Make Ghostly Outdoor Draperies for Halloween

Add a spooky touch to your front porch this Halloween with billowing, tattered draperies made from budget-friendly cheesecloth.
Tattered Draperies on Halloween Decorated Porch

Cheesecloth Apparition Draperies

These billowing, tattered draperies made from budget-friendly cheesecloth will add an eerie atmosphere to your front porch or an interior doorway. Get step-by-step instructions.

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Materials Needed:

  • several yards of cheesecloth
  • 1/4"-thick 2x4 poplar strips
  • staple gun and 9/16" staples
  • scissors or utility knife
  • tape measure
  • bucket
  • bags of black tea
  • hot water
  • mitre box and saw

Cut Poplar Strips and Cheesecloth

Use a tape measure to determine each panel's height and width then cut fabric (Image 1). Use a mitre box and saw to cut poplar strips to the same width as fabric (Image 2).

Tea-Stain Fabric

Boil water, then pour into bucket and add bags of black tea. Soak cheesecloth in bucket overnight so its white tone takes on an aged effect (Image 1). Remove cheesecloth from bucket and drape over a bannister, fence or door so it can dry (Image 2).

Hang and Tatter Fabric

Once dry, staple cheesecloth panels to poplar strips (Image 1) then staple poplar to porch's overhang (Image 2). To create a tattered effect, cut random holes with scissors or a utility knife then pull the fabric to create runs (Image 3).

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