Booquet Ghost Pillow: Free Crochet Pattern

There’s something endlessly charming about a pillow that makes you smile every time you walk into the room. The Booquet Ghost Pillow does exactly that — it’s spooky, it’s sweet, and it’s stuffed with the kind of handmade love that store-bought decorations simply can’t replicate. Whether you’re a Halloween enthusiast who decorates from September 1st straight through to November, or you’re looking for a whimsical accent piece that lives on your couch year-round, this crochet ghost pillow is the perfect project.

This pattern is designed for crocheters who are comfortable with the basics — single crochet, magic rings, and working in the round — but it’s approachable enough that an adventurous beginner can absolutely give it a go. The result is a plush, huggable ghost pillow shaped like a little bouquet of friendly spirits, complete with soft curves, expressive faces, and a silhouette that photographs beautifully in your home. Let’s dig into everything you need to know to make your very own Booquet Ghost Pillow.

What Is the Booquet Ghost Pillow?

The name is a play on “bouquet” and “boo” — because these ghosts are gathered together like flowers in a bunch, rising up from the base of the pillow in a cluster of soft, rounded shapes. The overall design reads as a single decorative pillow when it’s sitting on your shelf or sofa, but up close you can see each individual ghost peeking out, their embroidered faces full of personality.

The pillow works up in sections. Each ghost head is crocheted separately, then assembled onto a flat base that holds everything together. The finished piece is stuffed with polyfill, giving it a satisfying squish that makes it just as functional as it is decorative.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cast on — or rather, before you make your magic ring — gather everything you need so the process stays smooth and enjoyable.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn works best for this project. You’ll need white or cream for the ghost bodies, and a small amount of black for the faces. If you want to give each ghost a slightly different personality, you can use off-white, light grey, or pale lavender for some of them. The finished pillow uses approximately 300–400 yards of the main ghost color and about 20 yards of black.

Hook: A 5.0mm (US H/8) crochet hook is ideal for worsted weight yarn. If you tend to crochet tightly, consider going up to a 5.5mm to keep the fabric from becoming too stiff.

Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill, enough to firmly stuff each ghost head and the body of the pillow. Don’t skimp here — a well-stuffed ghost has much better shape than an underfilled one.

Notions: Stitch markers, a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming, scissors, and black embroidery floss or black safety eyes (12mm) for the faces. If you’re making this pillow for a young child, embroider the eyes rather than using safety eyes, which can become a choking hazard.

Optional: A backing piece of fabric or a second crocheted panel if you’d like a more finished pillow back. This is purely a personal preference.

Gauge

Gauge: 14 sc x 16 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) using a 5.0mm hook and worsted weight yarn.

Because this is a decorative pillow and not a garment, gauge doesn’t need to be exact. The finished dimensions will vary slightly based on your tension, but the general proportions of the pillow will remain the same as long as you’re using the same weight of yarn.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

MC — main color (white or cream)
CC — contrast color (black)
MR — magic ring
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (2 sc in same stitch)
dec — decrease (invisible decrease: insert hook in front loop of next stitch, then front loop of following stitch, yarn over and pull through both loops, yarn over and pull through 2 loops)
sl st — slip stitch
ch — chain
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
st(s) — stitch(es)
rep — repeat
pm — place marker
sm — slip marker

Pattern Instructions

Part One: The Ghost Heads (Make 5)

Each ghost in the bouquet starts with a round top and tapers into a slightly wavy bottom edge that gives it that classic ghost silhouette. You’ll make five ghost heads in total, though you can make more or fewer depending on how large or compact you’d like the finished pillow to be.

