A few years ago I was hanging out on Pinterest trying to come up with some ideas for my then 3 year old for Halloween crafts. I got a lot of inspiration and started putting together some ideas. But one thing I knew I really wanted to make were some ghost puppets. My son loved to put on puppet shows. And I had found that I liked making "decorations" for the holidays that my little one could play with and not get in trouble. So I thought to make these puppets that could serve as both a decoration and a fun activity.
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I'm glad that I made the decision to make kid friendly Halloween decorations, because my kids still love playing with these fun ghost puppets. (Check out all of our fun Halloween decorations and projects.) Since they are made with felt, they are really durable and can withstand even the tugs and pulls of my 2 year old. And my oldest, now 8 years old still loves to play with these ghosts. His puppet shows are a little more interesting as well. Plus, it is fun to see him try to teach his little sister and brother how to put on a puppet show as well. Lots of memories are being made with these puppets.
I also thought, what a great craft to get the kids involved with. If you have taught your child to sew, this would be a great beginner sewing project. They can cut out and sew the felt puppet with little to no help. And since the eyes of the puppets can just be glued or ironed on, they can do that themselves as well.
Another fun idea with these puppets is to cut out additional felt shapes or fall/seasonal shapes that they can use to decorate or embellish their ghosts. And if you don't have a sewing machine, you could use fabric glue to glue the 2 pieces of felt together as well. We use fabric glue on a lot of our kid crafts, like on our Monster Craft project.
Just a reminder that toddlers and preschoolers love to be creative. As a parent, I know it can be super frustrating to let them make a mess and create whatever they want. But it doesn't have to be a big deal. We can always clean up the mess. Try not to make kid crafts difficult. Just have fun with them and let your little ones have fun too. You'll both have a much better experience and you'll be making some great memories they'll look back on fondly. And each year when you pull out that ghost puppet they'll remember the fun your had creating it. Happy Sewing!!
How to Make Felt Ghost Puppets
Materials Needed
Ghost Pattern
2 Sheets of White Felt - you can buy the sheets or by the yard, whichever is easier for you
1 Sheet of Black Felt or Black Iron-On Vinyl - you don't need much, just a small scrap will be plenty
Thread
Fabric Glue (optional)
Scissors - make sure you have sharp scissors to cut through felt
Sewing Machine
Step 1
Print the free ghost puppet pattern
Step 2
Pin your ghost 2 a piece of felt. Cut out the ghost puppet. You'll want to cut out a second one for both sides of the puppet.
Step 3
With right sides of the puppet together, stitch around the edge of the ghost. Make sure to stitch around the curved edges carefully so you get nice rounded edges. You'll want to stitch about 1/4" from the edge of the felt.
Step 4
Use your scissors to clip around all the curved edges. Make sure to clip into where the arms meet the ghost head. Clipping helps to keep the shape of the puppet when you turn it right side out.
Step 5
Use a wooden dowel or skewer to help you turn the puppet right side out. Press the dowel into each of the corners so that it will help shape the fabric and help all the curves to round out again. When you are finished, lightly press your puppet with an iron. Make sure to use a cloth over the felt so it doesn't stick or melt to the iron.
Step 6
Cut out 2 eyes in black felt or iron-on vinyl and place them on the face of the ghost puppets. You can glue the eyes on with fabric glue or press the iron-on vinyl onto the puppet. Either works well. I've done both.
If you would rather, you can sew the eyes onto your ghosts, I'd suggest doing that before you sew your two ghost pieces together. Otherwise you will end up sewing your ghost together and won't be able to put your hand in your puppet.
If you would rather, you can sew the eyes onto your ghosts, I'd suggest doing that before you sew your two ghost pieces together. Otherwise you will end up sewing your ghost together and won't be able to put your hand in your puppet.
You did it!! Wasn't that super simple?! I love that these are such a quick and simple sew. You don't even need very much felt for the project. Just a couple sheets for each ghost. And since felt is pretty common you can find it at most stores that have a craft section. Usually felt is also inexpensive, just a couple cents per sheet as well. So for under a dollar you can make a couple ghosts.
Still not sure? Check out our quick video on how to make your own ghost puppet.
My kids love their ghost puppets. We've had a couple of them for several years and finally made enough for each of my kids to have a couple. It was like Christmas morning for them. They put on a puppet show for an hour after that. Hope your kids enjoy making a ghost puppet too!
