At a Glance: Boho Ghost Wall Hanging
- The loops hide between the hoop’s two rings. Tie your strips to the inner ring, press the outer ring over them, and they’re gone.
- Cut your strips twice as long as you want the ghost. Folding them in half is what makes the loop.
- About $20 and 40 minutes. One hoop, an old sheet, some lace, and a bunch of fall flowers.
To make a boho ghost wall hanging, you tie torn strips of cream fabric and lace onto an 8-inch embroidery hoop, glue on two black felt eyes, and add a few flowers across the top. That’s the whole project. Jump to the supplies or skip to the loop trick.
If you’ve seen this little ghost around and wondered where all the loops went, you’re not the only one. The photos make it look like magic. It’s one easy trick, and once you see it, you’ll have yours on the wall tonight.
Here it is. An embroidery hoop is two rings. You tie every strip onto the plain inner ring. Then you press the outer ring down over the knots, and all you see is a clean band of wood. The flowers on top cover anything left.
And don’t worry if yours doesn’t look exactly like the picture. Torn fabric never hangs the same way twice. That’s the charm.
Most of this is probably in your closet already. The one thing worth having ready is a small glue gun, since you’ll use it for the eyes and the flowers. A mini one puts down a neat little dot instead of a blob. This kit even comes with its own glue sticks, so it’s an easy add to your next Amazon order. (paid link)
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What do you need to make a boho ghost wall hanging?
Makes one ghost, about 8 inches wide and 20 inches long
- 8-inch embroidery hoop. You’ll use both rings. Wood or bamboo looks best.
- Cream fabric, about a yard. An old sheet is perfect. Cheesecloth or muslin works too.
- Lace. A few yards of trim or an old lace curtain. Mix a couple of widths.
- Black felt, one sheet. For the eyes.
- Fake flowers and greenery. One small bunch of each.
- Ribbon for hanging. About 18 inches.
- Hot glue gun and scissors.
Quick tip: Mix your textures and make the strips different widths. A little mismatched is what makes it look soft and flowy instead of stiff.
How do you make a boho ghost wall hanging?
Four easy steps. Put on a show, and you’ll be done before it ends.
1. Tear the strips
Snip a little cut into the edge of your fabric, then grab both sides and rip. Make strips 2 to 3 inches wide and 36 to 45 inches long. Tearing is faster than cutting, and the fuzzy edges look great.
Make about 20 strips, then do the same with your lace.
2. Loop them on and hide the knots
Take your hoop apart. Fold a strip in half and lay the fold over the inner ring (the plain one without the screw). Pull the two ends through the loop and snug it down. That’s it. If you’ve ever made a macrame plant hanger, it’s the same knot from our basic macrame knots guide.
Keep going, switching between fabric and lace. Push each one snug against the last so there are no gaps. You only need to cover the top third of the ring. The fabric hangs down in front of the rest.
Now the fun part. Loosen the screw on the outer ring and press it down over your knots. Tighten it up, and the loops disappear behind the wood.
If your fabric is on the thick side and the outer ring won’t close, no problem. Skip it and let the flowers in step 4 cover the knots instead. It looks just as good.
3. Add the face
Cut two ovals out of black felt, about an inch tall. Ovals look sweet. Perfect circles look surprised.
Lay the ghost flat and set the eyes near the top, a little closer together than you’d think. Move them around until you smile, then add a dot of glue to the middle of each one. A low-temp glue gun is gentler on thin fabric if you have one.
4. Add the flowers and hang it
Snip your flowers into short pieces. Glue the greenery along the top of the hoop first, then tuck the flowers in between. Glue to the wood, not the fabric, and it’ll hold for years.
Tie on your ribbon and hang it up. Give the fabric a few hours to settle, then trim the bottom however you like. Straight across, a soft curve, or a little uneven. They all work.
Making more than one? Try tying the strips along the bottom of the ring, then flipping the hoop over. It hangs a little fuller that way.
Two easy things to get right
Use enough strips. About 20 for an 8-inch hoop. It looks like plenty on the table, but once it hangs, the fabric falls straight down. Fuller is better.
Cut them long. Folding each strip in half cuts its length in half. So if you want a ghost about 20 inches long, start with strips around 40 inches. You can always trim. You can’t add length back.
What does a boho ghost wall hanging cost?
- Under $10: An old sheet, an old lace curtain, and a thrift store hoop. Just buy the flowers. Dollar Tree has them.
- About $20: A new hoop, cheesecloth, lace, felt, flowers, and ribbon, all from one craft store trip. You’ll have leftovers for a second ghost.
- $45 to $60: A family of three ghosts in 6, 8, and 10-inch hoops, each with its own flower colors. Hang them at different heights for a little ghost party.
Where should you hang it?
Almost anywhere. It only weighs a few ounces, so a small nail or a removable hook is plenty. Just keep it away from candles, the stove, and space heaters, since fabric and lace catch fire easily. If you’re hanging it on brick or old plaster, ask someone handy to help with the hook so the wall doesn’t crack.
Once it’s up, take a step back and snap a photo. If you can’t spot a single loop, you nailed it.
Want more Halloween projects? The Hocus Pocus wreath uses the same kind of hoop, and the cheesecloth floating ghosts would look adorable in a window nearby. Got lace left over? Our boho decor ideas will put it to good use.
You’ve got this
A boho ghost wall hanging is one of those projects that looks fancy and takes about 40 minutes. Tie the strips on, press the outer ring over the knots, add a face and a few flowers. Done.
Show us your ghost
We’d love to see how yours turned out. Share a photo with us on Facebook, pin this one to your Halloween board on Pinterest, and catch more easy fall builds on Instagram.
A few helpful answers
Boho ghost wall hanging FAQs
Loops, hoops, and keeping it for next year.
Tuck them between the hoop’s two rings. Tie your strips onto the plain inner ring, then press the outer ring down over the knots and tighten the screw. The flowers on top cover anything that still peeks out. If the outer ring won’t fit over thick fabric, just let the flowers do the hiding.
An 8-inch hoop is the sweet spot. It takes about 20 strips and looks full without getting heavy. A 6-inch hoop makes a cute mini ghost. A 10-inch one needs closer to 30 strips.
About twice as long as you want the ghost to hang. Strips of 36 to 45 inches give you a ghost around 17 to 22 inches long, since folding them in half makes the loop. Trim the bottom once it’s hanging.
Yes, and they’ll love the tearing part. The strips are just knots, so there’s no glue needed for the body. Let a grown-up handle the glue gun, or use felt stickers for the eyes and craft glue for the flowers.
Hang it, don’t fold it. Slip it into a pillowcase and hang it in a closet so the strips don’t crease. Next fall, shake it out and it’s ready to go.
When is too early to hang a ghost?
Some people have ghosts up the day after Labor Day. Others won’t open the Halloween bin until October 1, and they think everyone else is rushing it.
Which side are you on? Vote, then tell us in the comments the earliest you’ve ever decorated. No judgment. Okay, maybe a little.
