Ghost in a Jar

This Ghost in a Jar is a wonderful way to add a little spooky, seasonal ambience to your (not so) haunted house. This project requires no crazy materials, no technological know-how, and only an afternoon of family fun and crafting!

Supplies

• 1 plastic mason jar
• 1 electric tea light
• 2 large cotton balls
• 1 sheet of white paper
• 1 sheet of brown paper
• A few feet of twine
• Aluminum foil
• Pair of scissors or hobby knife
• Hot glue gun
• Extra glue
• Black paint & paintbrush
• Black pen
• Black marker
• Candle & matches
• 1 (old) knife
• Some Halloween spirit!

Step 1: Build a Ghost!

1. Lay out your two cotton balls
2. Slice one in half, and mold part of the fuzz into a cone
3. Hot glue the cone to the remaining cotton ball, shaping the cone to look like part of the ball
4. Use a marker to color a pair of eyes
5. Cut out the eyes and glue them onto your ghost!

Step 2: Get the Jar Ready!

1. Bring your candle, jar, and an old knife outside, or somewhere with good ventilation
2. Heat the knife over the candle (be careful!)
3. Carve a hole into the bottom of the jar (like a jack o' lantern!)

Step 3: Decorate Your Ghost's New Home!

1. Paint a 1.5 in. strip along the top & bottom of the jar with black paint
2. Cut a strip of brown paper that can cover the rest of the jar
3. Cut a small hole (about 2 in. wide, and 1.5 in. tall) towards the top of the strip
4. Glue the strip to the jar

Step 4: Add Some Flair!

1. Cut a length of twine to wrap around the jar's rim
2. Finish it off with a bow!

Step 5: Back to the Ghost!

1. Hot glue your ghost to the top of the electric tea light
2. Wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around the light (This should make the light just a bit too thick to fit in the hole you carved in the jar!)
3. Hot glue the foil to the light for stability

Step 6: Welcome Home!

1. Gently place the ghost and light into the jar
2. Balancing the ghost inside, carefully glue it in place through the hole you carved earlier

Step 7: Details!

1. Using black paint and a brush, decorate the paper!
2. I painted some scraggly trees and spooky clouds, but anything goes!

Step 8: A Finishing Touch

1. Cut out a small tag from your sheet of white paper
2. Decorate the tag! You could write your ghost's name, or a spooky warning like I did!
3. Use a dab of hot glue to attach it to the jar!

Step 9: Light It Up!

1. You've worked hard-- now you can sit back and enjoy! Turn on your ghost and put him somewhere spoooooky!