Our Take on The Thrifted Ghost Painting Trend

I've been dying to get my hands on this thrifted ghost painting trend! You may have seen this trend sweep your TikTok or Instagram Reels, where you paint ghosts onto a thrifted art piece, transforming it into a spooky Halloween decoration. Love this TikTok example, and this one, oh, and this one! Rather than head to the thrift store, I ventured into my attic to find some unused art I tend to have lying around. Luckily, I found this perfect scenic landscape painting that didn't hold sentimental or monetary value, perfect for painting a few ghosts on. Here's how it went.

Step 1: Gather Materials

You don't need much for this little art project, but you will need some thrifted art or something you have lying around, plus acrylic paints and brushes.

Primrose Mirror | Remodelista Book | Console Table (similar) | 3-Wick Candle (similar) | Styled Book

Step 2: Add Some Fall Colors

To make your painting more fall-appropriate, add some oranges and yellows to your trees. Remember, a little paint goes a long way! You can mix some water with your paints to thin them out and make your paints more translucent.

Step 3: Paint Your Ghosts

The next step is pretty self-explanatory! But before you jump in, you might want to plan out where you want your ghosts to go roughly. We put a few ghosts holding hands in the field, a couple in the barn, and one hanging out by the fence. Also, note the scale. You certainly don't want your ghosts to be taller than trees or buildings, so keep that in mind.

Step 3: Add The Finishing Touches

Lastly, you can add a few more details so that your painting fits the mood of the season. We added a dreary cloud over the bright blue sky and a little gravesite, but you can really get after it with some bats, spiderwebs, pumpkins, and more! There's no wrong way to do this, and you can make it your own.

And that's it! If you want to make a night of it, you could invite all your friends over, have them bring their own painting, but provide paints and brushes, and most importantly, snacks.

Of course, if you don't want to go through the hassle of thrifting for art and painting over it, you could print some already-made digital ghost art! I've linked a bunch of cute options below, along with some gorgeous gold frames. Happy Ghostin'!

Shop Gold Frames

1. Cute Ghost in Vintage Landscape $2
2. Ghost Haunted Scene $3
3. Gothic Halloween Ghost Print $3
4. Spooky Ghost Landscape $3
5. Cute Ghosts In A Fall Meadow w/ Haunted House $4
6. Ghosts in a Forest $5
7. Cottagecore Ghosts in a Field $5
8. Ghosts by the Sea $2
9. Lounging Ghost $4
10. Ghosts & Jack-o-Lanterns $8
11. Ghost Under the Moonlight $17
12. Ghost Holding A Candle in the Dark $19