DIY Salt Dough Ghost Garland
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Hi friends! Today I am sharing an easy DIY salt dough ghost garland, a great way to bring a little festivity to the fall season! My kiddos LOVE Halloween decorations, so I really wanted to make something fun and decorative for the mantle this year. This idea came about because I fell in love with this ghost garland, but didn’t love the price tag. I looked up a few tutorials for something similar, but they all involved using a ghost cookie cutter and oven clay—both of which I didn’t have on hand.
So, in an effort to keep things simple and affordable, I decided to hand-shape the ghosts for the garland using salt dough. This diy salt dough garland turned out WAY easier and cuter than I ever expected! And the best part is that all you need are a few simple ingredients like salt, flour, and water, making it an affordable, easy project.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR DIY SALT DOUGH GHOST GARLAND:
- Salt
- Flour
- Warm Water
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Spray Paint
- Sharpie (or black acrylic paint and small paintbrush)
- White Spray Paint (or white acrylic paint)
- Black String – this is the one I used
- Clear Glaze Spray Paint (optional for a ceramic look)
SALT DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Flour
1 cup Salt
1 1/2 Cups Water
This easy salt dough recipe is great for fun crafts during any time of year, but especially around fall or Christmas time.
HOW TO MAKE SALT DOUGH:
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until firm. For the best results, bake at 250°F for 2 hours on a baking sheet. Easy peasy!
If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it’s too dry, add a little bit more water. I highly recommend adding flour or water a tablespoon at a time to avoid messing up the consistency of your salt dough ornament recipe.
When it’s right, the dough should be smooth and firm, like the photo below. Form your salt dough ornaments and place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Make a small hole at the top of each ornament with a straw or sharp object for hanging later. Then, bake them on a baking sheet at 250°F for 2 hours.
This is a perfect project for little helpers! My 7 year old loved mixing this up. The great thing about this tutorial is that the ghosts are not and do not NEED to be perfect.
MAKING SALT DOUGH GHOSTS:
There are a couple different ways to do this! As I shared above, many of the tutorials I found for this project involve ghost cookie cutters. However, I didn’t have one on hand, and I actually really liked the idea of all the ghosts being unique.
1. Lay out parchment paper and prepare your work area.
I suggest not sprinkling flour, as I think that the flour I added to my parchment paper made the ornaments a bit puffy once baked. Use extra flour as sparingly as you can! But obviously, if it’s sticking, you may need to add a little to the roller or parchment paper.
2. Make a dough ball that is around 1 to 1 1/2 inches.
3. Roll the dough into an imperfect oval shape with rolling pin.
4. Make imperfections in the bottom of the oval with your fingers.
Do not over analyze this too much. I tried to make two indentations at the bottom in varying spots on each. If it helps, pull up a photo of ghost garland and try to replicate the shapes.
5. Gently roll again to give the ghost a smooth finish.
Be careful not to put too much pressure as to flatten it.
6. Transfer with a thin spatula to parchment lined baking sheet.
I actually learned the hard way to wait and make the hole for hanging until you’ve put the ghost onto the baking sheet. So you’ll see a hole in this photo, but learn from my mistake and wait until after you’ve transferred it to the baking sheet.
7. Make holes in the top of each ornament with a straw (or something pointed).
A toothpick, skewer, etc. would do the job! I used a straw to keep all the holes nice and even.
8. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.
Once baked, your ghosts will puff up and wrinkle a little, adding to their charm! Let them cool, then spray with white spray paint or acrylic paint.
The cutest little chunky ghosts!
9. Let ghosts cool, and then spray paint (or paint) white.
I used white satin spray paint because it’s what I had on hand, but alternatively you could use a white acrylic paint and paint brush (as it will adhere to the surface nicely and dry quickly).
10. After paint has dried, draw the eyes and mouth with a sharpie or black paint.
I used a fine tip sharpie and it worked just fine.
11. For a more ceramic look, apply clear glaze spray paint.
If you want a ceramic look and don’t mind an optional/additional cost, you can use spray paint clear glaze (like me), glossy mod podge, or clear acrylic sealer. This gives them a shine that I just makes the final product look a bit more polished.
12. Thread ghosts onto string and tie a knot at the top of each ghost to keep it in place.
I made our ghosts to be about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, and only made 8. So I threaded mine about 9 inches apart for our 7-foot mantel. This turned out to be just perfect!
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- For a ceramic finish, use a clear glaze spray paint, mod podge, or clear acrylic sealer.
- This project is great for kids!
- You can add fun details like googly eyes, different colors, or wooden beads for extra personality.
- This is a great craft for holidays! You can use this salt dough recipe for Christmas crafts like salt dough stars, handprint ornaments, or even valentine’s day creations. We love to use it for gift tags, decor, and even homemade gifts.
This DIY salt dough ghost garland is truly such an easy, budget, and festive decor idea. I hope it brings some fun and creativity to your home this fall 🙂
Happy crafting!
Courtney
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