Round 1: Using MC, make a MR. Work 6 sc into the ring, pull ring closed. (6 sts)

Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Round 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)

Round 4: Sc 2, inc rep around. (24 sts)

Round 5: Sc 3, inc rep around. (30 sts)

Round 6: Sc 4, inc rep around. (36 sts)

Round 7: Sc 5, inc rep around. (42 sts)

Rounds 8–14: Sc in each st around. (42 sts) — 7 rounds even

Round 15: Sc 5, dec rep around. (36 sts)

Round 16: Sc 4, dec rep around. (30 sts)

Round 17: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)

Round 18: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)

At this point, begin stuffing the ghost head firmly. Continue to add stuffing as you close the shape.

Round 19: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)

Round 20: Sc 2, dec rep around. (18 sts)

Now work the bottom wavy edge of the ghost, which gives it that iconic flowing shape.

Round 21 (wavy edge): Ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, skip 2 sts on ghost body, sl st in next st rep 4–5 times around the bottom of the ghost, then sl st to close and fasten off, leaving a long tail for assembly.

The wavy edge creates small pointed “drips” along the bottom, mimicking the way a ghost’s sheet trails behind it. Don’t worry if yours doesn’t look perfect — ghosts are supposed to be a little unruly.

Part Two: Add the Faces

Before assembling the ghosts, add their faces. This step is much easier while each head is a freestanding sphere rather than attached to the base.

Embroidered eyes: Using black embroidery floss and a needle, stitch two small oval eyes onto each ghost, roughly centered between Round 6 and Round 10, leaving about 6–8 stitches of space between them. A simple satin stitch works beautifully for a solid, expressive eye.

Safety eyes: If using safety eyes, attach them before closing the head completely, positioning them through the fabric between Rounds 6 and 10, then pressing the washers on securely from the inside.

Mouth (optional): A simple curved smile or a surprised “O” shape adds enormous personality. Use the same black floss and a running stitch to create a small curved mouth just below and between the eyes.

Give each ghost a slightly different expression if you like — one smiling, one surprised, one serious. The variety makes the bouquet feel alive and full of character.

Part Three: The Pillow Base

The base is a flat oval or rounded rectangle that all five ghosts will be attached to. Think of it as the pot or vase of your ghost bouquet.

Foundation: Ch 20.

Round 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 18, then work 3 sc in the last ch. Continue along the other side of the foundation chain, sc 17, work 3 sc in the first ch. Join with sl st to form a ring. (42 sts)

Round 2: Inc, sc 17, inc 3 times, sc 17, inc 2 times. (48 sts)

Round 3: Sc 1, inc, sc 17, sc 1, inc 3 times, sc 17, sc 1, inc 2 times. (54 sts)

Rounds 4–8: Sc in each st around. (54 sts)

Round 9 (turning ridge, BLO): Working in BLO only, sc in each st around. (54 sts)

This turning ridge creates a clean edge where the sides of the base begin.

Rounds 10–14: Sc in each st around. (54 sts)

At this point, you have the front panel of the pillow base complete. Now make an identical second panel for the back, working Rounds 1–8 only, without the turning ridge. Alternatively, cut a piece of fabric the same size and shape and use that as your backing — either option creates a clean finish.

Stuff the base lightly. It doesn’t need to be as firm as the ghost heads; a soft, flat cushion feel works well here.

To close the pillow, hold the front and back panels together and single crochet through both layers around the edge, leaving a gap of about 8–10 stitches to add your final bit of stuffing before closing completely.

Part Four: Assembly

This is where everything comes together, and it’s immensely satisfying.

Arrange your five ghost heads on top of the pillow base before sewing anything down. Play with the arrangement — two in the back row slightly taller, three in the front slightly shorter creates a natural bouquet shape. You can also cluster them more densely or spread them out depending on the size of your base.

Once you’re happy with the arrangement, use the long yarn tails from each ghost to sew them down firmly to the top of the pillow base. Sew through several stitches on the base and several on the bottom of the ghost, going around the perimeter of the attachment point multiple times to make sure nothing shifts. Weave in all ends securely.

If some of the ghosts are leaning at slightly different angles, that’s perfectly fine — it adds to the organic, bouquet-like feel of the finished piece.

