DIY Chicken Wire Ghost Halloween Yard Decoration

Halloween decorations come in all sizes, shapes, and forms, and the options may be overwhelming. But when it comes to making your own DIY Halloween yard decorations, these life-size, human-shaped chicken wire ghosts may well be the perfect choice!

Chicken wire holds its structure, and by bending the wire around different forms, you can make these ghosts appear as if they are floating across the lawn. This technique requires quite a bit of trial and error, but with this full video tutorial on how to make a chicken wire ghost, you will find that making this spooky Halloween decoration is easier than you think.

Start by opening and unraveling the chicken wire roll. When you open the package, you'll have to remove a long, thin wire wrapped around the roll. Set this wire aside to use later in the project. Once open, use wire cutters to clip a 36- by 36-inch square from the roll of chicken wire.

Center the 36-inch square over the foam head. Bunch and pinch the wire so it gathers at the sides of the head until it is tight over the face and back of the neck. Then, shape the front and back so it fits snugly over the chin and neck.

Use wire clippers to remove the excess bunched wire from one side of the head. Clip along the outside edge of the blue tape (pictured). Only clip one side before beginning the next step.

Put on leather garden gloves and use needle-nose pliers to reattach the wires along the cut side of the head. Begin at the base of the neck and move up, wrapping the loose wires around the solid hexes. Keep the clippers handy in case more wire needs to be removed for a tighter fit. Reattach the wire all the way to the top of the head until the last wires are looped and secured. Then, reattach along the shoulders.

Once the entire left side is completed, remove the foam head form and clip away the excess wire on the other side of the head. Then, follow the same technique as in the previous step for clinching the wires together on the right side. When completed, the head should sit up on its own.

Use your thumbs to give your chicken wire ghost its facial features. First, form indents in the wire for eye sockets. Then, pinch the wire out to form a nose. Finally, pinch the chin area so it points out from the neck.

Measure 8 1/2 inches from the chin to the shoulders on both sides, 17 inches total. Use painter's tape to mark the measurement.

Use the baseball bat to shape the shoulders. Place the bat under the chicken wire on the inside of the blue tape and mold the wire over the top of the bat. Do this to both sides and then use clippers to remove the excess chicken wire. The shoulders should be rounded, measuring 8 inches from front to back and 17 inches long from one side to the other. Adjust your measurements to match by clipping excess wire if needed.

The top and bottom of the chicken wire comes with a manufactured wire through the links. You'll need to remove this wire from the front and back of the shoulders using wire cutters.

Measure 18 by 36 inches of chicken wire from the roll and lay it flat. Use painter's tape to taper the sides of the wire so it measures 18 inches at the top and 13 inches at the bottom. Then, clip along the edge of the tape.

Repeat this process to get two pieces of the same tapered torso shape for your DIY Halloween decoration. When making the second torso shape, measure 18 inches from the bottom of the wire.

Attach the first torso shape to the front of the shoulders under the neck. Line up the long side of the torso shape with the bottom edge of the shoulders and clinch the hexes together with needle-nose pliers. Do this to the back side of the torso as well.

Then, leave 4 inches of wire open under the edge of the shoulders to make the arm holes. Connect about five links at the armpit and down toward the waist. Once five links are secure, leave the rest of the side open for future shaping.

Next, measure 17 inches from the top of the shoulders to the waist and then bend the extra wire out so it is perpendicular to the torso. The form should now sit on the ground without falling over.

Place the baseball bat inside the torso even with the armpits. Mold both sides of the bust around the top of the bat. You'll also have to use your hands to sculpt the wire into the form of the bust.

Now, it's time to make the billowy dress. Begin by measuring and clipping 7 feet of chicken wire. Lay it flat on the ground. Then, measure 8 feet of wire and lay it perpendicular to the first layer so it forms an "X." Center the two pieces evenly but let one side of the top layer be 12 inches longer than the other side. Mark the middle of the overlapping square with a piece of tape.

Cut three pieces of painter's tape measuring 7 inches each. Use the strips of tape to make a star at the center of the wire where the two pieces overlap. You should already have this marked.

Use the long wire you set aside when opening the chicken wire package to sew a circle around the star. Clip about 14 inches from the wire and use needle-nose pliers to weave the wire in and out of the two layers, locking them together. When you reach full circle, twist the joining ends together and clip away the excess.

Remove the tape and clip across the circle you just sewed and then across the opposite way, forming an "X." Pull the sides back so the center circle is open.

Pull in the corners of the chicken wire until they meet and then clinch them tightly together at the four corners. Leave an extra 12 inches of wire at the back of the long side. The dress will begin to form. The natural bend of the chicken wire will want to turn in. Wearing work gloves, force the edge out so it creates a shelf for the dress to sit on. Use your hands to shape the wire until it sits up on its own.

You should have just enough chicken wire left on the roll to make the two arms. Begin by wrapping the wire around the bat and clipping away the excess. Overlap the wire until the circumference is about 11 inches. Link the hexes 12 inches down the shaft of the arm. At 12 inches, pinch the tube together to make the elbow. You can bend the wire a little to one side to make the natural bend of an arm.

Continue linking the hexes down the forearm, tapering in the width of the tube as you go. When you reach 9 inches from the elbow, stop linking the hexes and leave the last 7 inches open for the hand. The entire arm length should measure somewhere between 28 and 32 inches.

Do this a second time to make a matching arm. Trim the tops of the arms at a 45-degree angle so they will attach to the torso properly.

Fan out the last 7 inches of chicken wire on the arms to make the hands. Trim the sides to make the shape of a palm and fingers. You do not need to make individual fingers.

Begin by linking the arm shapes to the torso with needle-nose pliers. The arms should fit perfectly over the holes previously left on the torso.

Make a bun for the head by molding a piece of chicken wire over the end of the bat and trimming it to about 3 inches tall. Then, attach it to the back of the head with the needle-nose pliers.

Finally, place the entire torso over the top of the skirt and line up the openings. Squeeze in the waist so the openings match in size; the sides of the torso will overlap until the waist is the proper size.

Then, link the hexes together. This step takes some individual shaping and molding to get the form to look lifelike. Spend some time positioning the arms and bust until you are happy with the silhouette.

Continue making adjustments until you are satisfied with the shape. You can play with placing the arms in different positions. Once completed, the ghost should sit sturdily on its own and be easy to move around to haunt your yard in various locations.