Easy Halloween DIY – Bats made from toilet rolls
Updated: Sep 30
Bats have popped up in our Halloween crafts!
To make these little creatures, we recycled toilet rolls and used accordion-folded papers. And rather than making the bats entirely black, we gave them all slightly different looks!
This is an easy Halloween craft to do with the children, which helps them practise folding, cutting and gluing, while turning a few very simple materials into a fun halloween character.
So, are you ready to create a whole colony of bats?!?!
Materials
Step-by-step
Paint a toilet paper roll entirely black, then leave it to dry.
Paint a toilet roll black to make the body of the Halloween bat
Stick your coloured or patterned paper onto a sheet of black paper. Here, I’ve chosen a leopard-print pattern in shades of orange and black (perfect fit for a pretty bat).
Stick the coloured paper onto a sheet of black paper to make the bat’s wings. Stick the coloured paper onto a sheet of black paper to make the bat’s wings. Stick the coloured paper onto a sheet of black paper to make the bat’s wings.
Cut two strips of 8 cm wide.
Cut out two strips of paper about 8 cm wide to make the wings.
Fold each of the two strips into an accordion fold.
Fold the strips of paper into an accordion fold to create the bat’s wings. Fold the strips of paper into an accordion fold to create the bat’s wings. Fold the strips of paper into an accordion fold to create the bat’s wings.
When you have finished folding, check that the black paper is on both outer sides of each accordion. If necessary, cut off excess paper so that you end up with a black side.
Don’t throw away the scraps! Use the leftover patterned paper to cut out two small triangles for the ears and, if you like, a little hair clip to decorate your bat.
Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be
Apply a few dots of glue between the folds at the top of each accordion (both sides) to keep this part closed.
Leave the bottom of the accordion open. This will allow it to form the bat’s large wings.
Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be Stick down the folds at the top of the accordions, leaving the bottom free so that the wings can be
Stick the closed end of each accordion fold on either side of the roll, about 1 to 2 cm from the top edge.
Stick the two accordion-folded flaps on either side of the toilet roll. Stick the two accordion-folded flaps on either side of the toilet roll. Stick the two accordion-folded flaps on either side of the toilet roll.
Stick the two small triangles inside the top of the tp roll to form the ears.
Cut out and then stick on two small ears made from scraps of patterned paper. Cut out and then stick on two small ears made from scraps of patterned paper. Cut out and then stick on two small ears made from scraps of patterned paper.
Draw the eyes, the mouth and the little teeth using markers and tipp-ex
Draw the bat’s eyes, mouth and little teeth using felt-tip pens and tipp-ex Draw the bat’s eyes, mouth and little teeth using felt-tip pens and tipp ex Draw the bat’s eyes, mouth and little teeth using felt-tip pens and tipp ex
There you go! Your toilet paper roll bat is ready to fly!
Why do we love this activity?
This activity allows you to recycle a toilet paper roll while experimenting with a very simple folding technique. Folding the wings in an accordion-style pattern requires a bit of precision and helps children develop their fine motor skills.
And best of all, each bat can be completely different: coloured paper, patterns, a hairclip, a flower crown… Just let your imagination run wild!
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