Chalk Couture Halloween Ghost With a Boo Banner

I turned a simple dollar store ghost into a cute piece of Halloween decor with Snow White paint, a little distressing, and a tiny banner made with Chalk Couture. The Black Velvet lettering gave my foam banner pieces a crisp boo, while the ribbon scraps added color and made it look like the ghost was holding the banner in both hands.

Supplies I Used

I started with an inexpensive flat ghost cutout from a dollar store. I also used a piece of thin foam for the banner, Snow White Chalk Paint, a sanding block, Distress Ink, a small dauber, twine, ribbon scraps, hot glue, and a paintbrush for holding the hot pieces in place.

For the lettering, I used the B and O from the Chalk Couture Frosted Font transfer along with Black Velvet chalk paste and a squeegee. The transfer is sticky and reusable, so it worked well on the small foam pieces.

My ribbon scraps included orange, yellow, and a soft velvet piece. I gathered what I already had instead of opening a new roll, which made this a good project for using those little leftovers that collect in the craft room.

Painting and Distressing the Ghost

I painted the front of the ghost with Snow White Chalk Paint. One coat gave me enough coverage for the look I wanted, especially since I planned to rough up the finish afterward.

Once the paint had dried, I went around the edges with a small sanding block. I like the character that sanding adds, and it also keeps me from worrying about every tiny bump or mark. My projects usually fit into my home better when they already have a worn finish.

I followed the sanding with Distress Ink. Using a small dauber, I worked the ink around the outer edge and lightly across the body. This gave the bright white paint a dingy, aged look that felt just right for a little ghost.

You can leave the paint solid white if that works better with your Halloween decorations. The distressed finish is simply the style I enjoy.

Making the Chalk Couture Boo Banner

Cutting the banner pieces

I cut three small banner shapes from thin foam. I kept the shapes simple and sized them by eye because I wanted them to fit across the ghost without covering too much of the body.

After laying out the pieces, I separated the B and O sections from my Frosted Font transfer. Cutting apart only the letters I needed made cleanup easier and gave me more room to work on such small pieces.

Adding Black Velvet chalk paste

I placed the B transfer on the first foam banner piece and pressed it down so the silkscreen area had good contact. Then I scooped out a little Black Velvet chalk paste with my squeegee and pulled it across the letter.

After covering the full design, I scraped the extra paste back into the jar and lifted the transfer. That first letter came out clean and crisp.

I used the O on the next two pieces. Rather than washing the transfer between the two letters, I carefully moved it from one foam piece to the next and worked quickly so the paste wouldn’t dry in the screen. This saved time, but it did require a steady hand.

I managed to smudge one small area while moving everything around. A damp paper towel or wipe can clean up a little mark like that after the project is assembled. Small fixes are part of crafting, and foam gives you an inexpensive surface for trying the idea.

After using the transfer, wash it and let it dry so you can place it back on its carrier sheet for another project.

Assembling the Ghost Banner

I arranged the B and two O pieces on a length of twine, checking the spacing by eye. Once I liked the placement, I ran a small amount of hot glue across the back of each foam piece and pressed the twine into it.

A dot of glue would also work. Use a lower heat setting if your glue gun has one because very hot glue can melt thin foam. I used the end of a paintbrush to hold the twine down while the glue set, which also kept my fingers away from the hot glue.

Next, I positioned the banner across the ghost so it looked like each end rested near a hand. I added small dots of glue to secure the twine and placed a little glue behind one letter so the banner would always hang the way I wanted.

I left some extra twine hanging from the sides. I liked the loose look, but you can trim yours closer if you prefer.

Adding Ribbon Scrap Bows

To hide the glue at each side, I made two simple bows from my orange, yellow, and velvet ribbon scraps. I layered the short pieces, tied them together, and trimmed the ends until the bows looked balanced.

I glued one bow over each spot where the banner attached to the ghost. They covered the glue and made the ends look like happy little ribbon hands holding the word boo.

Small acorns or flowers would also look cute in the center of the bows if you already have some in your craft stash. I kept mine simple and let the mix of ribbon textures add the detail.

The twine at the top of the original cutout can serve as a hanger, or you can cover that area with one more bow. With the distressed white finish, black lettering, and bright ribbon scraps, my little ghost was ready to hang with the rest of my Halloween decor.

Chalk Couture supplies I used

• Frosted Font
• Black Velvet Paste

You can shop my full Chalk Couture store here.

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