Crochet Ghost Amigurumi with a Scalloped Hem – Free Pattern
A crochet ghost is the friendliest Halloween decoration there is. It is not scary, it is not gory, and children love it as much as adults do. Line three of them up on a shelf in different sizes and you have the whole mood of October in one small corner.
This ghost has a rounded head, a body that falls straight down like a sheet, a flat base so it stands on its own, and a wavy scalloped hem that makes it look as if it is floating. The hem is the clever bit. It is worked into loops you leave free on purpose earlier on, so it sits neatly around the bottom without any sewing.
You need to be able to work in the round, increase and decrease. If you have made any amigurumi before, this will feel easy.
Why this crochet ghost works
The head is a flat circle that grows by six stitches a round, which is how every amigurumi sphere begins. At six rounds it stops growing, and because the fabric has nowhere left to go but down, it turns and becomes the straight body. That single moment — when you stop increasing — is what gives the ghost its rounded shoulders.
At the bottom, one round is worked into the back loops only. That does two jobs at once. It folds the fabric sharply inward to make the flat base, and it leaves the front loops of the round before it standing free on the outside. Those free loops are where the scalloped hem goes later.
The honest trade-off: a ghost with a flat base is a little heavier at the bottom than a free-hanging one, because the base is solid. That is exactly what lets it stand up. If you want a hanging ghost instead, I explain how to skip the base in the variations below.
Materials you will need
- White yarn: about 40 yards of worsted weight cotton or a soft cotton blend
- Black yarn or thread: a short length for the face
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4), smaller than the yarn label suggests
- Stuffing: a small handful of fibrefill
- Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors
- Optional: 8 mm safety eyes (not for children under three)
A bright white shows the scallops best, but a creamy off-white looks softer and more vintage. Glow-in-the-dark yarn exists and is great fun for a child’s room, though it is usually acrylic and a little stiffer to work with.
Finished size
In worsted cotton on a 3.5 mm hook, the ghost stands about 4″ tall and 2½″ across. The whole thing scales with your yarn: fingering weight makes a tiny ghost for a keyring, and chunky yarn with a bigger hook makes one large enough to sit on a sofa.
Abbreviations
- MR = magic ring: a loop you work the first round into, then pull tight to close.
- sc = single crochet: insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both.
- inc = 2 sc in the same stitch. Adds one stitch.
- dec = invisible decrease: insert hook into the front loop only of the next two stitches (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2, yarn over and pull through the last 2. Removes one stitch.
- BLO / FLO = back loop only / front loop only.
- hdc = half double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over and pull through all 3.
- dc = double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over and pull through 2, yarn over and pull through the last 2.
- sl st = slip stitch.
Pattern notes
- Worked in continuous spiral rounds. Do not join or chain up.
- Place a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.
- Counts are given in brackets at the end of each round. The head rounds are all multiples of six.
- If you use safety eyes, fit them before you close the base.
- Stuff as you go rather than all at the end.
Step by step
Part 1: The head
With white yarn:
Round 1: 6 sc into a MR. Pull tight to close. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: *Sc in next st, inc*; repeat around. (18)
Round 4: *Sc in next 2 sts, inc*; repeat around. (24)
Round 5: *Sc in next 3 sts, inc*; repeat around. (30)
Round 6: *Sc in next 4 sts, inc*; repeat around. (36)
Check: you should have a flat circle with 36 stitches that lies without cupping or rippling.
Part 2: The body
Rounds 7 to 20: Sc in each st around. (36 per round — fourteen rounds)
The circle turns downward almost at once and becomes a tube with a rounded top. Fourteen rounds gives a ghost roughly as tall as it is wide plus a little more, which reads well. Add rounds for a taller ghost.
If you are using safety eyes, fit them now between Rounds 11 and 12, about five stitches apart.
Part 3: The base
Round 21: Working in the BLO only, sc in each st around. (36) The front loops of Round 20 are now left free on the outside — leave them alone for now.
Round 22: *Sc in next 4 sts, dec*; repeat around. (30)
Round 23: *Sc in next 3 sts, dec*; repeat around. (24)
Round 24: *Sc in next 2 sts, dec*; repeat around. (18)
Stuff the ghost firmly in the head and lightly in the body. A firm head keeps its round shape; a softer body lets the hem hang naturally.
Round 25: *Sc in next st, dec*; repeat around. (12)
Round 26: Dec around. (6)
Fasten off, weave the tail through the front loops of the last six stitches, pull tight to close, and hide the end inside. Press the base flat against the table with your palm.
Part 4: The scalloped hem
Turn the ghost upside down. You will see the ring of free front loops left over from Round 20, just above the base.
Join white yarn in any of those free loops.
Hem round: *Sc in the next loop, (hdc, dc, hdc) all in the next loop, sc in the next loop*; repeat around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12 scallops)
Each repeat uses three loops, so the 36 free loops make exactly twelve scallops. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Part 5: The face
Embroider two oval eyes with black yarn, making each one from three or four stitches laid side by side, between Rounds 11 and 12. A small open “o” mouth two rounds below the eyes gives the classic surprised ghost look. A tiny curved line makes it smile instead.
If this ghost is for a baby or a child under three, always embroider the face rather than using safety eyes, since small parts can be a choking risk.
Variations
A hanging ghost: skip Rounds 21 to 26. Instead, after Round 20, work the hem round straight into both loops of the last round, then lightly stuff the head only. Tie a loop of yarn to the top and hang it from a branch or a door handle. It will sway beautifully.
A ghost with arms: make two tiny arms — 5 sc into a MR, then three rounds of 5 sc — and sew them to the sides at about Round 13, pointing slightly forward.
A ghost family: make one ghost as written, one with ten body rounds for a smaller sibling, and one with eighteen for a tall one. Standing together in a line they look like a proper little group.
Choosing yarn for ghosts
Cotton makes the crispest ghost: clear stitches, sharp scallops, and a head that keeps its shape. A soft acrylic or a cotton blend makes a cuddlier ghost that is better for a child to hold. Brushed or fluffy yarns look wonderfully ghostly from a distance but hide the stitches, so they are harder to count.
Whatever you choose, use a hook small enough that stuffing cannot show between the stitches. With white yarn, any gap shows as a darker shadow.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The ghost will not stand up
The base is rounded rather than flat. Press it firmly while you close the last round, and do not overstuff the body.
The hem is ruffled rather than scalloped
The hem went into both loops of Round 20 instead of the free front loops, or into Round 21. Find the ring of unworked loops just above the base fold and start again there.
The head looks pointed
The magic ring was not pulled fully closed. Pull the tail hard before starting Round 2.
Finishing and care
Spot clean with a damp cloth. White ghosts pick up dust over a season, so store them in a paper bag or a box when Halloween is over.
Frequently asked
How long does one take?
About an hour and a half for the ghost and another fifteen minutes for the hem and face.
Can I make it glow in the dark?
Yes, with glow-in-the-dark yarn. It charges in daylight and glows softly for a while after the lights go off. It works best in a child’s room or on a windowsill.
Before you start
Work the first six rounds and check the circle lies flat at 36 stitches. After that, the ghost more or less makes itself. More spooky makes are in Halloween.
