Every October my two start begging to decorate before I've even bought the candy. And honestly? I get it. There's something about those first chilly evenings that makes the house feel like it should look a little bit magical. This year I reached for the paper plates — yes, really — and the kids turned them into a whole fleet of floating pumpkin ghosts that now bob and sway over our dining room table.
These are as simple as it sounds: paint a paper plate orange, draw a jack-o-lantern face, tape on some streamers, and hang them up with string. The streamers catch every tiny breeze, so the pumpkins look like they're floating and dancing. My youngest is convinced they're alive. I didn't correct her.
Why You'll Love Making These
Zero fancy supplies. If you have paper plates, paint, and tape, you're already 90% there. This is one of those crafts where there's no wrong answer — crooked faces, wild color choices, streamers all different lengths. It all looks great hanging up, which means the kids get to be fully in charge without me hovering and "fixing" things. (A growth area for me, I'll admit.)
They also make fantastic party decor. We made a dozen in one afternoon and strung them across our living room for a little Halloween movie night, and they looked like a store-bought decoration. Minus the store. And the price tag.
Materials You'll Need
- Paper plates (the plain white kind — medium size works best)
- Orange paint (washable tempera or acrylic — or orange markers if paint feels like too much)
- Black marker or black construction paper for the faces
- Orange and yellow tissue paper or crepe paper streamers
- Scissors
- Tape or a glue stick
- String or yarn for hanging
- A hole punch (optional but handy)
<img src="https://thediynook.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pin-v1-4.webp" alt="Floating Paper Plate Pumpkin Ghosts That Dance in the Air" />
Step-by-Step Directions
- Paint the back of each paper plate orange. Don't stress about perfect coverage — a little streakiness adds character. Let them dry completely.
- While they dry, cut your tissue paper into long streamer strips, about 1 inch wide. Mix orange and yellow for that perfect pumpkin-tail look.
- Tape the streamers to the bottom half of each plate, overlapping them a little. These are the floating tails — the more, the merrier.
- Draw jack-o-lantern faces on the orange side: triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a big toothy grin. Black marker is fastest; cut-out construction paper faces look extra polished.
- Poke or punch a small hole at the top of each plate and thread a piece of string through it. Tie it off with a good knot.
- Hang them from the ceiling, a doorway, or a low-hanging branch. Vary the string lengths so they float at different heights.
- Stand back and give them a little nudge. Watch them sway. Try not to feel like a crafting genius — I dare you.
The Learning Behind This Craft
Behind all the fun, the kids are sneaking in real practice. Cutting long streamer strips builds scissor skills and hand strength (my 5-year-old's cutting has genuinely improved since we started doing crafts like this). Painting the plates is a mini lesson in coverage and patience — waiting for paint to dry is basically a course in delayed gratification. And drawing faces? That's symmetry, shapes, and spatial planning, all disguised as making silly pumpkin grins.
Tips If Things Go Sideways
Paint looks streaky? One more thin coat fixes it — or honestly, just hang it up. Nobody notices streaks on a swaying decoration.
Streamers keep falling off? Tape works, but a strip of masking tape folded over the top edge of the streamers holds even better. I learned this after re-taping four pumpkins.
Plate flopping forward? Tape a second plate back-to-back with the first so both sides look finished and it hangs straight. Looks great from every angle.
Fun Variations to Try
- Go classic ghost instead: skip the orange, paint them white, and draw friendly ghost faces.
- Add a green construction-paper stem to the top for extra pumpkin vibes.
- Glitter the streamers before taping them on (outside. Always outside. Learn from my mistakes.)
- Make a whole garland by taping the plates to a long piece of yarn instead of individual strings.
FAQs
Will these survive until Halloween?
Ours have lasted for weeks hanging in the living room. Just keep them away from open windows on windy days and curious cats.
What ages is this good for?
Toddlers can do the painting and streamer-taping with help; preschoolers and up can handle the whole thing. Faces are great for all ages — my youngest's "scary" pumpkin had a smile and heart eyes.
I don't have orange paint — now what?
Orange markers or crayons work fine, or collage it: glue orange tissue paper squares all over the plate. It gives a fun textured look.
Can we hang them outside?
For a party, sure — but bring them in if rain is coming. Paper plates and rain are not friends.
How do I store them?
Stack them flat with a sheet of newspaper between each one. They'll come out ready to hang next October.
