Ghost Scraper Art for Kids

Let’s make some Halloween ghost scraper art! This easy, not-so-spooky project is perfect for preschoolers to create ghostly fun using paint and a squeegee.

The final Halloween ghost scraper art project with four white ghost shapes, googly eyes, and smiley faces. The overlapping ghostly figures create a fun and friendly design, perfect for preschool Halloween art.

Boo-tiful Halloween ghost scraper art

Looking for a fun, spooky, and simple Halloween art project for kids? I cannot get enough of these aaaadorable ghost families. Can. Not. Get. E. Nough.

I first discovered the ghost variation of scraper art from my sweet friend Andrea Nelson, and as always, her ideas are brilliant.

With just a few simple materials—paint, a squeegee and some black paper—your kids can create their very own ghostly masterpieces.

Kids will love watching their creations come to life as they pull the scraper down the paper, making ghost after ghost. The overlapping paint adds dimension, creating such a cool effect.

A close-up shot of three ghost shapes with googly eyes on black paper. Each ghost looks slightly different, showing how kids can create their unique ghosts during this Halloween ghost scraper art project.

Creating Halloween ghost scraper art even without a squeegee

Don’t worry if you don’t have a squeegee!

You can use a credit card or even a piece of cardboard.

The goal is to scrape the white paint in such a way that the ghosts magically appear.

I did buy the one shown here at the Dollar Tree a couple years ago and it has held up wonderfully. If your child enjoys scraper art, the $1 investment might be worth it for you.

You’ll love these other Halloween crafts for kids:

Witch Cauldron Craft – One of my favorite Halloween art projects of all time
Step-by-Step Frankentein Art – Follow the easy guide for making fabulous Franks
Blow Paint Ghosts – They use almost the same materials as the squeegee this project
Watercolor Resist Spider Webs – These are a classic

Materials

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Black paper – ex: construction or cardstock
White paint – we used acrylic
Squeegee, credit card, or piece of cardboard
Googly eyes – optional

A black piece of paper with a single white ghost shape created with a squeegee, showing the first stage of a Halloween ghost scraper art project for kids. A squeegee is in the frame, demonstrating how to pull the paint down.

Directions

Cover your surface as paint is going to be on and below your paper. Using butcher paper, a grocery bag, a poster board, or art mats are all great!
Squirt some white paint in an arch shape on your black paper.
Use your squeegee, credit card, or cardboard to pull the paint down from the top of the arch to the bottom of the page.
Repeat the process, creating multiple arches and overlapping the paint to add dimension.
If desired, add googly eyes for a silly and fun final touch.

A squeegee pulls down white paint to make a third ghost for the craft.

WAIT! You HAVE to do this part

When you pull the paint down, it’s going to puddle at the bottom. Totally fine.

However, every time you pull your squeegee down, paint is going to collect on the underside of the blade.

In between ghosts, use a towel or sponge to wipe the paint off. If you don’t, the paint is going to transfer to the next one and it will look a little crazy.

I always use a combo of a towel and my old, art shirt to wipe off the blade.

A black sheet of paper with white paint ghost shapes, and a hand is adding googly eyes to the ghosts. The googly eyes bring the playful ghost faces to life, making this a fun Halloween ghost scraper art project.

Tricks for ghost-tacular scraper art

There are tons of ways to customize this art to your style and preferenes.

Use different sizes of scrapers to make various ghost shapes.
Encourage kids to overlap their arches for extra dimension.
Let your little ones experiment with the amount of paint they use for different effects.
Add a pop of color by mixing in a tiny bit of colored paint into your white paint.
Explore different arch shapes, making some high, some low, some wide, and some narrow.
Draw on details with a black permanent marker once your paint has dried.
Play around with different colored paper for your backgrounds.

A finished family of five ghosts with googly eyes and marker smiles on black paper. This scene shows how layering and overlapping paint during the Halloween ghost scraper art activity can create a spooky yet adorable group of ghostly characters.

Why Halloween ghost scraper art is perfect for preschoolers

Preschool Halloween art should be fun, hands-on, and easy enough for little ones to enjoy. That’s why Halloween ghost scraper art is such a hit!

It allows children to experiment with paint in a new and exciting way while learning about shapes, colors, and textures.

Plus, kids will all create these differently and each final piece will be unique to the specific artist.

A hand holding a black marker is adding a smile to one of the white ghost shapes. The googly eyes are already in place, and the ghost is beginning to take on a cute and friendly face, adding a personalized touch to the Halloween ghost scraper art.

Seasonal variations for scraper art fun all year round

While this Halloween ghost scraper art is perfect for spooky season, the scraper technique can be used all year long to create beautiful seasonal artwork.

The simplicity of the process makes it easy to adapt for any holiday or celebration.

Here are some fun ways to modify the activity for different times of the year:

Spring Flowers and Rainbows: Layer different rainbow colors, scraping from the top of the page downward to create a cheerful arc.
Summer Sunshine and Waves: Capture summer vibes by layering blues and greens to mimic the movement of ocean waves.
Autumn Leaves: For a fall-themed twist, use reds, oranges, and yellows to scrape paint into the shape of leaves on brown or kraft paper. Kids can layer the colors to mimic the changing autumn leaves, creating beautiful multi-colored effects.
Holiday Ornaments and Trees: Start by a triangle for the tree, then scrape the paint downward to create texture. For extra fun, kids can decorate their trees or ornaments with sequins, glitter, or pom-poms after the paint dries.
Fourth of July Fireworks: Use red, white, and blue paint on black or navy paper, scraping out from a central point in multiple directions to create an explosion of color.

These seasonal variations not only keep your kids engaged with new projects throughout the year, but they also introduce them to different themes, holidays, and color palettes.

The scraper technique is versatile, easy, and endlessly adaptable to any season or celebration.

Whether you’re welcoming fall leaves or waiting for winter snow, this preschool Halloween art idea can evolve with the seasons for year-round creative fun!