Ghost Windsock
A ghost windsock is one of those Halloween crafts that looks spectacular when it actually works — a white cone body trailing long white streamers in the wind, bobbing and swaying from a porch or tree branch. Children make the ghost face themselves, and the finished windsock moves in even the lightest breeze, creating a genuinely spooky Halloween yard effect.
What You'll Need
- White paper — large sheet, about 12x18 inches
- White crepe paper streamers — about 8 strips, each 18 inches long
- Black marker — for the ghost face
- Tape and stapler
- Hole punch
- String or yarn — for hanging
- Optional: white paint — to coat a paper plate as the ghost head
How to Do It
Step 1: Make the ghost head. Draw a large circle on white paper and cut it out. Alternatively, use a white paper plate as the head. Draw the ghost face with a black marker: two large oval eyes and a wide, open oval mouth.
Step 2: Make the body cone. Roll the remaining white paper into a cone shape that fits beneath the head circle. Tape to hold the cone shape.
Step 3: Attach the streamers. Tape 8 long white crepe paper strips to the bottom edge of the cone. Space them evenly. These are the ghost's wispy body trailing in the wind.
Step 4: Attach head to body. Tape or staple the ghost head to the top of the cone.
Step 5: Add the hanger. Punch two holes at the top of the head and thread string through for hanging.
Step 6: Hang outside. Hang from a tree branch, porch hook, or under an eave. Watch the streamers catch the wind.
Skills Your Child Will Develop
Three-dimensional paper construction — Rolling a flat sheet into a cone teaches spatial transformation.
Facial feature placement — Drawing ghost eyes and mouth in believably ghost-like positions develops spatial awareness.
Environmental installation — Creating something designed to be seen and move outdoors introduces children to environmental art concepts.
Tips & Variations
- Use glow-in-the-dark paint on the face for an after-dark effect.
- Make a family of ghosts in different sizes.
- Add a jingle bell inside the cone so the ghost makes sound in the wind.
My Two Cents
Crepe paper streamers are the key material — regular paper strips do not move in light breezes the way crepe paper does. The movement is what makes the windsock look alive.
