We’re getting so close to the big day, guys! I can hardly contain myself!
On that note- I love to decorate for this holiday, it’s so fun and creepy. I realized a few days ago, that I barely had any bat decor. Nothing says spooky more than those little “bears with wings”, especially when they’re in flight. I intended to create a type of stationary “mobile” with dangling bats, very much like the kind I had seen online. This is a fun, easy project that requires imagination and a step stool/ladder- or in my case, my six foot three husband, Justin.
You’ll Need:
stock, construction paper or poster board in black
black thread or clear fishing wire
a large branch
black spray paint or paint (if using acrylic paint, you’ll need paintbrushes)
tape or glue gun
Directions:
- Using whatever material you chose for your bats (I used black poster board from the dollar store), fold the piece in half and cut the silhouette of a bat. The folding is needed so when you open it, there’s a crease down the center of the bat.
I cut out fifteen bats, ranging from small to large.
- Using whatever paint you chose (I used black acrylic paint), paint your branch black. I only did one coat, but you can do more, if you want.
- Once the branch is completely dry, tie fifteen pieces of string or wire (at varying lengths) all over the branch. Make sure the length of the string or wire will work with wherever you want to hang the branch. The bats could dangle too low and become a nuisance.
- Attach the bats to string or wire using either tape or glue. I used tape, but it is entirely up to you. I found the glue weighed the bat down a little and they tended to flip upside down- which is not ideal, but doesn’t look bad!
- Now you’re ready to hang the branch. Choose a location in your home that is subject to traffic (so people can see your badass decoration), and hang the branch from the ceiling (I tilted mine down just a little, for a more realistic effect). This is where the fishing wire comes in handy, you don’t necessarily want people to see the material you used to hang the it- as if it were floating!
Disclaimer: Luckily, we had an edge to rest the bottom of the branch on. If you don’t have that, two hooks and wire will work just the same.
And there you have it, creeps! A cool project that will immediately become the focal point of any room. It has a super vintage/goth horror feel to it and I adore it. The branch hanging down reminds me of being outside on Halloween: the wind howling and bats swooping down, screeching into the night!
I hope you love it as much as I love mine! Enjoy!
Mangled Matters 