Posted by
Have you seen the ‘thrifted ghost painting' TikTok trend? People are buying old paintings from thrift stores and painting ghosts over the subjects in the painting. I thought this trend was a spooky good Halloween bachelorette party idea, and to be honest, I think it's an activity that everyone can enjoy at bachelor parties (or gender-neutral bach parties) and other wedding events.
5 tips for hosting an introvert wedding shower
"The bride, other bridesmaid, and I are all introverts -- one of us is on the spectrum, one of us has general/social anxiety, and one... Read more
The thrifted ghost painting TikTok trend is also a fun alternative for introverted folks or anyone looking for a bach party activity that doesn't involve loud clubs and too much drinking. I decided to test out this trend at a recent Offbeat Wed meet-up with wedding pros who are part of the Offbeat Wed Vendor Guide. It was my first time meeting Jen of Weirdo Weddings, Daniella of Koontz Photography, and Nina of Berithova Photography in person!
It was quite similar to a bach party where you're gathering folks of different backgrounds into the same place. To combat the “meeting new people” jitters, I figured the TikTok ghost painting trend would be a fun activity we could all do to get to know each other in a low-pressure environment. The results? Well, let's just say it solidified my theory that Offbeat folks are the most creative people ever.
Take this Norman Rockwell print, for instance. Wait till you see how it turned out!
Here's what you'll need for this Halloween bachelorette party idea
Halloween bachelorette painting party supply list:
- Old paintings from a thrift store or vintage store
You don't want to spend much money on these, especially because you'll be painting over them. Aim for prints of paintings as opposed to actual paintings (you wouldn't want to paint over an actual Norman Rockwell! Sell that sh*t and make millions instead!). - A set of brushes
Diversity is key here, so make sure you get a pack of brushes in varying sizes and shapes! - Acrylic paints
Obvi you'll need black and white acrylic paints to pull off the thrifted ghost painting trend. I used a ton of autumn colors like red, brown, and orange because I wanted to add fall themes to the whole painting. - A plate to use as a palette for mixing the paints
You can use any old plate for this, but make sure to avoid anything porous or already handpainted so you don't accidentally stain it with the acrylic paint.
Here's how you pull off this Halloween bachelorette party idea:
The thrifted ghost painting idea is not exclusive to ghosts! If you're feeling extra artsy, you can just spook-ify a painting any way you want.
1) Set up a table for painting and conversation
I tried to create a centerpiece of sorts with the brushes in the middle and all the old paintings spread around the table to create a conversation piece. It encourages people to sit together and engage with each other, but the focus are the supplies in the middle of the table and not necessarily each other (raise your hand if you hate direct eye contact!). I also set up my laptop and put together a looping video of the ghost painting TikTok trend so everyone could immediately understand how to do it!
2) Paint ghosts over the subjects of the painting or into the painting
You can also paint spooky or creepy things into the painting. I tried to pick paintings that were great for interpretation, like a painting of a woman holding flowers, bald eagles flying over scenic mountains, or a lighthouse in the midst of a stormy sea. This Halloween bachelorette party idea gives everyone a chance to use their imagination! It was hilarious to hear each person's narrative behind their painting, like this one where Nina added “shy” ghosts to this flower girl painting.
Jen started this painting with a giant marshmallow ghost hovering over the shed in the middle. I painted ghosts over the couple in the foreground and added all the fall colors, plus a pumpkin patch!
Here's one where someone simply added ghost narwhals to this stormy ocean painting. This Halloween bachelorette party idea was perfect for getting our creative juices flowing!
3) To make things extra fun, paint one thing and pass it around
Let's add another level to this Halloween bachelorette party idea. Basically, you build on each other's paintings! For example, we started with this print of flying eagles. One person started by painting the head and bloody arm. Wait till you see how it turned out…
The next painter added the Eye of Sauron, the next added a volcanic Mount Doom, and so on until it became a scene from Lord of the Rings! It's like a fun and creative game that guarantees instant laughs. It's even funnier if you're not very good at painting (although theat head is impressive). Everyone was delighted to see who added what to the painting, which encouraged lots of bonding and conversations!
4) Let everyone take home their thrifted ghost painting!
The end result of this Halloween bachelorette party idea is budget-friendly bach party favor that can double as Halloween decorations!
Remember that Norman Rockwell print?
Here's the before and after, courtesy of Daniella! I'm obsessed with the witchy hat and the clown from It! Funnily enough, Daniella may have left the finished painting in her Airbnb. It tickles me to know the Airbnb house cleaners might have stumbled across this horrifying piece of art and wondered what the heck we were doing in that house…
My final thoughts on this Halloween bachelorette party idea
We started the Offbeat Wed vendor meet-up as strangers and ended it as friends! I really think the thrifted ghost painting trend was a fun and casual way to get to know new people. First of all, you're asking people to paint ghosts or spookify an existing painting. How goofy is that?! And second, everyone is taking part in a calming and intuitive activity.
This Halloween bachelorette party idea forces you to step outside your brain, which also seems to help with letting down your guard and opening yourself up to new friends. I would def recommend this Halloween bachelorette party idea to anyone who is gathering a group of shy, introverted friends together, wants a fun alternative to raging, or needs to relax and decompress after a high-stimulus bach activity!
Looking for more bach party ideas? Check out our archive of bachelorette party ideas and bachelorette party tips!
Offbeat Wed Vendor
This page features vendors from our curated Offbeat Wed Vendor Directory. They're awesome and we love them. If you're a vendor let's get you in here!
OMG this was the best time! I sincerely didn’t know what I was doing and just let it all happen hahaahah!!!!! And i even consider myself creative/artistic…but still didn’t know what to do with little ghosties HAHAHA!!!! Thank you OBW and Suki!!!!