If You Have An Old Picture Frame And Doilies, You Can Make Charming Fall Decor

Skeletons and vampires are classic spooky decor personalities, but why not lean into the haunted Victorian manor aesthetic instead? That's exactly what you get with this fall decor piece that's made using a small, vintage-looking frame and a lace doily. You'll turn the doily into a whimsical ghost that seems to pop out of the ornate picture frame.

The beauty of this craft (besides the cute little ghost itself) is that it's a low-cost DIY Halloween decoration that looks better than many of the mass-produced, plastic options you find in stores. Doilies naturally lend a vintage look to the project, and they add texture to your ghost. Grab as many as you can, because there are other ways to turn vintage doilies into the sweetest ghosts to expand on the decorative theme. It's also possible to temporarily attach the ghost to a picture frame without damage, so don't be afraid to borrow one of your favorite frames for the season.

You can thrift the pieces for this project if you don't already have something that will work. For the frame, look for an antique-style design, even if it's a newer item. Oval wood  or enamel frames with intricate detailing fit the project well, but square and rectangular frames also work. Thrifted vintage doilies are usually inexpensive. If you can't find them at thrift stores, there are good places to buy vintage doilies online, including Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, and eBay. Adding faux soft-pink roses or other Victoriana will add to the overall eerie-adorable effect.

Start by making any modifications to the frame that you want to make it fit the theme. If the frame looks a little too new, rough it up with sandpaper or steel wool. Or, use Rub 'N Buff on a metallic frame to create an antiqued finish. You can also brush thinned paint onto the frame and wipe it off for a streaky, aged look. 

Now you're ready to repurpose thrifted vintage doilies into ghosts. You can soak a newer doily in brewed tea to age it a bit. To shape the ghost, fold it in half and drape it to create a curved top and a flowy bottom. You can stick or glue the ghost in a few spots to hold the shape. If you want more dimension or a perfectly round head, drape the doily over a mason jar or wire ring or half of a small Styrofoam ball, using glue to hold it in place. Soaking the doily in Mod Podge or homemade fabric stiffener and wringing it out before shaping it into a ghost on a piece of plastic wrap is another way to ensure you get the shape you want. 

Cut out eyes from black felt, and glue or stitch them onto your doily ghost. Once your ghost looks how you want it, attach it to the frame using glue or double-sided tape. You can hang the framed image on the wall, use a built-in stand on the frame, or prop it on a plate holder. Several strategically placed ghosts can give an entire room a slightly spooky vintage vibe.

While many DIYers fill a small frame with a single doily ghost, you can get creative with how you display your ghost and the accents you add. If you choose a larger frame with a smaller doily, consider creating a scene around the ghost. Print a picture of a spooky forest as the backdrop, or make a three-dimensional sky. An even larger frame could feature a whole family of doily ghosts — you can even fashion them to represent members of your family.

Even if your ghost takes up the whole frame, you can still add personalized accessories, like a bow, witch's hat, or flower crown. To tell more of a story, have the ghost hold an item, like a trick-or-treating bag, pumpkin, or witch's broom. You could create a series of framed ghosts, each with a different theme, and hang them as a group.

Lighting the ghostly framed art also adds an eerie effect. Remove the back of the frame and leave the glass, then set up a tap light, small string lights, or a battery-powered candle behind it, so it backlights the ghost. Or drape fairy lights over the frame if you want the lights visible.