How to make tomato cage dog & cat ghosts for Halloween

Want to add a silly, spooky touch to your Halloween decor? Here’s how to make tomato cage dog and cat ghosts!

I love decorating for Halloween and crafting new decor every year is something I really look forward to!

I saw some tutorials for people using tomato cages to make large light up ghosts – so I decided to make my own ghost family, too.

Of course, no family is complete without the pets. I wanted to make a ghost dog and cat to round it out.

These were pretty easy to make – and so cute to display! Here’s how I did it.

How to make tomato cage ghost pets

Here’s how easy it is to make a ghost cat and/or dog from a tomato cage and other simple supplies.

Supplies needed:

• Miniature tomato cages (1 per pet)
• Styrofoam ball
• Styrofoam cones
• Hot glue
• White gauzy fabric
• Black felt
• Scissors
• Optional: battery powered string lights

I made these using mini tomato cages – which are pretty cool and perfect for a smaller size. You could absolutely make these from full sized tomato cages if you want them to be more like 4 feet tall. Just plan to have more fabric and use larger foam pieces!

Steps to make:

STEP 1: Assemble the cage

Unlike a traditional tomato cage, these require a bit of assembly and come packed flat. Spread out the 3 poles evenly along the circles, and adjust the circles to be flat and level.

It honestly can take a few minutes to get them right, but take the time to ensure you have a stable base for your ghosts!

STEP 2: Assemble the heads

Next, use hot glue to assemble your heads from foam balls and cones.

To create the cat head, I added 2 cones for ears, spaces appropriately, with hot glue.

To create the dog head, I added 1 cone as a snout on the front, with hot glue.

STEP 3: Attach the head

Flip your tomato cage upside down with the widest part on the tabletop. Use hot glue to attach the foam ball to the top (the actual bottom of the cage).

Apply glue generously and hold firmly in place until the glue is dry.

STEP 4: Add fabric

Drape your fabric over the ghost form and cut to the right length. I repeated this for 2 layers of fabric.

You might want to apply a little hot glue to the foam head to hold the fabric in place and keep it from slipping off!

STEP 5: Add the Face

Cut eyes, nose, and whiskers from black felt. Use hot glue to attach in place.

I also cut scrap gauze to make ears for the dog. I actually hot glued them to white felt to give them a little more shape!

Step 6: Add lights

If you want to add lights, lift the skirt of the fabric and weave string lights into the tomato cage. Have the battery pack positioned so it can lay flat on the ground or tabletop!

Step 7: Enjoy!

Place indoors or out and enjoy your spooky homemade halloween decor!

What are you crafting up this Halloween?