Make This Adorable Halloween Bat Costume for Under $10

Heidi Palkovic
·3 min read

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a bat flitting about. Designer and doll maker Merrilee Liddiard created this adorable kid's Halloween costume using everyday materials like cardboard and felt. Cut the trademark wings from a piece of cardboard—or two pieces if you don't have one wide enough to cut them from—and add elastic loops to make the wings wearable. Top it off with fur-lined felt ears and a suede mask embellished with felt fangs. When you're ready to head out trick-or-treating, dress your kiddo in comfortable clothes like sweatpants and a t-shirt. Your little bat will be comfortable and ready to go in this easy handmade Halloween costume.

Nicole Gerulat

How to Make a Kid's Bat Costume for Halloween

Supplies Needed

  • Printable bat patterns

  • Cardboard

  • Utility Knife

  • Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

  • Paintbrush

  • 1 yard of 1-inch wide black elastic

  • Gray suede

  • Scrap of cream felt

  • 10-inch strip of 5/8-inch-wide cream elastic

  • Brown faux fur

  • Gray sewing thread

  • Sewing needle

  • Safety pins

  • Headband

  • Tan shirt and pants

Step-by-Step Directions

This DIY Halloween costume calls for just a few inexpensive materials. Don't want to make a brown bat? Try using gray or black materials instead!

Illustration by Merrilee Liddiard

Step 1: Make the Wings

Enlarge and trace wing pattern twice onto cardboard; cut out. Hot-glue the wings together in the center with a slight overlap. Paint wings gray; let dry. Paint the wing outline and veins black. Splatter black spots on the wings. At the glued center, cut a small hole near the top of the wings (refer to the wing pattern for placement). Thread the black elastic strip through the hole from back to front and again to the back, making a front loop. Knot ends on the back. Pull front loop to lay evenly across wings; using both sides as ties, knot elastic in the center to make two arm loops.

Step 2: Make the Mask

Trace the mask pattern onto gray suede; cut out. Trace fang pattern twice onto cream felt ($1, Walmart); cut out. Hot-glue the fangs inside the bottom of the mask. Measure child's head, then trim 5/8-inch-wide elastic strip to size. Stitch elastic ends to the inside side edges of the mask.

Illustration by Merrilee Liddiard

Step 3: Make the Ears

Trace four ear patterns onto gray suede fabric; cut out. With right sides together, pin together two suede ears. Sew together, leaving the straight edge open. Turn ear right side out. Repeat for the second ear. Trace two ear tuft patterns onto brown faux fur. Referring to the ear pattern, hot-glue a faux fur ear tuft to the inside of each ear. Wrap the bottom edge of each ear around the ear tuft and hot-glue. If stiffer ears are desired, insert a strip of cardboard inside each ear. Hot-glue the bottom edge of each ear closed. Cut two 1-inch-wide gray suede strips. Wrap each suede strip around the headband ($3, Etsy) at desired ear locations. Hot-glue an ear to each strip.

Related: How to Make an Adorable Beaver Costume

Step 4: Make the Collar

Trace the collar pattern onto brown faux fur; cut out. Pin the collar to the front of a tan shirt. Your little bat is ready to take flight!