Grandma’s Old Lace Doily Isn’t Just for Tables: A Golf Ball Turns It Into a Glowing Halloween Ghost
Vintage lace doilies often end up tucked inside drawers, kept for their delicate patterns but left out of modern home decor. One old crochet doily found a new purpose as a Halloween ghost, with its open lace forming a flowing skirt around a rounded head.
Ann from The Apple Street Cottage used a golf ball, a votive holder, and Mod Podge to shape the fabric without sewing. The doily’s decorative fringe became part of the ghost, while black felt eyes gave it a face.
Once the lace hardened, a battery-operated tea light added a warm glow from beneath the fabric. The finished ghost became a tabletop Halloween decoration beside a small orange pumpkin.
Vintage Crochet Doily Had the Shape for a Ghost
The original white doily has a circular floral center surrounded by open crochet loops and a wide fringed border. Its lacework forms rings of connected stitches, with long decorative sections extending around the outer edge.
Rather than cutting the doily into a ghost shape, Ann kept the entire piece intact. The round center would form the head, while the wider crochet border could fall around the base.
A Golf Ball and Votive Holder Created the Mold
A glass votive holder served as the base for the mold, with crumpled paper inside to raise the golf ball above its rim. Plastic wrap covered the assembly to prevent the wet adhesive from bonding the lace to the glass or ball.
Ann mixed equal parts Mod Podge and water in a glass jar. The diluted adhesive would soak into the crochet threads and hold their shape after drying.
The setup required no purchased craft mold or wire frame.
Mod Podge Turned the Flat Doily Into a Standing Shape
Using a paintbrush, she coated both sides of the lace with the adhesive mixture. The threads needed enough moisture to absorb the Mod Podge without dripping excess liquid.
The wet doily went over the wrapped golf ball, with its circular center resting on top. The outer border fell around the votive holder, creating folds and a wide fringe at the base.
After drying overnight, the crochet retained the rounded head and hanging skirt. A small twist released it from the plastic-covered mold, leaving a freestanding lace form.
Two Black Felt Eyes Completed the Ghost’s Face
Two oval eyes cut from black felt were glued onto the front of the stiffened crochet. The dark shapes stand out against the white openwork without covering much of the lace pattern.
A small orange pumpkin from Ann’s craft supplies became a companion decoration. Its bright color contrasts with the white ghost and adds a second Halloween element without changing the crochet structure.
Battery Tea Light Gave the Lace Ghost a Warm Glow
The finished ghost sits beside the orange pumpkin, with its black eyes facing forward. The crochet fringe spreads across the tabletop, concealing the support beneath the rounded head.
With a battery-operated tea light placed underneath, warm light shines through the open stitches. The lace pattern casts shadows across the ghost’s head and skirt, while the felt eyes remain dark.
Using a battery tea light avoids placing an open flame beneath the adhesive-stiffened fabric.
Old Cutting Board Became a Display Base
Ann also repurposed a worn wooden cutting board for the finished decoration. She sanded away stains and cut marks with an orbital sander, applied wood stain, and added two coats of clear sealer.
The stained board provides a dark base beneath the white crochet ghost and orange pumpkin, giving the Halloween decoration a place on a table or shelf.
Would you turn Grandma’s old lace doilies into Halloween ghosts, or keep them as table decorations?
Image credits go to @theapplestreetcottage.