They are simple enough for families to make at the last minute and use basic items you probably have on hand. Dress up several in different heights, shapes and sizes for extra "Boos!"

Here's the stuff you'll need for one ghost:

—2 large, sturdy white dinner-size paper plates

—2 standard, lightweight wire clothes hangers

—a 3-foot-long section of 1/2-inch dowel from the hardware store. An old broomstick, yardstick or tree branch of the same length also works

—1 piece of 45-inch-by-45-inch lightweight white lining fabric, or use a lightweight white plastic disposable tablecloth cut to size

—2 yards 1-inch-wide black ribbon

—Self-stick craft foam sheets or felt and glue

—Duct tape

—Pliers and stapler

Here's the Halloween fun:

1. To make arms for the ghost, unwind the top of the hanger and straighten out the semi "S" shape. The hanger will look like a three-sided topless rectangle in front of you: a short side, a base and a long side.

2. Bend the short side down to the base, and twist the wire in place with pliers to form a narrow loop. You now have one arm. Repeat with a second hanger for the other arm.

3. Twist together the top 4 inches of the long sides of both hangers. Wrap the twisted portion with tape to secure in place. Now you will have two outstretched arms and a neck at the point where the hangers are twisted together.

4. Tape the "neck" potion of the hanger to the top of the dowel, and then tape that part to the middle of the inside of a paper plate. Set a second plate on top and staple around all edges to complete the head shape.

5. Now it's time to dress the ghost. Fold the fabric into a large triangle. Set the center fold evenly over the plate head and spread over the outstretched wire arms. Tape the very ends of the arms to the underside of the fabric to hold it in place. Tie the ribbon around the neck of the ghost just below the round plates. Cut two ghostly eye shapes out of craft foam or felt. Stick them on or glue them to the fabric face.

6. Poke the dowel or stick into the ground by your walkway. To display on a porch or deck, poke into a clay pot filled with sand.

EXTRA RESOURCE: For more of Donna's creative and economical Halloween recipes and crafts, watch "Donna's Day Ultimate Halloween" on the CREATE TV channel Oct. 31 at 4:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate