Easy and Fun Paper Plate Ghost Craft (that Rattles!)

An image showing a simple paper plate ghost craft, perfect for an easy Halloween craft and fun preschool activity for kids.
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This adorable paper plate ghost craft has a hidden bit of fun. When you shake it, it rattles and is your very own DIY musical instrument to use during the Halloween season. Have everyone make them at your next Halloween party. It starts with some simple supplies, including paper plates.

The only thing better than a fun craft is a craft that turns into an opportunity to play! Here are a few Halloween crafts that you’re going to love…

I bet you’ve never heard of craft flashcards…Of course you haven’t…because I totally made it up 🙂 As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I’ve witnessed kids struggle to complete multi-step activities. So, I came up with this brilliant (if I do say myself) way to break down crafts into bite-sized pieces in the form of flashcards.

These are especially perfect for those kiddos who have limited attention spans.

Crafts are such a great developmental tool for kids (improves motor planning, attention span, executive functioning, fine motor skills, language development and more), and using flashcards makes planning crafts for your kids to enjoy even easier.

Just print out a few of your favorites onto cardstock, cut them into the cards with a hole in the corner and place them on a keyring that you can connect to your craft supply bag (which you can fill using our master list of supplies that we stick to for every single one of the projects in the flashcard collection). It’s so simple.

And the best part is that there’s not a screen in sight. Technology is such a great thing, but it’s also nice to take a break from it once in awhile and let the brain explore in other ways. Click the image to learn more about our collection of 100 Craft Flashcards for Kids.

Fun Facts About Halloween

  • People originally carved turnips instead of pumpkins.
  • Americans used to celebrate the holiday by sending Halloween cards. (Let’s bring that back.)
  • Orange signals harvest.
  • Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not a vegetable.
  • Jack-o-lanterns were inspired by an Irish folktale about a guy named Stingy Jack who fooled the devil.
  • Trick or treating has been around since medieval times.

To learn more things you probably didn’t know about Halloween, check out this article by Pioneer Woman.

All activities require adult supervision. By using this site, you are agreeing to our terms of use. This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Save this Cute Little Ghost craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

An image showing a simple paper plate ghost craft, perfect for an easy Halloween craft and fun preschool activity for kids.

How to make an Adorable Paper Plate Ghost Craft

This craft tutorial is only meant to be a starting place. Add more color, get creative with the ghost’s face…really make it your own.

SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

  • 2 Paper plates (9-inch coated)
  • Markers or black sharpie marker
  • Pony beads
  • Stapler with staples

Kids craft ideas are no good if they only sit exist on the internet but are never actually made by kids. We want to make crafting with your kids something that you do regularly and enjoy together. So, we’re removing some of the roadblocks, like too much prep time, lots of mess and hefty pricetags.

Fill your bag using our master list of craft supplies, and you’ll be ready to make any of the fun and simple crafts you see here. We stick to this list so that you can get right to the good stuff. Grab these items and fill your bag so that you’re ready to craft some memories at a moment’s notice whenever the opportunity strikes.

How to Make and Easy Ghost Craft for Halloween Video Tutorial:

Step-by-step Instructions:

Step 1: Draw the Ghost Face

  • Flip a white paper plate over to the back of the paper plate.
  • Grab a black marker (we used a black sharpie) and draw a ghost face. We kept the facial features super simple, but you can get as complex and colorful as you want. You can even choose to use googly eyes instead of drawing if you’d like. Older kids can get particularly artistic with this step.
An image showing a simple paper plate ghost craft, perfect for an easy Halloween craft and fun preschool activity for kids. step 1 drawing the face

Step 2: Add the Rattle

  • Turn the second paper plate face up and sprinkle on some pony beads. Just a small handful will do. This is what will make the noise when you shake the ghost.
An image showing a simple paper plate ghost craft, perfect for an easy Halloween craft and fun preschool activity for kids. step 2 adding beads to the center

Step 3: Put It Together

  • Place your paper plate with the drawn ghost face on top of the other plate to form a pouch with the beads inside.
  • Use your stapler to attach the plates together to form your easy ghost craft, going around the entire outside and leaving about an inch between staples.
An image showing a simple paper plate ghost craft, perfect for an easy Halloween craft and fun preschool activity for kids. step 3 stapling the plates together

What If I Don’t Have Beads on Hands?

You can really use anything that will make a noise when you shake your ghost craft. If you don’t have beads, try dried beans, Christmas bells, rice (though make sure the staples are close together), mini stones, or whatever you have on hand.

Here are even more Cute Ghost Crafts to try…

Jack-o-lantern and Ghost Printable
An image depicting a jack-o-lantern craft for kids, featuring a printable ghost template as part of a Halloween-themed activity.
Weaving Ghost Craft
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Halloween ghost craft
Popsicle Stick Ghost Crafts
HALLOWEEN GHOST CRAFTS FOR KIDS
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