A milk jug ghost is one of the cheapest Halloween lights you can make: a rinsed jug becomes a glowing face for a porch, walkway or window. Put a few along a path or tuck one into a flameless LED tea light setup, and you have yard lighting in an afternoon. Here are two proven versions, a sitting ghost and a hanging ghost.

What do you need for milk jug ghost luminaries?

How do you make a sitting milk jug ghost?

This follows Shelly at Welcome to Nana’s (last updated October 13, 2025), who lists 5 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of work for one ghost.

1. Clean the jug. Wash it, dry it and remove the label and date stamp with Goo Gone.
2. Draw a face. Use the black permanent marker on one side.
3. Add light. Test the lights first, feed the strand in, keep the switch outside, tape it to the handle and replace the lid.
4. Weight the base. Add sand or gravel so it does not tumble in the wind.

How do you make a hanging ghost?

1. Cut off the bottom of the jug with a craft knife or scissors.
2. Add the tail. Cut the fabric into 2-inch strips and staple them around the open edge.
3. Add the hanger. Cut two small holes on either side of the lid, thread the string through and knot it.
4. Secure the lights. Loosely knot the light strand so it stays inside when hung.

Can you use a stencil or vinyl instead of a marker?

Yes. Kimberly at Single Girl’s DIY (updated August 11, 2024) cuts a ghost face from black vinyl on a Cricut machine and transfers it to the jug, but notes a Sharpie and a template work too. She also says to skip real candles because the flame can melt the plastic, and that battery lights suit places without an outlet, like a driveway.

Which lighting should you use?

Pair your ghosts with a chicken wire ghost, a disco ghost or a full graveyard scene, and soften the glow with floating candles.

Ready for more? Build a graveyard scene to showcase them.