Making crafts and baking is a great way to while away an afternoon in the fall! And for the gothic-curious among us, few things say “Halloween” like ghosts. Even for certified scaredy-cats like me, spirits can be adorable with the right aesthetic. You don’t need any special skills for this Halloween ghost lantern DIY, just an hour or so of your time, and some common crafting materials.

Materials for Mini Ghost Lanterns

• Black Felt
• Paint Pen
• Fabric Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• Frosted glass vanity light shades
• Flameless tea lights

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Mini Ghost Lantern Instructions

Gather all of your materials in a clean spot. Give the sconces a good wash if needed.

Using a white or silver paint pen, draw eyes on black felt. You can draw long ovals, circles, winking eyes, or whatever takes your fancy! Allow the paint 10-15 minutes to dry.

When the paint is dry, use fabric scissors to cut the eyes out of the felt. It’s okay if they’re not perfect – it adds to the whimsy.

Place a dab of hot glue on each felt eye and place it on the top third of a frosted glass vanity light. If you don’t love where the eye is placed, hit it with a hair dryer to heat up the glue, and reposition it when the glue is tacky once again.

Set your lantern over a tea light and enjoy the phantasmal glow!

Tips for Making This Halloween DIY

Lanterns: While you can certainly buy these at a hardware store, you can save money if you get creative. Find frosted glass shades at thrift shops, architectural salvage, and buy nothing groups! I thrifted 5 shades for roughly $9. Best of all, salvage and thrifted shades come in a variety of shapes and finishes that add visual interest to your ghosts.

Ghost Faces: I got inspiration from my ghost faces from old-fashioned ghost cartoons. While I forewent mouths, you can certainly add ghostly O mouths or smiles. Play around with it!

Indoor/Outdoor: I put my lanterns on my mantle, but you can certainly put them outdoors as well. Tuck them between Jack-o-lanterns on your porch steps, or place a line of ghosts marching along a driveway or porch like spooky luminarias.

Candles: While flameless candles are the safest option, you can use classic tea lights with these as well. The opening on the top of the sconces keeps them from overheating dangerously. Just be sure to monitor any flames, and to clear away flammable material from the scones before lighting them.