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Ghost Paper Bag Puppet

You'll Need

  • 1 small kraft lunch bag per ghost
  • White acrylic or poster paint
  • Black acrylic or poster paint
  • Size 6 flat brush and size 2 round brush
  • Black marker, medium tip

Step by Step

  • Paint the entire outside of the bag white. Kraft is dark so two coats are necessary: let the first dry for fifteen minutes before the second. The bag should look bright white with no brown showing.
  • Once dry, paint the ghost's face on the bag front. Position the eyes in the upper third of the bag (above the fold, on the base flap). Use the size 6 brush to paint two large white oval eye whites, then the size 2 brush to add black pupils once the white is dry.
  • Paint the mouth below the fold line using the size 2 brush and black paint. Placing the mouth here means it appears to open when the puppet is operated. A wide O shape looks startled; a horizontal curve looks cheerful.
  • Add thin wiggly lines below the bag opening with the black marker to suggest the flowing hem of the ghost's body. Keep the lines loose and uneven for a more ghostly effect.
  • Let everything dry for at least twenty minutes. Operate the puppet by flattening the bag and inserting your hand: four fingers in the upper flap, thumb in the lower, exactly as for any paper bag puppet.

Good to Know

Ages: 4+ throughout.