Recent Posts

holidays

Bat Lights DIY

You’ll go batty for these cute bat lights. Hang them on a window, behind your sofa, on a fireplace mantel – or double your bats by draping them over a mirror.  You could even hang them in the batroom – er, I mean bathroom. If you don’t want to do lights, you could hang them from a length of string (with tape or glue) for a fun garland.

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Materials needed: black 6” x 6” origami paper, black construction paper, scissors, string lights, craft glue, white paper, a sharp pointy tool.

Step 1: Create a balloon origami shape – I found these instructions helpful, but I’ve tried to show the steps here too. Begin by folding the paper in half. Then fold in half again.
Step 2: Insert one finger and open the top fold, slide it to open (you may have to poke and nudge a little) and press down to flatten the triangle you just created.
Step 3: Turn paper over and repeat Step 2.
Step 4: Fold up the right and left corners – so that the lower left corner meets the top point, and the lower right corner meets the top point – to create a diamond shape.
Step 5: Turn paper over and repeat Step 4.
Step 6: Fold in each outer point of the diamond. The outer points should meet in the middle.
Step 7: Turn paper over and repeat Step 6.
Step 8: Tuck the top two triangles into the flaps below them. Flip over and repeat this step.
Step 9: Blow up the balloon where there is a little hole on the bottom.
Step 10: Cut out two 2 ½” x 1 ½” (roughly – no need to be exact) bat wings. You can use this bat wing template or just “wing it”.
Step 11: Fold a 1/8” tab on the end of the wing, and apply a dab of glue.
Step 12: Attach wings to the sides of the origami balloon by tucking into one of the folds. Let dry.
Step 13: Using a sharp tool or very sharp pencil point, poke two small holes for eyes into the front of the balloon.
Step 14: For the fangs, cut out two tiny triangles about 1/8” each from white paper. Glue under eyes.
Step 15: Repeat steps 1-14 to cover all the bare bulbs in the string light set. Attach bat to lights by popping the bulb into the hole at the top of the bat.

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Bat Lights DIY | Oh Happy Day!

Photography by Tim Gibson

  1. Anna of Analog House

    September 24, 2015

    These are awesome, and I love the pin!

    http://theanaloghouse.blogspot.com

  2. Michelle

    September 24, 2015

    These are just too adorable! And with Origami as well, I have to practice my folding skills again…thanks for this inspiration!

  3. Kellee

    September 24, 2015

    These are tooooo cute!

  4. sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com

    September 24, 2015

    I like these up the wall and over the mirror like u show. Even if my folds don’t come out as well as yours, that will be okay – it’ll just make those bats ‘scarier! ‘ !!! Lol~

  5. Paige

    September 24, 2015

    These bats are so fun and cute! We definitely need to make these in our house!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

  6. Sam

    September 24, 2015

    These are super cute! Perfect Halloween decoration. =^-^=

    Sam | Momentarily Dreaming

  7. Nikki

    September 25, 2015

    Love love love.

  8. Nikki

    September 25, 2015

    Love love love. I can’t wait to try

  9. Jessica

    September 27, 2015

    These are too cute! Great idea! I’d have a hard time figuring out where to hang them. 🙂

  10. Jessica

    September 27, 2015

    These are too cute! What a fun idea… I’d have a hard time finding where to hang it. 🙂

Comments are Closed

More Recent Posts