Halloween tables love a glow. And nothing glows quite like a little ghost sitting on your table, lit from the inside by an LED tealight. This crochet ghost lantern jar cover slips over an ordinary glass jar, turns a battery light into a party lantern, and works up in one cozy evening — base circle, straight sides, a wavy hem, and an embroidered face. No stuffing, no sewing pieces together, and no tricky color changes.
One honest rule before you pick up your hook: LED lights only. Never a real candle, never near a flame or heat. Yarn is fuel, and this little ghost is here to look spooky, not be spooky. A battery tealight or a short string of battery fairy lights gives you the perfect glow with none of the risk.
What You'll Need
- Worsted-weight (Category 4) yarn, about 35–40 g in white. Acrylic is ideal here — it is inexpensive, easy-care, and holds its shape around the jar. A smooth yarn shows the embroidered face best; avoid fuzzy novelty yarns.
- A small amount of black worsted yarn for the face — scraps are perfect.
- 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook.
- A clean glass jar about 8 cm (3.25 in) in diameter — a 250 ml / 8 oz mason or jam jar works beautifully. The pattern below is sized for this diameter; measure yours and adjust the base rounds as noted.
- A battery LED tealight or short string of battery fairy lights — LED only, never a real flame.
- Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors.
Stitches You'll Use
Magic ring, single crochet (sc), increase (inc = 2 sc in one stitch), chain (ch), double crochet (dc), slip stitch (sl st). The body is worked in continuous spiral rounds — move your marker up each round so you never lose your place.
The Base Circle
The cover starts as a flat circle that must match your jar's base. Hold it against the jar as you go — this is sizing, not guessing.
- R1: 8 sc in magic ring (8)
- R2: inc in each st (16)
- R3: [sc, inc] × 8 (24)
- R4: [2 sc, inc] × 8 (32)
- R5: [3 sc, inc] × 8 (40)
For an 8 cm jar, R5 is usually the sweet spot: the circle should sit flat on the jar's base with its edge just meeting the glass. If your jar is wider, add R6: [4 sc, inc] × 8 (48). The finished base should be snug, not stretched.
The Sides
From here, work sc in each stitch of every round — no increases — until the cover climbs to about 1 cm below the jar's rim. For a 12 cm tall jar that is roughly 18–22 even rounds. This is the meditative part: round after round of single crochet, the ghost's white body growing up the glass. Slip the jar inside every few rounds to check the fit. The cover should slide on smoothly and sit without flaring.
The Wavy Hem
The classic ghost silhouette comes from a scalloped bottom edge. Finish the sides with one decorative round:
Hem round: *skip next st, 5 dc in next st, skip next st, sl st in next st* — repeat around.
This repeat needs a multiple of 4, and your 40-stitch side gives you exactly 10 scallops. The shells curl naturally, creating the wavy hem that says "ghost" at a glance. Fasten off and weave in the end.
The Face (Embroidered, Not Sewn)
The face is embroidered on the surface only — stitches that sit on top of the fabric, never pulled through to the inside. This keeps the inside of the cover smooth against the jar and stops the face puckering when the cover is on the glass.
- Eyes: two small ovals, worked as a few straight satin stitches stacked into an oval shape, about 1 cm tall and 0.6 cm wide, placed at the upper third of the sides, roughly 3 cm apart.
- Mouth: one small "o", about 1 cm across, centered below the eyes.
Use the tapestry needle and black yarn held relaxed — embroidery done too tightly is the only thing that puckers a cover. Step back after each eye to check symmetry. Two round eyes and an open mouth is the classic friendly-ghost look; slanted eyes and a wavy mouth turn him mischievous.
Safety: LED Only, Every Time
This section matters more than any stitch: use battery-operated LED lights only. Drop the LED tealight into the empty jar, slip the cover over it, and set the ghost wherever you like. Never place a real candle, incense, or any open flame inside or near the cover. Keep yarn decor away from stovetops, fireplaces, and hot radiators. Follow your battery lights' maker instructions and don't leave them switched on unattended for long stretches — treat them like any electrical decoration.
Variations (Styling Ideas, Not Extra Patterns)
- Jack-o'-lantern orange: work the whole cover in pumpkin orange and embroider a jagged jack-o'-lantern face — an instant glowing pair with your white ghost.
- Midnight ghost: black cover with a white ghost face, dramatic on a porch step.
- Jam-jar minis: stop the base at R4 and work fewer side rounds for smaller jars — a trio of minis looks adorable down a table runner.
Where Your Ghost Goes to Glow
This ghost lantern is a team player. Style it as a table centrepiece surrounded by the fall leaf coasters from yesterday's post — the rust and gold leaves make the white ghost pop. Line two or three along a porch step with LED tealights inside, and walkers will slow down. They also make fantastic party photo props: one ghost per place setting, glowing softly behind the dinner plates. And the pumpkin-amigurumi fans will notice — pair the lantern with your Halloween garland strung across the mantel and the whole display reads as one collected, handmade October.
Troubleshooting
- Cover slides off the jar: add one snug extra base round worked in back loop only, or tie a thin ribbon around the hem.
- Face puckers: embroider loose, keeping all stitches on the surface rather than pulling through the fabric.
- Hem flares too much: your side-round count may be a multiple that overshoots — check that the sides have 40 stitches (a multiple of 4) before the hem round.
One evening, one ball of white yarn, one jar you already own — and you have a little ghost that glows all October. Make the pumpkin-orange variation next, and your porch gets a glowing pair.