Short answer
You make ghost lanterns from a clean glass jar, white tissue paper and glue thinned with a little water. The children stick tissue paper around the jar, let it dry and stick on eyes and a mouth made of black paper. Put an LED candle in the jar – then the ghost glows with no fire risk. It takes half an hour plus drying time and works from age three.
What you need
- Clean glass jars (jam, baby food or pickle jars)
- White tissue paper
- Decoupage glue, or craft glue and a little water
- Wide paintbrush
- Black paper and scissors (or a black felt-tip pen)
- LED candles
- Wire or string for a handle (optional)
Step by step
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1. Wash the jar and remove the label. Soak it in warm water with washing-up liquid for a while so the label comes off, and rub away any glue residue with a little cooking oil.
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2. Mix three parts glue with one part water and brush a thin layer onto the outside of the jar, a bit at a time.
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3. Tear tissue paper into pieces and lay them on the glue so they overlap. Brush a layer of glue on top until the whole jar is covered.
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4. Let the jar dry for about an hour, until the glue has turned clear.
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5. Cut two eyes and a round mouth from black paper and glue them on – or draw the face with a black felt-tip pen.
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6. Put an LED candle in the jar and turn off the light. If you want to carry the lantern, wind wire around the neck of the jar as a handle.
Ghost lanterns made from glass jars are one of the easiest Halloween crafts there is – and one of the prettiest. The tissue paper diffuses the light so the lantern glows softly, and the black eyes stand out clearly in the dark. It is also a craft that even the youngest can manage almost entirely on their own: tearing paper and brushing on glue is just the right level of difficulty for a three-year-old.
The best part is that the materials are usually already at home. Save jam jars and baby food jars for a few weeks before Halloween, buy a pack of tissue paper and a few LED candles – and you have enough for a whole row of ghosts in the window. Put them next to a carved jack-o'-lantern by the door, and it is clear from a long way off that it is Halloween at your house.
Who does what – children and adults
- Ages 3–5: tear tissue paper, brush on glue and put the pieces on. It gets messy – put an old tablecloth or newspaper on the table.
- Ages 6–9: cut out the eyes and mouth themselves and can try the variations below, for example the mummy jar.
- Age 10 and up: can make more advanced patterns, like black paper bats all around the jar or a sign saying “Happy Halloween”.
An adult removes the labels, puts in the LED candle and bends the wire handle into shape.
Why tissue paper?
Tissue paper is so thin that the light shines through, but dense enough to hide the light source itself. The result is an even, soft glow – just like a ghost. When the glue dries, the paper becomes almost translucent, and small folds and joins give it a lively surface. Ordinary printer paper is too thick, and napkins work but tear easily.
Tissue paper can be found in most craft shops and often in the paper section of supermarkets before Christmas. One sheet is enough for two or three jars.
Four variations for brothers and sisters
- Mummy jar: wrap gauze bandage (or strips of white cloth) around the jar, slightly at an angle and overlapping, and glue it in place. Leave a gap open and put two eyes there.
- Monster jar: use green tissue paper, a single large eye and a zigzag mouth. Bent pipe cleaners become antennae.
- Pumpkin jar: orange tissue paper, a triangular mouth and eyes – and a small green piece of paper as a stalk on the lid.
- Bat jar: black tissue paper at the top and orange at the bottom, and little bats made of black paper flying around the jar – the template is in bat garland.
Safe light in paper lanterns
Tissue paper and dried glue burn easily, and the glass gets hot from a tealight. That is why LED candles are the only right choice in ghost lanterns, especially if the children are going to carry them. LED candles with a flickering glow look almost like real ones and last all evening. Lanterns with real candles should never stand where children in costumes run past. More advice on staying safe in the dark on Halloween night can be found in Halloween with kids.
How to use the lanterns
- In the window. A row of ghost lanterns in the kitchen window can be seen from the street – a clear sign to the neighbourhood children that they are welcome to knock.
- Along the steps. Put the lanterns on the steps up to the door, so the children find their way.
- On the round for sweets. With a wire handle, the ghost lantern becomes a lantern to carry – and an extra light in the dark, in addition to the reflectors.
- Out in the forest. Take the lanterns on a short ghost walk in the forest or the park. You can read about what the atmosphere is like on a dark evening outdoors in our night hiking in Funäsdalen.
- At Halloween dinner. In the middle of the table next to a pot of pumpkin soup, the Halloween mood arrives at once.
Save the lanterns for next year
The ghost lanterns last for several years if they are stored somewhere dry. Take out the LED candle (and the battery), wrap the jar in newspaper and put it in a box. If a piece of tissue paper has come loose, just brush a little new glue over it. With pumpkins and ghosts ready in the storeroom, decorating next autumn is quick – and you might make a new variation for the collection.
More ideas for a spooky week can be found in our autumn break guide for the West Coast, and if you want to see thousands of glowing pumpkins at once, Halloween at Liseberg is worth a trip.
Frequently asked questions
What glue should you use for ghost lanterns?
Decoupage glue is best, but ordinary white craft glue (PVA) thinned with a little water works just as well – about three parts glue to one part water. It dries clear and holds the tissue paper in place.
Can you put tealights in the ghost lanterns?
Use LED candles instead. Tissue paper and glue can catch fire if the flame gets too close, and the glass gets hot. A battery-powered light is safe even when the children carry the lantern.
How do you get the label off the glass jar?
Soak the jar in warm water with a little washing-up liquid for half an hour, and the label comes off. Rub away any glue residue with a little cooking oil on a cloth, then wash the jar clean.
How long does the ghost lantern need to dry?
About an hour before you stick on the face, and ideally a few hours before the lantern is used. A thin layer of glue dries faster than a thick one.
From what age can children make ghost lanterns?
From about three years old. The youngest tear paper and brush on glue, slightly older children cut out the face themselves. An adult helps with the jar and puts in the light.
