Learning how to crochet a ghost is easier than crocheting a plain ball, and that surprises people.
The reason is the bottom. Nearly every stuffed crochet shape ends with a decrease round and a drawstring closure — the fiddliest part of amigurumi, done through an opening barely wide enough for your needle. A ghost doesn’t close. The hem stays open and ruffles outward, which is both what makes it look like a ghost and what removes the hardest step.
So this is the project to make if amigurumi has felt intimidating. There’s a magic ring, some increases, straight rounds, and a ruffle. No decreases at all.
About forty minutes.
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See the pattern →What you need to know first
- Single crochet
- Double crochet, for the ruffle
- The magic ring
- Working in a continuous spiral
- Increasing
No decreasing, and no closing.
What you need
Worsted weight (4) yarn in cream or off-white. Not pure white — pure white reads flat and slightly clinical, while cream looks like fabric and photographs better.
A 3.5mm hook, one or two sizes below the label, so stuffing doesn’t show through.
Polyester stuffing.
A stitch marker — essential, since there’s no seam in a spiral to mark where a round starts.
A tapestry needle and black yarn or embroidery floss for the face.
About 40 metres.
From the shop · New pattern
A sweet cat-ear coaster in just 5 rounds. Beginner friendly, printable 7-page PDF for $4.99.
See the pattern →Cathrinee’s Supply Kit
Everything you need for this project
Terms
US crochet terms.
- MR = magic ring · sc = single crochet (UK double crochet) · dc = double crochet (UK treble)
- inc = 2 sc into the same stitch · st(s) = stitch(es)
How to crochet a ghost, round by round
Worked from the top of the head downward, in a continuous spiral.
- R1: 6 sc in MR — (6)
- R2: inc in each st — (12)
- R3: (sc, inc) x6 — (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) x6 — (24)
- R5–R10: sc in each st around, six rounds — (24)
Stuff the top half firmly now. Push stuffing up into the dome with the back of your hook, filling the head and about half the body. Leave the bottom third empty — that’s what lets the hem flare.
- R11: (3 sc, inc) x6 — (30)
- R12: sc in each st around — (30)
The ruffle
- R13: 2 dc into each st around — (60)
Sixty stitches trying to fit around a thirty-stitch opening means the fabric has nowhere to go but outward. That’s the whole trick, and it’s the same principle behind a crochet scrunchie.
Join with a slip stitch to the first dc, fasten off, and weave the end into the inside of the hem.
For a fuller ruffle: work 3 dc into each stitch instead of 2. Ninety stitches gives a much more dramatic flare and uses about half again as much yarn.
The face
Two small embroidered eyes and an optional mouth, placed around rounds 6 to 8 — lower on the body than instinct suggests.
Come up from inside with black yarn, make three or four small vertical stitches for each eye, and go back in. Space them about 7 stitches apart.
Wide and low reads friendly. Close and high reads unsettling. This is the single biggest factor in how the finished ghost looks, and it’s worth pinning scrap yarn in position and looking at it before you commit.
A small oval mouth below and between the eyes is optional. A ghost with just eyes looks calm; with a mouth it looks surprised. Both are fine — make some of each.
Never use safety eyes on a ghost that will be handled by a small child. Embroidery is safer and, on a piece this size, looks better anyway.
Two sizes
Small ghost — stop the increases at round 3 (18 stitches), work rounds 4 to 8 straight, then one increase round to 24 and a ruffle of 2 dc in each stitch. About 6 cm tall.
Large ghost — add a round 5 increase, (3 sc, inc) x6 for 30, then work eight straight rounds before the hem increases. About 14 cm tall.
Make all three sizes. A group of three is a display; one is an object. Once you know how to crochet a ghost at one size, the others are the same pattern with a round added or removed.
Troubleshooting
My ghost won’t stand up. The bottom is over-stuffed. It should be empty for the lower third so the hem can flare and the base can sit flat.
The hem isn’t ruffling. You worked one dc per stitch instead of two. The ruffle needs roughly double the stitch count of the round below it.
I can see stuffing through the fabric. Hook too large. Go down a size — this can’t be corrected once the piece is made.
The ghost looks like a bell, not a ghost. Usually too much flare too early. The increases at rounds 11 and 12 should be gentle; only the final dc round should flare dramatically.
The face looks wrong. Nine times out of ten it’s placement. Unpick and move the eyes wider apart and lower down.
I lost my place in the spiral. Count the current round against the pattern to find where you are. This is what the stitch marker prevents.
Variations
A sitting ghost. Leave the bottom completely unstuffed and it will sit and slump slightly, which looks more characterful than a rigid one.
A tealight cover. Made large and left unstuffed entirely, a ghost sits over an LED tealight and glows.
Use an LED only. Never put crochet over a real flame — yarn is flammable, and acrylic melts as well as burns. This isn’t a technicality; it’s the one genuine hazard in seasonal crochet, and it’s worth being blunt about.
A hanging ghost. Add a chain loop to the top before fastening off. Ch 12, slip stitch back down every chain so it doesn’t stretch, then attach.
Tiny ghost garland. Make eight small ghosts and chain between them.
Coloured ghosts. Pale sage, dusty pink and soft grey ghosts look like decor rather than Halloween, which means they can stay out all autumn.
What’s next
Ghosts group best with a few crochet pumpkins in the same muted palette.
More seasonal ideas: Easy Crochet Halloween Projects for Beginners →
Frequently asked questions
How do you crochet a ghost step by step?
Work a stuffed dome from a magic ring, straight sides, then finish with a round of two double crochets into each stitch so the hem ruffles outward. There’s no closing round.
Why is my crochet ghost not standing up?
The bottom is stuffed. Leave the lower third empty so the base sits flat and the hem can flare.
What yarn should I use for a crochet ghost?
Worsted weight in cream or off-white. Avoid pure white, which looks flat compared with a warmer off-white.
How long does it take to crochet a ghost?
About forty minutes for the medium size, including the face.
Can I put a crochet ghost over a candle?
Only over an LED tealight. Yarn is flammable and acrylic melts — never use a real flame.
Is a crochet ghost good for beginners?
It’s one of the easiest amigurumi shapes, because there are no decreases and no closing round — the two things beginners find hardest. That is also why how to crochet a ghost is a better first amigurumi project than a ball.
How do you crochet a ghost for beginners?
Work a magic ring and increase to form a rounded head, work even rounds for the body, then finish with a wavy bottom edge instead of closing it. Stuff the head only and leave the skirt open so it hangs. Embroider two eyes and a mouth in black.
Why is a crochet ghost good for a first amigurumi?
Because there is no assembly. The head and body are one piece and the bottom stays open, so there is no neck join, no limbs to attach and no shaping to get exactly right. A slightly uneven ghost still reads perfectly as a ghost.
How do I make the ghost bottom look wavy?
Work the final round in a repeating sequence of short and tall stitches — slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, then back down again. The changing stitch heights create the rippling edge on their own.
Can I hang a crochet ghost?
Yes. Attach yarn at the top of the head, chain 10 to 15, then slip stitch back down the chain to make a firm loop. They look best hung in groups of three at different heights.
What size should a crochet ghost be?
About 4 inches tall with worsted weight yarn and a 3.5 mm hook. Make several in different sizes — a group of mismatched ghosts looks far better than a set of identical ones.
