Turn those old ceiling fan blades into cute DIY ghosts and pumpkins for Halloween.
Here's a full step by step tutorial on how to make them in time to decorate your home, porch or yard for fall.
Like most people, I have a love/ hate relationship with the internet.
This time of year however, it's mostly all about the love, especially as a crafter. Everywhere I click, I'm bombarded with the sweetest holiday ideas that I can't wait to create on my own.
For example, not long ago a picture of ghosts, made out of old ceiling fan blades, showed up in my Facebook feed and I have been smitten ever since.
Super cute, super easy and super cheap.
That's my favorite kind of DIY.
Of course, we don't have any old ceiling fans hanging around anymore (pardon the pun!)...and even though I regularly see them in the trash, as soon as I went looking for one, Murphy's Law kicked in.
And I couldn't find one anywhere.
Until.
Until last weekend, we took a trip east to pick pumpkins and enjoy all that fall has to offer.
Including other people's garbage. You know what they say, one man's junk...
In between stacking candy corn, cinnamon cake donuts and pumpkin patches, I scoured the curb looking for an old ceiling fan.
With absolutely no luck.
After a few hours in the car, and many miles traveled, we returned home and my husband and I decided to take a walk around the block to stretch our legs and lo and behold, look what we found.
Jackpot. An entire fan was just sitting at the curb.
So I grabbed four blades and literally ran home to get crafty.
How To Make A Ceiling Fan Blade Ghost
To start, I removed all the hardware with a screwdriver and then I roughed up the shiny laminate surface with a nail file.
I always have one in reach and it does a great job whenever I need to do a little sanding.
I did not prime. In fact, I don't ever prime.
I'm a very lazy artist.
I just applied a few coats of white acrylic craft paint with a foam brush. Of course, you could any white paint you have on hand.
I originally made this project back in 2016, when I recently made a new ghost and I used chalk mineral paint.
When the paint was dry, I drew a face on my ghost using pencil.
I don't have the steadiest painting hand, so the outline provided me with a sharp edge.
Next, I filled in my marker lines with black paint. I used a fine tip paint brush and went very slow.
I didn't worry about any of the pencil marks/ errors inside the painted area since I knew they'd be covered up.
The bottom of those older 2016 fan blades happened to be wavy, so I added a little gray paint with a wispy brush create the look of fabric at the bottom of my ghost ~ that was my husband's suggestion.
Apparently, crafting is a family affair around here. That's what happens when you work at the kitchen table.
To complete the older ghost, I strung him up with a little bit of rustic twine hung him all over the house to see where I liked him best.
My 2024 ghost didn't have that fluted bottom, so I didn't embellish him any further.
He was simply finished off with a black and white ribbon and placed on my pine server among my adorable clay ghost lanterns.
Of course, I had few blades left, so I decided to whip up some more Halloween decorations.
How To Make A Ceiling Fan Jack-O-Lantern
For this craft, I painted the blade orange and added a face, again, using a pencil, a marker and paint. My daughter suggested that I leave the hardware on one of them to make a jack-o-lantern with a stem
I thought her idea was genius, so I did.
Of course, I removed it to paint the blade orange, but then I reattached it when it was dry.
I didn't paint the back of either of these fellows, because I figured come Thanksgiving or Christmas, I could add more fun there in the shape of a Santa or turkey.
Which I eventually did. So far I've made:
- Christmas Fan Blade Signs
- Spring Fan Blade Sign - this one might be my favorite
- Thanksgiving Ceiling Fan Signs
- Welcome Fall Fan Blade Tags
- Fan Blade Junk Angel
The possibilities are literally endless.
Right now though, I'm soaking in the smiles from my new upcycled Halloween ghost friends.
And checking out my neighbor's garbage.
Just don't tell them that.
Boo!
Happy Crafting, Friends!
Boo! Back to you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween!! :)
DeleteVery cute! Very creative! Hey, maybe that will be the excuse, ah, reason, for taking my dated fan down and getting a new one! I will tell my husband I need it for crafting!
ReplyDeleteI should’ve kept them all when we took them down, AnnMarie. Who knew? ;)
DeleteAbsolutely adorable, Kim! What a great idea and lucky that you found the ceiling fan! So many wonderful ideas to paint the other side with Christmas ideas. Thank you for sharing your cute idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat. I thought it was a super creative idea when I saw it online. I had to try it out! Happy Crafting! :)
DeleteHi Kim, Wow that is just the cutest! I love it and what a creative idea to use the ceiling fan. You were so lucky to find it in the trash in your neighborhood. Thanks for sharing this great idea! Hope you have a wonderful fall weekend.
