Outdoor Mod Podge Porch Pot Ghosts Tutorial

Do you decorate outside for Halloween?  I hate to admit it, but I usually get so busy working on costumes & indoor stuff most years that my front porch gets a bit neglected. So when the folks at Plaid Crafts, (the makers of Mod Podge), sent me a few supplies for making an outdoor Halloween project, it was just the push I needed to remedy that problem. So I came up with a project that adds some festive fun, but is also easy for those of us with limited time this season: Outdoor Mod Podge Porch Pot Ghosts.

Materials Needed:

- Gauze/Cheesecloth 

- Google Eyes

- Terra Cotta Pots

- Acrylic Craft Paint

- Stiffy Fabric Stiffener

- Outdoor Mod Podge (this waterbased formula seals & glues for the outdoors)

- Wood Shapes

- Cardstock

- Aluminum Foil

- Foam Brushes

- Optional: Hot Glue Gun, Mod Podge Applicator Brush, Die cutting machine

These can be made as big or small as you want, but since this was my first try, I went for a smaller size.  I started by making a ghost base to mold my cheesecloth on.  I put a piece of foil over a glass bottle and shaped it so looked like a ghost with its arms up, but curved in a bit so they'll be able to hold their own signs.

I poured some Stiffy Fabric Stiffener into a bowl to apply it.  It looks a bit like runny white glue, but dries clear and without the super crunchy feel of glue.  This makes its easy to create a molded, permanent project from fabric - ideal for freestanding shapes like my ghosts.

Then I folded my cheesecloth in half and draped it over my foil and began "painting" the Stiffy on with a foam brush, just enough to get it well saturated.  I left the bottom half without stiffener so it could be draped or folded later.  I let it sit for a couple of hours to dry.

When dry, I carefully pulled the foil out from under the stiffened ghost.  Even though I was pulling and peeling that foil like a crazy woman, that stiffened fabric kept its shape:

Next I used a free spooky-looking font, SCAL software & my Cricut machine to cut out some Halloween messages for my ghosts out of card stock (hand cut letters work too):

Using a foam brush I painted my plain wood plaques with the orange FolkArt acrylic paint Plaid sent. I did several coats so it was nice & bright:



Once my last coat of paint was dry I did a layer of Outdoor Mod Podge.  I used the brush applicator Plaid provided and it did help give a good even coating.  

I added my lettering on top and then several more coats of Mod Podge to seal it up.  At first it seemed a bit tacky after it dried, but the outdoor formula recommends waiting 72hrs before putting it outside and by the time it was ready to put out it felt much smoother. 

Using a dab of hot glue, I stuck on the googly eyes, added my gauzy ghosts into my pots and hooked their signs into their arms.



Now they're looking friendly and ready to greet any visitors.

And the best part is since everything pulls apart easily, the signs can be changed and the ghosts pulled from the pots so they can be used in different ways every year.  Maybe next year the ghosts will hang and float or the signs will be staked instead.  And it's simple enough that the kiddies can help make more too.  Now my outdoor Halloween decor can be fun year after year!

Get more ideas from fellow crafters on Plaid’s Facebook Page and follow Plaid for Inspiration on Pinterest. Or enter submit a photo of your most creative pumpkin from Sept. 25- Oct. 24, and you could win a $250 gift card to Michaels along with a Mod Podge and FolkArt Prize Pack, and bragging rights of winning their 4th Annual Trick Your Pumpkin Contest (ends Oct. 24)!

And checkout these other fun Outdoor #HalloweenMP Crafts:

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I was financially compensated for this post.  I received select craft supplies from Plaid Crafts for their Mod Podge Halloween campaign.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For my complete disclosure policy, click here.