How to Make a Hanging Branch Centerpiece for Halloween

Themed Halloween centerpieces are great party decor for holiday gatherings, but they take up valuable space on the table, leaving less room for food. A perfect solution to this dilemma is an easy DIY floating centerpiece, which hangs above the table. For this Halloween floating centerpiece, a gnarled branch with sleeping bats appears to be suspended in midair, adding to the decoration's boo factor.

Find a branch that is twisted and gnarled for an eerier effect. Spray it with black spray paint. You can also use two smaller branches like the ones in the photo.

To make the bats to hang from the branch, cut 8 ½-by-11-inch sheets of black felt in half. At the bottom of these felt pieces, cut out two inverted triangles for the legs, and then cut a scalloped edge from the legs to the top corners.

For the body of the bat, cut a 3-by-4-inch piece of black faux fur and roll it up lengthwise, securing it with a rubber band.

Place the furry body in the middle of the bat wings and fold the bat wings on top of each other. Glue the wings together with a dab of hot glue. You don't need to glue the body to the wings, because the wings, when rolled up, will hold the body.

If you're working with two branches instead of one, tie them together with some string. You can also add some hot glue between the branches to help hold them together.

Hot glue the tips of the bat legs to the branch, so the bats hang upside-down. Arrange two to three bats in a row.

To make a cobweb, stretch a piece of cheesecloth in all directions. Allow parts of the cheesecloth to tear, so the web looks more authentic. Position it on the branch, snagging it on twigs to hold it in place. Hot glue a few plastic spiders to the cobweb.

You will need two hooks on the ceiling to hang the branch above the table. The best type of hook is one with a removable adhesive strip, like 3M Command Strips, so you can remove the hook without damaging the paint. Position the two hooks directly above the place where the branch will hang, spacing the two hooks about a foot apart. Tie a piece of fishing line to each of the hooks.

Tie the other end of the fishing line to the branch. Find another person to hold the branch in its desired place while you tie the fishing line to it. Do this for both pieces of fishing line.

After the branch is floating in place, step back to see if you are happy with its height. Ideally, it should not be blocking any sight lines while your guests are seated.

Adjust the fishing lines, if necessary, and cut off any excess. Prepare the refreshments and Halloween candy. Your DIY Halloween floating tablescape is ready for spooks, trick-or-treaters and all other creepy-crawly, spooky Halloween-themed things that may drop or even fly by.