ReplyDeleteJulie xo
Hi Julie! This was a fun one and since I am not into scary decorations for Halloween, I loved being able to make my own happy faces! Happy fall to you!
DeleteThese are really cute! It's funny how you find things like that when you stop looking :)
ReplyDeleteI know! Seriously, Karen, I saw fans everywhere…until I wanted one! ;)
DeleteThat is indeed very cute! I look forward to see the ones for Thanksgiving and or Christmas. Love the idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angela! I have some ideas brewing... ;)
DeleteOMG! You are GENIUS! Love this, kid friendly and earth-friendly!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I wish I could take credit for this one, Vel, but it’s just my interpretation. It was so easy though, the kids could have a ball!! :)
DeleteHi Kim, Very cute re-purpose idea. Makes one take a second look when you find an old fan at a garage sale or taken one down to replace at home like your neighbor might have done. Love both the ghost and the pumpkin. I can see some jute or rafia tied around the pumpkin top. I am also seeing a Santa painting on a blade!!! Thanks for sharing. These look really cute in your home! xo
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas, Celestina Marie! I may have to add some jute to my handsome Jack! Thanks for the tips...as you can tell by the inclusion of my family's suggestions, I love collaborative crafting. It's good for the creative process! Happy fall! :)
DeleteTrash to Treasure Kim!!! These are just adorable.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kris
Thanks Kris!! And so much fun to make! ;) xo
Deleteoh kim!
ReplyDeleteyou just totally brightened my day!!!
you are just as adorable as your projects!
thanks!
and have a wonderful happily spooky weekend ahead. XOXO
Thanks Tammy! Your comments always make me smile. :) I hope you have a happily spooky weekend, too!
DeleteCute and free. A winning combination. Thanks Kim for sharing this great idea.
ReplyDeleteI love the free part, Lynn! And thanks! :)
DeleteI love this! And yes, that hardware really looks like a stem! I bet you have all kinds of ideas swirling around on how to use these for other holidays. Now I'm kicking myself for throwing away all those old fan blades. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa and I know!! We installed fans in every room when we moved here and then after my allergies went haywire, we removed them all...and threw them in the garbage. Silly girl. I should know by now that there's always a second life lurking in my trash. ;)
DeleteWhat a super cute project, Kim. Brilliant! xxx Maria
ReplyDeleteThank you Maria. You are too sweet! :) xxo
DeleteOh my goodness, Kim these are so adorable! You are a talented lady. I love this.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Vanessa. You are too kind! :)
DeleteKim they are too adorable. They can join up with my gang and have a party of their own!
ReplyDeleteIt's a date! : )
DeleteVery cute Kim!!! I love décor that finds me!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
J
This was so easy once the blades "found me", J! ;)
DeleteCute, and Cute!! I love them both, and so creative!
ReplyDeleteYou know I don't do scary and your craft is perfect for this timid gal! ;)
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!
Hugs, Kimberley
Scary is...well...scary...and that is not my thing either. I like smiles!
DeleteKim the faces are just too, too adorable. And very smart thinking to leave the backs blank for now.
ReplyDeleteYou know me, Mary...no surface goes to waste! ;) And thanks!
DeleteYou are just oozing Halloween creativity ;-) Boo To You my friend, I love this idea.
ReplyDeleteBoo right back to you, Carla...and thanks! : )
DeleteYou are too much!! :) What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb...just my interpretation of someone else's creative mind!
DeleteOh my goodness...I absolutely LOVE this idea...especially b/c it's so easy! So now on the lookout for ceiling fans! Hilarious that you found yours just down the street so close to home!
ReplyDeleteKim, I dreamed about you the other night...I dreamed I came for a visit LOL, and I told you (in the dream). I want to see your red wall! Funny.
It is so easy, Florence! The hardest part really was finding those blades!! And that is so funny...come by anytime! The door is always open and the wall is very red!! ;)
DeleteThis is so clever! I have been wanting to get over to you so badly. I have been planting Fall veggies and got sidetracked. But here I am and pinning away:)
ReplyDeleteJemma
Jemma, you are so sweet! Thank you!! :)
DeleteThis is so cute! What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks Maria! They were super fun to make.
Delete