DIY Cardboard Halloween Bats
DIY Halloween Bats with Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™
I’ll be honest, I am not a huge fan of Halloween decorations. I prefer the pretty Fall pumpkins. However, for today’s project, I made these charming Halloween bats, and I love how they turned out! There is just something so cute and fun about today’s project that makes me so excited to put them up every year for Halloween.
The best part about today’s project is that they are very easy to create, and they are also very inexpensive to make. All I used is a bat template that I created (please find yours HERE), some recycled cardboard, and Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™ in Typewriter and Farmhouse White.
You can display these on your mantle like I did, on a blank wall, or by a door for added whimsy for you and your guests to enjoy this Halloween. I hope you enjoy making these bats just as much as I did!
Since this project only requires a little bit of Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™, you can use paint leftover from another larger project. And, since Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™ is non-toxic, your children can help paint the bats!
For your convenience, I created a step-by-step video tutorial for you. You can watch it below. Then follow along for the step-by-step picture tutorial.
Now, let’s get painting!
To create your own DIY Halloween Bats with MilkPaint™, you will need:
Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™. You can use whatever darker color you have on hand, but I chose Typewriter and Farmhouse White for this project.
Craft Paintbrush
Cardboard
Pencil
Craft Knife or Scissors
Gaffer Tape to Hang the Bats
Step 1: Make the Halloween Bats out of Cardboard
Print out this template in two different sizes. Then, trace the template onto a recycled piece of cardboard.
*I chose two different sizes for this project to give the bat vignette some dimension, but you can do whatever size your heart desires.
Cut out around the cardboard bat with scissors.
Then, place the cardboard on top of a cutting mat and use a craft knife to cut out the traced bat. Pass over the pencil lines with the craft knife at least twice to ensure the knife goes all the way through the cardboard.
*You can use a scissor to cut the cardboard, but I found it easier, and the edges are cleaner when you use the craft knife.
Make enough bats for your vignette. I created 2 large bats and 4 small bats.
To give the bat some movement, fold the cardboard at the beginning of the wing with a bone folder. This will make the bats appear as if they are flying when they are on the wall.
Step 2: Mix the MilkPaint™
Mix 1 part MilkPaint™ to 1 part water. A “part” can be any unit of measurement you wish. I used a tablespoon.
For this project, I used 1 tablespoon of Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™ in Typewriter to 1 tablespoon of water.
Step 3: Paint One Coat of MilkPaint™ in Typewriter onto the Cardboard Bats
Apply 1 thin coat of MilkPaint™ in Typewriter to the front and back of the cardboard bat.
Paint the edges of the bat as well. Let it dry.
Step 4: Add the Accents to the Bat with MilkPaint™ in Farmhouse White
To create the white accents on the bats, mix 2 parts MilkPaint™ in Farmhouse White to 1 part water. As the paint is thicker, this will allow it to create a beautiful texture on top of the bat.
Use a round brush and dab the paint onto the bat’s body (the middle part of the bat).
Then, use a quick brushstroke to add the paint onto the bat wing. 1 stripe to each bat wing for the small bats and 2 stripes to each bat wing for the larger bats.
Apply the paint along the edges of the wings.
Lastly, use a circular motion to smooth out some of the paint marks in the center of the bat's body.
Step 5: Display the Bats for All to Enjoy this Halloween
Use Gaffer’s tape to attach the bats to the wall in a flying motion.
Then, add some fun candlesticks and a statement piece like a wreath to the vignette. Then enjoy all Halloween season.
This proves once again that Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™ can elevate anything. It has given movement to a piece of cardboard to create these charming bats for Halloween.
Thank you so much to Miss Mustard Seed’s MilkPaint™ for having me, and thank you so much for following along today. I hope you enjoy experimenting with Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™ as much as I do!
