How to Make Vampire Bats With Coffee Filters

Rather than spending lots of money buying simple Halloween decorations, you can make many of them in your own home at a fraction of the cost--and with loads of enjoyment added in. With just a few steps and some basic materials, humble coffee filters can become bloodthirsty vampire bats.

Things You'll Need

• Clothespin
• Paintbrush
• Coffee filter
• Acrylic paint
• Scissors
• Watercolor paints
• White crafting glue
• Wiggly eyes
• Fishing line
• Thumbtack

Instructions

1. Spread a sheet of wax paper on your workspace. Use a paintbrush and acrylic paint to turn a miniature wooden clothespin either dark purple or black. Place the painted clothespin on a corner of the wax paper to dry. Rinse off the paintbrush and dab it gently on a dry paper towel to remove any excess water.

2. Peel off one coffee filter and fold it in half, matching the edges carefully. Use scissors to cut it in half from one side to the other along the folded crease.

3. Paint half of the coffee filter with purple watercolor paint. Set this painted half down on your wax paper to dry. Paint the other half of the coffee filter with the black watercolor paint, then set it down to dry as well.

4. Place the dried purple-painted half on top of the dried black half, making sure to match their edges evenly. Pinch the two filters with your fingers to gather them at the center of the straight edge.

5. Open the clothespin. Insert the gathered end of the coffee filter and squeeze a small dot of white crafting glue. Let the clothespin close, clamping the gathered end inside the clamp. The craft glue will help keep the "wings" in place when it dries.

6. Cut half-circles out of the rounded sides of the wings. These should be in proportion with the wing size to better simulate a bat's wings. Cut smaller, jagged circles to leave "v"-shaped points on the portion of the wings you just cut the half-circles out of. These add more detail.

7. Glue two small wiggly eyes onto the front of the clothespin, on the pincher end.

8. Tie a length of clear fishing line around the clothespin. Tie the other end of fishing line to a thumbtack and use this to suspend the bat from the ceiling or doorway.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut two tiny triangles out of white paper and glue them onto the "jaws" of your bat to serve as "fangs."