Finishing Touches and Customization Ideas

The Booquet Ghost Pillow is a wonderful base for personalization, and that’s one of the things that makes crochet patterns so satisfying. Here are some ideas for making yours unique.

Color variations: Try making one or two ghosts in pale lavender or soft pink for a pastel Halloween palette. A blush ghost next to classic white ghosts looks especially lovely in photographs.

Size: Work the ghost heads with a bulkier yarn and a larger hook if you want oversized ghosts with real presence, or use a finer weight yarn to create a more delicate, miniature bouquet. The construction remains the same regardless of scale.

Embellishments: Tiny ribbon bows at the bottom of the ghost cluster, like the ribbon on an actual bouquet, add a whimsical finishing touch. You can also add small crocheted flowers or stars nestled between the ghosts for extra texture.

Eyes and expressions: Black button eyes give a different feel than embroidered eyes — more retro, slightly funky. Mix and match within the same pillow for a group of ghosts who each have their own look.

Seasonal styling: While this pillow is most obviously a Halloween decoration, its soft colors and friendly ghost faces make it work in a general “spooky cute” or cottagecore aesthetic year-round. Pair it with some autumn foliage and pumpkins in October, then move it to a shelf with candles and dried flowers in November or December for a cozy winter vibe.

Tips for Success

If you’ve never crocheted a stuffed piece before, a few practical notes will help you get the best results.

Stuff as you go rather than trying to push stuffing through a small opening at the end. This gives you much better control over the shape and firmness. Add stuffing gradually — it’s much easier to add more than to take it out.

Use stitch markers generously. When working in the round, it’s easy to lose track of where rounds begin, especially in white or light-colored yarn. A marker at the start of each round saves a lot of counting and frogging.

The invisible decrease (working through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches) creates a much smoother decrease than the traditional sc2tog, which leaves a small bump on the surface of the fabric. For a plush piece like this, the invisible decrease is worth the extra second it takes.

When seaming the ghosts to the base, use the same yarn you crocheted with so the stitches disappear into the fabric. If you switched between yarn weights or brands for different ghosts, use a matching color from whichever yarn is the most visible.

Block the finished pillow lightly if the fabric looks uneven. A quick spritz of water and gentle reshaping while damp will smooth out any inconsistencies and give you crisp, even stitches.

About the Ribblr Platform

This pattern is available on Ribblr, a wonderful pattern platform that makes it easy to crochet digitally — you can follow along row by row on your phone or tablet, check off rounds as you complete them, and switch between viewing the full pattern and a simplified row-counter mode. If you haven’t explored Ribblr yet, it’s worth checking out. The platform has a growing community of designers and makers, and finding patterns there gives you direct access to the designer for questions and support.

If you’re downloading this pattern on Ribblr, remember to add it to your library so you can access it offline and track your progress across multiple crafting sessions.

Sharing Your Finished Make

Once your Booquet Ghost Pillow is complete, please share it! On Ribblr, you can post your finished make directly to the pattern page so other crafters can see your version and get inspired. On Instagram, tag your photos with #BooquetGhostPillow and #crochethalloween so the crochet community can find your work.

Seeing real finished makes is genuinely helpful for anyone deciding whether to try a pattern — your photo might be the thing that gives someone else the confidence to cast on. And if you make any modifications or find a better way to do something, sharing those discoveries helps everyone who comes after you.

Final Thoughts

The Booquet Ghost Pillow is the kind of project that starts out as a Halloween decoration and ends up becoming a beloved part of your home’s personality. It’s tactile, it’s expressive, and it carries the particular warmth that comes from something made by hand. Each stitch is a small act of intention, and the finished piece holds all of that energy in a way that mass-produced decor simply doesn’t.

Whether you’re making this for yourself, as a gift, or as a market piece, take your time with it. Enjoy the rhythm of the rounds, experiment with the faces, and don’t stress if your ghost looks a little different from the pattern photos — handmade variation is a feature, not a flaw. Happy crocheting, and happy haunting.