We love decorating for Halloween, but often find the ready-made stuff in the stores to be too hokey, childish — or costly. Inspired by a project at Martha Stewart, these DIY ghosts are extremely easy and fun to make, and use inexpensive materials you can readily purchase. We embellished ours with chicken wire “shoulders” that give the ghosts more billow and an extra spooky appearance. Even if you don’t have a yard, hanging these in an entryway or front window creates a wonderfully eerie effect.

What you’ll need:

• Cheesecloth or muslin

• Styrofoam wig heads

• White glue

• Foam brushes

• Nitrile or latex gloves

• Chicken wire

• Long zip ties

• Eye crews

• Fishline

Cut the cheesecloth into four 7-8’ lengths for each wig head. Don’t worry about cutting too cleanly — you want them to look a little tatty at the ends anyway. Unfold the cloth into a single layer.

Lightly dilute the white glue with water. Lay one length of cheesecloth centered over the wig head, and use a foam brush to dab the glue all over the head and face, down to about the chin. You want the cloth to flow freely below. You may want to use gloves and press the cloth into the head’s eye sockets, around the nose, and behind the ears to get the most facial definition. Repeat with another layer of cheesecloth, alternating direction. Set aside to dry.

Cut a 4’ or so length of the chicken wire, tapered to a V at the ends. Cut an X in the center wide enough for the wig head’s neck. Pry the chicken wire upward to create a hole. Place the wig head upside down in a bucket or something to stabilize it. Place the chicken wire so that the neck comes through the cut hole. Thread the zip tie through the chicken wire around the neck and tighten. Feel free to push some of the cut ends of chicken wire into the foam neck. Roll the ends of the chicken wire to make the shoulders. Be careful — chicken wire is pokey stuff!

Turn the ghost right side up, fluffing the fabric to cover the chicken wire shoulders. Screw the eye hook in the center of the top of the skull, and hang with fishline.