Save those empty milk jugs and turn them into milk jug ghosts for Halloween! This easy Halloween craft is a fun way to reuse gallon jugs and turn them into glowing ghost decorations for your home.

One of the best parts is creating the milk jug ghost faces. Kids can draw silly, spooky, surprised, or scary faces on the jugs, so every ghost can look completely different.

Add flameless lights inside and display your finished milk jug ghosts on a porch, walkway, windowsill, or around your Halloween decorations for a fun glow at night.

This is an inexpensive Halloween project that uses simple supplies and gives kids plenty of room to get creative.

Three glowing milk jug ghosts with different black ghost faces for an easy Halloween decoration.

Why You’ll Love These Milk Jug Ghosts

Easy to make: You only need a few simple supplies to turn empty gallon jugs into Halloween ghosts.
Budget-friendly: Reuse milk jugs you already have instead of buying new Halloween decorations.
Fun to customize: Kids can create their own milk jug ghost faces with silly, spooky, surprised, or scary expressions.
Great for decorating: Display the finished ghosts on the porch, along a walkway, in a window, or with your other Halloween decorations.
They glow at night: Add flameless lights inside the jugs to turn them into glowing ghost decorations.
Easy to make several: Save multiple jugs and create a whole group of ghosts with different faces.

Two glowing milk jug ghosts with different black ghost faces and flameless lights inside.

Supplies for Milk Jug Ghosts

You only need a few basic supplies to make these Halloween milk jug ghosts:

Empty gallon milk jugs, cleaned and dried
Black permanent marker
Flameless LED tea lights or other battery-operated lights
Scissors or craft knife for an adult to use
Pencil, if you want to sketch the ghost faces before using permanent marker

Safety note: An adult should handle any cutting, and use flameless battery-operated lights instead of real candles inside the milk jugs.

Four milk jug ghosts with different funny and spooky ghost faces drawn in black marker.

How to Make Milk Jug Ghosts

Clean the milk jugs. Rinse each empty gallon jug thoroughly and allow it to dry completely before starting.
Create the ghost face. Use a black permanent marker to draw eyes and a mouth on the front of the jug. Try different milk jug ghost faces to give each ghost its own personality.
Make an opening for the light. Have an adult carefully cut a small opening in the back of the milk jug that’s large enough to insert a flameless light.
Add the light. Place a battery-operated tea light or other flameless LED light inside the jug.
Display your ghosts. Once it gets dark, turn on the lights and arrange your milk jug ghosts on your porch, steps, walkway, or another spot where you can enjoy their glow.

Save this Milk Jug Ghosts Halloween Craft on Pinterest:

Three glowing milk jug ghosts with funny black ghost faces for an easy Halloween craft and decoration.

Milk Jug Ghost Face Ideas

One of the most fun parts of this Halloween craft is deciding what kind of face each ghost should have. If you’re making several milk jug ghosts, try giving each one a different expression.

You can create:

A classic ghost face with oval eyes and an open mouth
A silly ghost with a crooked smile
A surprised ghost with a large round mouth
A spooky ghost with narrow eyes
A happy ghost with a big smile
A sleepy ghost with closed or half-closed eyes

For younger kids, lightly sketch the milk jug ghost faces with a pencil first and then trace over the lines with a black permanent marker.

Want even more inspiration? Check out these Ghost Face Ideas for more faces you can use on your Halloween milk jugs.

Four milk jug ghosts with different black ghost faces and flameless lights for Halloween.

Tips for Making Milk Jug Ghosts

A few simple tips can make your Halloween milk jug ghosts easier to create and display:

Dry the jugs completely. After washing them, leave the lids off and allow the inside of each jug to dry before adding your lights.
Draw the faces before cutting. It’s easier to decorate the jug while it’s still completely intact.
Use the smooth side of the jug. Choose the side that gives you the largest open area for drawing your ghost face.
Make several at once. A group of glowing ghosts can make a bigger impact along a porch, walkway, or set of steps.
Create different faces. Give each milk jug ghost a different expression instead of making them all identical.
Stick with flameless lights. Battery-operated lights provide the glow without putting an open flame inside the plastic jug.
Protect them from bad weather. If you’re displaying your milk jug Halloween decorations outside, bring them inside during heavy rain or strong winds.

Four milk jug ghosts with different black ghost faces for Halloween.

Where to Display Your Milk Jug Ghosts

Once your ghosts are finished, you can use them as simple Halloween milk jug decorations around your home. They look especially fun after dark when the lights inside begin to glow.

Try displaying them:

Along a front walkway
On porch steps
Near your front door
In a window
Around an indoor Halloween display
In small groups with different ghost faces

If you’re making several, arrange the milk jug ghosts together to create a whole group of glowing ghosts. You can also vary the faces and expressions so each one looks a little different.

Frequently Asked Questions About Milk Jug Ghosts

What kind of milk jug should I use?

Gallon-size or half gallon size plastic milk jugs work well because they provide plenty of room for drawing a ghost face and adding a flameless light inside. Clean and dry the jugs completely before using them.

What can I use to make the ghost faces?

A black permanent marker is an easy option for creating milk jug ghost faces. You can sketch the face lightly with a pencil first if you want to plan the expression before using the marker.

What kind of lights should I put inside milk jug ghosts?

Use battery-operated LED tea lights or another flameless LED light. Avoid candles or anything with an open flame.

Can I put milk jug ghosts outside?

Yes. Milk jug ghosts can be displayed on porches, steps, or walkways. Bring them inside during heavy rain or strong winds to help protect the decorations and battery-operated lights.

Can kids make this Halloween craft?

Kids can help draw the ghost faces and decorate the jugs. An adult should handle any cutting needed to create an opening for the light.

More Halloween Crafts and Activities

Keep the Halloween fun going with more easy ideas for kids:

Ghost Faces – Find more spooky, silly, and fun ghost face ideas for Halloween projects.
Milk Jug Pumpkins – Save a few more empty jugs and turn them into pumpkin decorations for Halloween.
Halloween Q Tip Painting – Printable Halloween painting activities featuring fun seasonal designs.
Halloween Spider Handprint Art – Create an easy Halloween keepsake using your child’s handprint.

Save a few empty gallon jugs this Halloween and turn them into a group of glowing milk jug ghosts. With different ghost faces and a few flameless lights, you can create inexpensive Halloween decorations that are fun for kids to help make and easy to display year after year.

If you make several, try giving each ghost a different expression and line them up along your porch or walkway for a fun Halloween display after dark.