When it comes to themed crafts and holiday DIY, Halloween is one of the very best times of year in terms of great ideas. In fact, there are so many great DIY opportunities this time of year that I had to narrow my category down to just “bats” in order to make a list that wasn’t totally overwhelming with options!
Check out these 13 adorable bat themed crafts that your kids will absolutely adore making this Halloween.
1. Egg carton bats and ghosts
Okay, so technically this tutorial also shows you how to make ghosts, but look how adorable these little cardboard bats are! They’re not just made of any old cardboard, however. Zing Zing Tree suggests using cut pieces of egg cartons because the natural shape of the carton’s sides where the egg cups are make the perfect shape already. Paint the bats black, add googly eyes, and voila!
2. Pom pom bats
Are you an avid knitter who always has an unending supply of spare yarn laying around? Then you’re probably no stranger to making pom poms with your yarn ends! Around Halloween, however, you can take your pom poms a step further with some felt wings and some googly eyes and turn them into adorable little hanging bats, just like Red Ted Art did here.
3. Conker bat pencil topper
Do you have conker trees in your back yard or in the park by your house? Then you already have almost everything you need to make these adorable little bats by Red Ted Art! Stick on some googly eyes and some ears and wings made of foam, then follow the tutorial to turn your little creature of the night into a pencil topper.
4. Hanging bats
Toilet roll crafts are some of my favourite projects because they’re simple and cheap to make, but they’re still a lot of fun. These little upside down hanging bats are also completely adorable! Check out how El Hadad e Papel painted and folded each roll into a bat with ears, then attached pipe cleaner feet for good grip when they hang!
5. Black felt pencil toppers
Did you like the bat pencil topper idea but you don’t have access to conkers anywhere near where you live? Try these little felt bats instead! They’re simple to make and will actually be easier to write with than two heavy conquers on the end of your pencil or pen. Twig and Toadstool shows you how they’re done in just a few simple steps.
6. Bottle top bats
Does your family drink a lot of pop or bottled beverages, meaning you always have lids kicking around in your recycling bin? Save them up and use them for crafting and decor! I can’t get over how cute these little bats by Love and Lollipops are, or how simple. Crimp a strip of paper on each side for wings, stick on some page reinforcements on the top of the lids for eyes, and consider gluing a magnetic strip on the back to make adorable little Halloween fridge magnets!
7. Bat themed Halloween matching game
Happy Hooligans guides you through the process of cutting cute little pairs of bat shapes out of decorative paper in all different patterns in order to make a kids’ Halloween match up game! Choose paper that has a blank back side and flip all the bats over, laid out in rows so the patterned sides don’t show. Have your kids play a classic memory game, flipping two bats over at a time to try and remember where they’ve seen the pattern in the grid before until they match all the patterned pairs up.
8. Flapping bat
All of these little bat crafts are very cute, but I’ve always been an especially big fan of crafts that actually move or work like the real thing. That’s why this little bat craft by Spoonful caught my eye so strongly! Their tutorial shows you how to use brad pins to create wings that actually flap when you pull a string.
9. Coffee filter and pom pom bat
Do you remember the little pom pom bats we mentioned earlier in this list? Well, you can make bats out of bigger, fluffier pom poms too! If the bat is going to be bigger, however, the wings should be too! Buggie and Jelly Bean suggests using coffee filters that you’ve practiced “water color” painting techniques on, just for an extra fun flair!
10. Bat finger puppet
Foam is a magical tool when it comes to crafting because there are so many things you can make out of it. One of my very favourite ideas on this list are these little bat shaped finger puppets. I’m a sucker for any craft that keeps kids busy while they make it and then continues to keep them busy while they play with it after! Check out how to make them on My Baby Faves.
11. Paper cup bat candy basket
Are your kids little enough that they won’t be walking around for very long Trick or Treating, and they won’t really be carrying their own candy bag either? Make them at least feel like they’re having the full on big kid experience by helping them make these cute little bat shaped candy cups complete with a handle, so they can collect a little bit of candy themselves, even if the bucket is only the size of a paper cup. First Palette shows you how they’re made!
12. Pop up bats
Here’s another one for the books when it comes to crafts your kids can play with once they’re done making them! These little pop up bats are so cute that I’m pretty sure I’d have to resist playing with them myself. Willow Day shows you how to make the cylinder and construct the bat so it pops out the top and back in when you push and pull the stick at the bottom.
13. Origami bats
Origami is one of my absolute favourite crafting techniques! These little bats are a great idea for kids who are up for the challenge of learning where to make folds and turns in their paper, but they’re still simple enough that it’s fun rather than frustrating. Layers of Learning makes sure of that. Don’t forget to finish them off with googly eyes and teeth!
Do you know someone whose kids are absolutely in love with Halloween crafting, particularly if they get to make bats? Share this post with them so they can try something new!
