October is one of my favorite months of the year!  I love the weather, the pumpkins, and especially Halloween!  Not only is it a really fun holiday, but it allows me to get really creative with my home decorations.  Today I am going to share with you one of my favorite crafts for Halloween that also makes a very cute decoration.  Gourdy the Ghost is a simple little craft that your kids will love helping you with!

Supplies:

• Dried gourd (available here)
• White craft paint (Deco Art paint works great)
• Foam paintbrush
• Drill with 3/32 or 1/8 drill bit
• Black chenille stem or picture wire for hanging
• Black permanent marker
• Ribbon for embellishments

Start by cleaning the gourd.  Most dried gourds will have a film/crust on that will need to be removed.  The above photo is of a gourd before it has been cleaned. A little Dawn dish soap on a rough sponge or steel wool will clean it right up!

See the difference?  Much better!

Begin by painting the gourd white.  I used two coats of paint to make sure the surface was nice and white.

Next use your sharpie or permanent marker to draw a face on your ghost.  It is so much fun to give your ghost a personality!  Make him scared, happy or silly! Anything goes!

Drill a hole through the top of your gourd.  The size of drill bit you use will depend on the material you will use for hanging.  I used a 3/32 size drill bit for this tutorial, and a chenille stem fit through the hole perfectly.

Make sure you drill completely through to the other side so that it will hang straight.

Thread your hanging wire through the holes and tie the ends together at the top. Add ribbon and other embellishments and you are done!  Isn’t he cute?   Make several and hang them in a tree for a spooky outdoor decoration!

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial!

What are your favorite Halloween/fall crafts to make?