Make your own boo-tiful garden ghosts for Halloween

20 Oct 2022

Create a spooktacular display for your backyard this Halloween with these garden ghosts. These fab-boo-lous designs are made from pallets but any leftover wood will work including fence posts or timber offcuts. 

You will need:

• Long lengths of pallet wood or timber offcuts.
• Electric drill
• Screws
• Jig saw or band saw
• Sandpaper
• Resene testpots in your choice of colours, Fleur used Resene House White, Resene Quarter Parchment and Resene Black
• Paintbrush

Step 1: Start by screwing two lengths of pallet wood together by cutting a small length of scrap wood and screwing it to the back as a horizontal brace.  Attach one horizontal piece at the top and one piece at the bottom.  

Step 2: Use a jig saw or band saw to cut a rounded top to one end of the wood.  Sand any rough edges smooth.  

Step 3: Roughly paint on some Resene House White, leaving some wood showing through to give the ghosts a spooky translucent look.  You might want to try using a dry brush or use a rag to wipe off some of the paint.

Step 4: Next, paint on some Resene Quarter Parchment to form some contour, shape and warmth around the face of the ghost.

Step 5: Finish by painting on a face with Resene Black.  Weatherboards in Resene Triple Ash and windows in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

project and images Fleur Thorpe

Published: 20 Oct 2022