If you've seen the ghost painting trend on social media and want to make one for yourself you've come to the right place. I am going to show you How to Make a Ghost Painting from a Printable.
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I don't know if you've been on Tik Tok or Instagram, but there is a ghost painting idea going viral. People are taking thrift store paintings and making them spooky with the addition of ghosts and pumpkins. I've even made one and posted about it.
I think everyone in my town is making one because those paintings are few and far between at my local thrift. So I set out to figure out how to make one w i t h o u t a thrift store painting. And I did. And you can too. I will show you how.
How to Make the Viral Ghost Painting from a Printable
Gather Supplies. I purchased and downloaded an autumn printable from here. I totally recommend doing this because it's super inexpensive and the printable looks awesome. You can print it on white cardstock on your printer at home. (This is the one I have.) I decided to use a thrifted framed wood sign (which are plentiful at the thrift store) as the base for my printable.
Cut Printable to Size. The sign I used is 5.5" x 5.5". so I printed the autumn scene in 8" x 10" so it would be big enough. I used my paper trimmer to cut it down to size.
Adhere Printable to Frame. I used mod podge to adhere the printable to the frame. I brushed a light, even coat onto the frame. Then I gently placed the printable on top. I then brushed another light coat of mod podge on top.
Paint ghosts and pumpkins Once the mod podge is dry, it's time to paint. I used regular craft paint in brown, white, black, orange and yellow. (Craft paint assortment here.) I am a crafter and not a painter so if I can do this, anyone can!
Paint Ghosts onto Printable. I used a small detail brush to paint ghosts onto the printable. I dipped the brush in a bit of white paint, brushed some off and then painted an upside down U shape in random sizes and spots on the printable. I kept the ends uneven to make it appear more ghost like.
Paint Pumpkins onto Printable. I used a different detail brush dipped in orange paint to paint on the pumpkins. To create the pumpkin, I did a c and then a backwards c to make a circle and then filled it in. Doing it with those kind of strokes instead of just a circle makes it look more like a pumpkin.
Paint the scenery. I used brown, orange and yellow paint to fill in the scenery. I did dobs to look like leaves and watered down brown to darken the trees and ground.
Paint Details. Using black paint, I dotted eyes on the ghosts and stems on the pumpkins. And that's how to paint ghosts and pumpkins onto a printable.
Adding a small bit of paint to the printable made such a big difference. I love the way the ghosts, pumpkins, leaves and grasses look. It's super easy to do and would make a really fun addition to Halloween home decor. You should totally Make a Ghost Painting from a Printable today!
