Fluffy Ghost Craft with Cotton Balls

Create a fluffy cotton ball ghost craft that doubles as a fun Halloween fine motor activity for kids. It’s quick to set up, delightfully sticky, and perfect for keeping little hands busy at home or during a preschool Halloween party.

Two children work at a large ghost outline taped to a glass door with blue painter’s tape; one child places a fluffy cotton clump on the left arm while the other kneels below. The contact paper shows wide eyes, a red mouth, and “Boo!” written on the lower left corner, with scattered cotton pieces beginning to fill the shape. Green plants, a fence, and patio stones are visible outside.

Sticky window ghost craft for kids

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that kids LOVE sticking things on contact paper.

We have made

…and kids can never get enough.

When I have these perfect little angels over for activity days, I almost always have a contact paper activity because they can.never.get.enough.

🎃 Related: Check out this spooktacular list of the 50+ best Halloween activities for kids!

A child in an orange shirt stands at a sliding glass door, pressing a stretched cotton piece onto the right arm of a large ghost craft taped to the window with blue painter’s tape. The clear contact paper shows a black marker outline, big oval eyes with black pupils, a red smiling mouth, and the word “Boo!” written in both lower corners. Fluffy cotton lines the head and edges while scattered tufts dot the body; a backyard with trees and a fence is visible through the glass.

Building real skills with a simple ghost craft

This isn’t kids just making a decoration, but instead kids are practicing real, foundational skills.

Stretching the cotton balls works the same muscles they’ll use for gripping pencils and scissors.

Placing each piece inside the outline sharpens hand-eye coordination and spatial planning.

And because it’s done on a window or wall, it strengthens shoulder and core muscles that support future handwriting.

PLUS, it’s just as much fun at home as it is in the classroom for a preschool Halloween party.

Two children in orange outfits stand side by side, one smiling while the other places small cotton pieces inside the ghost outline on contact paper taped with blue painter’s tape. The ghost shows large white eyes with black pupils, a red mouth, and cotton clustered around the head and arms, with “Boo!” written at the bottom corners. The multicolored striped rug and part of the door frame appear at the bottom of the image.

Materials

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nearly finished ghost craft fills the window, covered edge to edge with many small cotton balls arranged inside the black marker outline. The eyes and red mouth remain open and visible, “Boo!” is written in both lower corners, and blue painter’s tape frames the contact paper. Outdoor string lights, a wooden fence, and trees appear in the blurred background.

How to make a ghost craft with cotton balls

First, use a black marker to draw a large ghost outline on the non-sticky side of the contact paper.

Next, peel off the backing and tape the sheet to a window or wall with the sticky side facing out.

Then, set out a tray of cotton balls.

And finally, invite kids to gently stretch and pull apart each cotton ball before pressing it onto the sticky ghost shape.

Keep filling until the ghost is fully covered and fluffy.

Three children gather at the sliding glass door to add cotton balls to a large ghost craft framed with blue painter’s tape; one child presses the center while another kneels near an open pink bag of cotton balls on the floor. The ghost is densely covered with small cotton pieces, leaving the eyes and a pink mouth visible, and “Boo!” appears in both lower corners. A wooden fence, plants, and patio are seen outside the glass.

Stretchy cotton = fine motor magic

The stretching step is where the magic happens.

Kids use their fingers to pinch, pull, and fluff each cotton ball before sticking it down.

When I first introduce this activity, I say something along the lines of, “Before a cotton ball can go onto the ghost, it first has to be pulled or stretched.”

It (1) makes the project last more than 10 seconds, and (2) builds tons of fine-motor muscles.

A sneaky skill-builder hiding in a spooky-cute Halloween craft!

Two children in orange shirts start a ghost craft on a window-sized sheet of contact paper outlined with blue painter’s tape. The ghost shape is drawn in black marker with eyes and a red mouth, and only a few cotton pieces are stuck near the feet while a pink bin filled with cotton balls sits on the floor. A multicolored striped rug runs along the threshold and the word “Boo!” is written in the lower corners.

Playful extensions for more Halloween fun

Once the ghost is done, kids can fill in the outside area with tissue paper for a “frame” effect.

Kids can also add googly eyes to the ghost for a silly personality (I added paper eyes + a mouth before the kids started, but you could easily do these after instead).

For a preschool Halloween party, set up several sticky sheets so multiple kids can work side by side.

You could even make a whole window full of fluffy, floating ghosts!

Leave the finished cotton ball ghost craft on the window as a seasonal decoration.