Thrifted ghost Halloween paintings are a new DIY trend that is taking TikTok by storm. This trend involves thrifting an inexpensive, old painting and painting little ghosts over top of it to create a new cute-but-spooky piece of Halloween art.

What is thrifted ghost painting?

Thrifted ghost painting is a simple but fun DIY project that is perfect for Halloween. To get started, you will need to find an old painting at a thrift store or garage sale.

The original painting can be any size or style, but it is best to choose one that is mostly landscape to make it easier to add the ghosts.

Once you have found your painting, use acrylic paint to add your ghosts and other decorative elements such as pumpkins or bats. The possibilities are endless and creators are adding fun, spooky touches to the paintings to make them their own.

VIDEO: How to add ghosts to a thrift store painting

Ghosts are such simple forms that they are easy to paint, even for beginners. We had such fun adding ghosts and pumpkins to a cute tropical landscape that we found at our local thrift store. Watch the full video to see how we did it.

Here are 5 tips for adding ghosts to a thrift store painting

• If you're unsure about your artistic skills or placement of the ghosts, practice first! Lay a sheet of clear plastic over the artwork and paint on that to get a feel for how it will look. Then remove the plastic and paint right onto the canvas.
• Use light colors for your ghosts, so they will stand out against the background of the painting.
• Add streaks of gray to your white ghosts to give them depth and dimension.
• If you want your ghosts to be temporary and your artwork has glass over it, consider painting directly on the glass. Then you can scrape the paint off after Halloween.
• Add some glow-in-the-dark paint to your ghosts to create an eerie effect after the lights go out.

Where to find inexpensive art

There are many places where you can find inexpensive art to use for your thrifted ghost painting. Thrift stores are a great option, as you can often find paintings for just a few dollars. You can also find inexpensive art at garage sales, flea markets, and online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or eBay.

Don't forget to scavenge in your own home, too. Maybe you are tired of a piece of art and adding some ghosts to it will give it new life as holiday decor.

Here are five tips for finding inexpensive art to alter:

• Shop in the off season. Art stores often have sales during the off-season, so you can find great deals on paintings, prints, and other art objects.
• Look for damaged or imperfect art. If you're not too picky, you can often find damaged or imperfect art at stores for a fraction of the price of perfect art. Just be sure to inspect the art carefully before you buy it.
• Buy art from students or emerging artists. Students and emerging artists often sell their work for far less than what established artists charge.
• Frame your own art. Framing can add a lot to the cost of art, so consider buying unframed prints and repurposing a frame you already own to save money.
• Ask your friends and family. They may have some art perfect for your project that they will just give you because it doesn't suit their decor anymore.

10 Ideas and examples of thrift store ghost paintings for Halloween

There are so many amazing thrifted ghost paintings popping up all over TikTok and Pinterest. Here are some amazing thrifted ghost painting ideas and examples that we found to help get you inspired.

1: Host a ghost painting party

TikToker @whichwitchvillage seems to have started a trend on TikTok with the "ghost painting party" that she hosted with friends. What fun!

To host a ghost painting party, you can ask everyone to bring their own thrifted art or you can scour your local thrift stores and pick up a selection to have on hand. Provide paint, brushes, and some snacks and drinks and you have a fun get together.

2: Match the ghost painting to your regular decor

Just because the painting has ghosts, doesn't mean it can't still match your decor. In fact, it's so much more fun when the art seems to fit in at first and then you see the surprise of little ghosts in it.

Asizas Apothecary used a rural farm setting for their ghost painting. This would work perfectly in a home decorated in farmhouse decor.

3: Don't forget the small details

These paintings really shine when you add small, unexpected details. Moon Mountain Gems totally nailed this concept in their ghost painting with this watering can!

And the tiny ghost riding the carousel horse? Perfection! These smalld etails add so much character and depth to the paintings.

4: Consider using a collage painting

Eneida created 12 pieces of ghost art in one by starting with a country collage art piece. I'm certain my grandmother had this exact piece in her kitchen in the 80s, and I love it so much more with these charming ghosts.

5: Look for a unique frame style and shape

Canyon Eavenson's thrifted painting came in an oval frame, which adds some additional character. And if your frame color isn't to your liking, go ahead and paint it in a color to match your decor. (Just like we did in our video above!)

6: Remember, ghosts have pets too!

We absolutely love how Brush Me Off added a friendly ghost pet to her street scene. A ghost dog adds an extra layer of whimsy to this painting.

7: Add other spooky elements

Britt O added some clouds and bats to the sky in her painting, to match the spoooky vibe added the ghosts. What a great way to enhance that Halloween vibe in her thrifted painting.

8: Make the ghost the focal point

Sometimes a single ghost can become the focal point in an otherwise plain painting. Just look how Cathy Mae Kroeger added a ghost to the window of this very dated floral print. She made the ghost really feel like a part of the original painting by painting matching flowers over the ghost, making it blend in and look like it was always there.

9: Buy a thrifted ghost painting

If you're not sure of your painting skills, but still want some fun art, why not purchase a thrifted ghost painting someone else made?

There are some amazing pieces available on Etsy, where you can support other artists.

10: There are digital options, too!

You can make this trend even easier to follow by purchasing a digital art piece for your Samsung Frame television.