A ghost costume is a classic. And I know I wore the white sheet with uneven eye holes cut in it at least one Halloween as a kid.

But something happens when you add tulle to the costume mix, something amazing. Tulle has this etherial, lighter-than-air quality that feels perfect for a costume like this. And when it flows and has jagged edges, then the costume almost looks smoke like. Almost as if the person wearing it really is floating along.

Making a tulle cloak is simple and easily done, and tulle is super fun to work with. It’s inexpensive, and the ends can be cut and left unswen because the ends won’t fray. I followed this tutorial from Martha Stuart, but I simplified it a bit since it’s for a kid, and because safety has to be a top priority. (Nothing ruins a Halloween more than tripping over your costume over and over and over.)

Here’s what you need to make your own Tulle Ghost Costume:

• layers and layers and layers of tulle. I used 10 layers of 54 inch wide tulle. Each layer is as tall as my child, plus about 8 inches.
• measuring tape
• scissors
• pins
• chalk (non-white, preferably)
• a white ribbon

1. Measure your child, double their height, add about 8 inches, and cut your layers of tulle to be that long. I used 10 layers of tulle for this costume because I wanted it to not be too see through and to have some volume.
2. Find the mid-point of your fabric, and mark it with a pin.
3. Measure your child from the top of his shoulder to the top of his head. Take this number, add 4, and then divide by 2. So if your kid is 14 inches from shoulder to the top of his head, my magic number is 9. (14 + 4 = 18, 18 /2 = 9)
4. From the mid point of my fabric along one edge, measure 9 inches (or whatever your measurement is) and draw an arc with your chalk. The mid point is the center. This will make the bottom edge of the hood.
5. Mark the arch with the pins, making sure you’ve pinned all the layers of tulle.
6. Using your scissors, cut a small slit in all the layers of tulle the height of your ribbon. Repeat until you have slits cut around your hood arc.
7. Weave the ribbon through the slits, leaving length to tie it closed under the wearer’s chin.
8. Put the cape on your child, and trim it. This is important: Make sure that the material isn’t too long, especially in the front, so that your child won’t trip.
9.  Shred the outer layers of tulle using your scissors, and then pop the entire cloak in the dryer. (Make sure you’re ribbon is securely tied first!) This will jumble the ends and give even more of a ghost-like impression.

Edited: I’m adding an extra image for this tutorial that I hope will help clear up some of the questions I’ve ade. This shows the basic layout of the ghost cape and how to pull it all together. Let me know if this helps!