black paint or a Sharpie paint pen. If you’re feeling confident, you can freehand the face directly onto the mat.
4. Paint the ghost face
Using black paint or a black Sharpie paint pen, fill in the ghost's eyes and mouth on each cut-out.
Make sure to give the faces a spooky or cute expression — whichever fits your Halloween style! Let the paint dry completely before proceeding.
5. Attach the ghost faces to the lantern
Once the faces are dry, use a hot glue gun to apply glue around the edges of each flexible mat cut-out. Carefully insert each ghost face into the corresponding side of the lantern, pressing the edges to secure it.Â
Leave one side of the lantern open so you can insert a tea light later. Hot glue works well for this project because it allows you to easily remove the ghost panels after Halloween, letting you reuse the lanterns for other seasons.
6. Add tea lights
Place a battery-operated tea light inside each lantern through the open side. These lights will give the ghost lantern a spooky glow when lit up at night.
Battery-powered lights are safer and more practical for this DIY than real candles, especially for outdoor or long-term use.
7. Display your ghost lanterns
Once your ghost lanterns are complete, find the perfect spot to display them — whether on your porch, in your yard, or as part of your indoor Halloween decorations.
The glow from the tea lights will highlight the ghostly faces, adding an adorable, eerie touch to your Halloween decor.
Ghost lanterns
These DIY ghost lanterns are an easy, affordable, and reusable way to decorate for Halloween.
Using simple materials like lanterns and flexible mats, you can create charming ghost faces that light up the night.
The best part? You can pop out the ghost cut-outs and repurpose the lanterns for other holidays or seasons. Enjoy crafting your lantern ghosts and happy decorating!
Follow the thecraftedstudioco on TikTok for more great content.Â
Comments
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So cute!!!
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Cute, but too late this year for halloween, which is tomorrow.....Really cute though HAPPY HALLOWEEN !
Frequently asked questions
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dThis yes really cute. I see orange in the final result. Are there orange tea lights? If not, how did you get that color?