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Victorian Ghost Costume: How to Make It in 15 min
- Time 15 min
- Cost mostly free
- Best for Fastest costume
The bedsheet ghost is the oldest costume trick there is, but a few small changes lift it from plain to haunting. In the 1860s, spirit photographers produced pictures of ghostly figures draped in fabric, so a white, wispy figure still reads as a Victorian haunting. Aged cloth, a visible frayed edge and a candlelit setting do the rest.
What you probably already own
- A white or cream sheet, an old curtain or sheer drape
- Scissors
- Safety pins
- Strong black tea (for aging the fabric)
- Gray or white face paint or eyeshadow, optional
Buy only if you want it
- Gray or black face paint for the eyes
- LED tea lights
- A white lace shawl or veil to add on top
Step by step
- Age the fabric. Soak the sheet or curtain in strong black tea for 20 to 30 minutes, wring it out and let it dry. It gives a soft cream-gray tone that looks old.
- Fray the edges. Snip small cuts along the hem, then pull the threads loose so they hang. Rub a little gray eyeshadow or dust along the bottom edge.
- Mark the eyes. Put the fabric over your head and have someone mark where your eyes are with a small chalk or pen mark. Take it off, then cut two oval holes slightly larger than your eyes.
- Test it. Put it back on and check that you can see forward and to the sides and that your hands are free. Enlarge the holes if you cannot.
- Drape it. Pin the fabric at the shoulders with two safety pins on the inside so it does not slide. Let it fall loosely, and trim the hem so it sits above the floor.
- Dress dark underneath: black clothes or a black turtleneck, so the white stands out and you do not show through.
Wearing it seated
Mistakes to avoid
- Fabric trailing on the floor or into the wheels. Trim above the floor and pin up excess.
- Eyeholes cut before you try the fabric on. Mark first, then cut.
- Real candles near fabric. Use LED tea lights only.
Make it better
Add a Victorian touch: white lace gloves, a lace veil under the sheet, a pocket watch chain or a small hand bell. Stand beside a candle-style LED lamp for an instant haunted parlor.
Good to know
Spirit photography was a real business in the 1860s. Photographers made double exposures of sitters with a faint, draped figure behind them, and many customers believed they were looking at departed relatives.
Where to buy
Amazon links; check the product page against the notes before you order.
- White face paint (look for skin-safe face paint)
Safety
- Test face paint and blood on a small patch of skin first.
- Make sure you can see and breathe freely.
- Keep fabric and props clear of wheels, casters and brakes, and away from real flames.