Ghost cookie cutter or a ghost template cut from card, about 8 cm tall
Cocktail straw or thin drinking straw, for punching holes
White acrylic paint, 1 small pot
Foam brush, 2 cm wide
24 black seed beads, 4 mm, for eyes
Strong clear-drying glue
Black linen cord or thin black jute, 1.5 m
Baking tray lined with parchment
Step by Step
Mix flour, salt, and water in a bowl until the dough comes together. Knead it for two minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth and pliable. If it feels sticky, add flour a pinch at a time; if it cracks, add water a drop at a time.
Roll the dough to about 5 mm thickness. Cut out 10-12 ghost shapes. Use the cocktail straw to punch a clean hole near the top of each ghost, about 8 mm from the edge. The straw gives a neater hole than a pencil.
Preheat the oven to 160 C (fan 140 C). Place the shapes on the lined baking tray and bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the dough is completely hard and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An adult handles all oven steps. Let the shapes cool completely on a wire rack; this takes about 30 minutes.
Paint each ghost with two coats of white acrylic, letting the first coat dry for 15 minutes before applying the second. The finished surface should be matte and opaque.
Glue two black seed beads onto each ghost face for eyes. Let the glue cure for at least 20 minutes before handling.
Thread the black cord through each ghost's hole, spacing ghosts about 12 cm apart along the cord. Tie a knot on either side of each ghost to hold it in place.
Good to Know
Suits ages 5 and up; an adult handles the oven and the hot baking tray.