An Easy Origami Ghost Craft for Halloween

By
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders is an origami expert and writer who shares her knowledge on mastering the art of origami. She has over 15 years of experience creating origami greeting cards, envelopes, gift boxes, and holiday decorations.
Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/20/22
Origami Ghost
© Dana Hinders
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 origami ghost
  • Skill Level: Kid-friendly
  • Estimated Cost: $1

A ghost is the perfect origami Halloween decoration for young paper folders to make. You can make a simple paper ghost in just a few minutes using very basic origami folds—even children who have never done origami before should be able to make this model with a bit of adult assistance.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Scissors

Materials

  • Paper

Instructions

How to Make an Origami Ghost

To create this easy origami ghost, you will need a square sheet of paper that is white on both sides. The larger the paper, the easier the project will be to fold. This tutorial uses a sheet of 8-1/2-by-11-inch paper cut into an 8-1/2-inch-by-8-1/2-inch square.

If you're planning on folding the ghost as a group activity, it's best to have all of the paper cut before beginning. Young children have short attention spans, so you don't want to keep your eager folders waiting for any longer than necessary! You may also want to have models of each step of the project handy so the children can see what their ghost should look like as they're in the process of folding.

  1. Make a Kite Base

    Fold your paper in half along one of the diagonals to make a triangle shape. Unfold. Fold the left and right sides of the triangle into the middle line as shown in the photo. In origami, this form is known as a kite base—it's used to make many different types of paper folding projects, including an origami love bird.

    Origami Ghost
    © Dana Hinders

  2. Fold the Corners Down

    Fold the left and right corners back as shown.

    origami ghost
    © Dana Hinders

  3. Flip

    Flip your paper over. Fold the flaps of the triangles you just made in the last step so they lay flat against the sides of your ghost. When you're done, your origami ghost should look like this photo.

    Origami Ghost
    © Dana Hinders

    Fold the Corners In

    Fold the left and right corners of the paper into the middle.

    Origami Ghost
    © Dana Hinders

    Make the Ghost's Head

    Fold the top triangle down slightly. Make an accordion fold where the ghost's neck would be.

    Origami Ghost
    © Dana Hinders

    Finish Your Origami Ghost

    Flip your paper over once more. Fold the bottom point over as demonstrated in the photo. Using a black marker, draw eyes and a mouth on your ghost.

    Origami Ghost
    Dana Hinders

    Fun Fact

    While 91 different Japanese words mean ghost, "yūrei" is the most common, and translates to "dim spirit."

    This cute little origami ghost has many Halloween uses. You can hang him in a window or tape a Popsicle stick to the back and have him star in a Halloween puppet show. If the ghost is made from a smaller square of paper, he can be added to Halloween treat bags, gift boxes, or party invitations.

    If you're looking for more fun origami Halloween decorations for kids to make, you can also try your hand at this origami crow.