Jeanine McKelvyWhen fall arrives the air gets that crisp bite, our household always gets this urge to gather around the kitchen table on a cozy afternoon and craft some seasonal decor into existence. This week, we pulled a staple right out of the pantry– coffee filters– and turned them into colorful, budget-friendly spooky seasonal bats! If you’re looking for a quick craft to keep their tiny hands busy on a slow afternoon, this is an absolute must– try. You’ll end up with an incredible project to hang around the house and get everyone into the spooky spirit.
Supplies:
- Washable Markers
- Coffee Filters
- Black Clothes Pins
- Fine Tip Paint Brush
- White Paint
- Scissors
- Water bottle filled with water
Directions:
- Fold a round coffee filter in half.
- Let your child color the entire surface using bright washable markers…the more color, the better!
- Place the colored coffee filter inside a disposable baking pan or tray to catch any mess.
- Lightly mist the filter with water using a spray bottle, and watch the marker colors bleed and blend together.
- Set the wet filter aside on a paper towel to dry completely.
- While your filters are drying, use white paint to paint a tiny pair of eyes and a spooky smile onto each black wooden clothespin.
- Set them aside to dry.
- Once your tie-dye coffee filter is completely dry, fold it in half once more.
- Use scissors to cut small, rounded arches along the curved edge to create classic scallop-edged bat wings.
- Unfold it back to a half-circle.
- Pinch the middle of your coffee filter wings and clip the dried painted clothespin right down the center to form the bat’s body.
- Adjust the wings, and your tie-dye bat is ready to fly!
Notes:
- No black clothes pins? No problem! Just grab standard wooden clothespins and a coat of black acrylic or washable paint will do the trick.
- Gluing on a pair of googly eyes for a cute, cartoon-like expression can bring your bats to life.
- If little hands are eager to assemble their bats, use a hairdryer on a low, cool setting to dry the coffee filters in just a few minutes.
Watching the colors in the filters blend and bleed together feels almost like a mini science experiment that the kids will love! Whether you’re hanging them in the kitchen window to delight the passing neighbors or clipping them around the house for a spooky feel, this craft is a sweet reminder that seasonal magic doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. The giggles around the kitchen table will be the memories you hold onto the most. So grab some washable markers, coffee filters, and a spray bottle– it’s time to get batty!
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