These Black Bean Bats are a fun craft for kids and grownups that make a really spooky and cute Halloween wall hanging!

Halloween is in full swing over here! It’s a favorite holiday in my family and my kids couldn’t be any more excited that it’s happening this week! We are busy decorating right now and we came up with these fun Black Bean Bats which can be used to make a really fun and spooky Halloween wall hanging. Read on for a step-by-step guide to make your own!

What you need to make a Wall hanging Using Black Bean Bats

Bat template – Any template you like will be fine, but we used this particular Bat Template.
Thin cardboard – Any kind of cardboard will work, but thin cardboard, like from a cereal box, is easier to cut out.
Black beans – Dry black beans are used to make your bats black. When I don’t get my staple pantry items locally, I like to stock up on my black beans from Nuts.com.
Glue – We used hot glue, because it gives such a strong hold. However, if a grown-up isn’t doing this part for the child, we recommend using regular school glue instead.
Scissors – Scissors are used to cut out the bat template and the cardboard bat.
Marker – A marker or pencil will be needed to trace the bat template onto the cardboard.
Hole punch – You’ll need a hole punch to create a hole at the bottom of the bat.
Yarn or string – Dark, thin string or yarn is needed to attach the bats to the twig.
Twig – Look for a thin, curvy twig with lots of curvy smaller branches coming off of it, so it’s extra spooky looking.

Steps to make black bean bats and a Halloween wall hanging

Cut out bat template. First, you’ll need to find a bat template that you like. We used this Bat Template, but any bat will be fine! You could even free-hand it, just make sure that every bat looks similar. Print out a template on regular printing paper and then cut it out.
Trace bat template on thin cardboard. Once your bat template is cut out, lay it on top of a piece of thin cardboard (like cardboard from a cereal box) and trace the bat. Trace three to six bats, however many you would like to use for your wall hanging.

Cut out bats and create a hole for the string. After you have traced your bats onto the cardboard with a marker or pencil, carefully cut them out. Then, using a hole punch, create a hole in the center of the bat, toward the bottom, where his feet would be. (In the alternative, you could punch a hole at the top of its head if you’d prefer “flying” bats to “hanging” bats.)
Glue on black beans to create an outline. Using a hot glue gun (or just regular school glue if a grown-up is not available to assist), attach a row of black beans around the outline of the bat first.

Fill in the bat’s body with black beans. Once the outline has been created, fill in the rest of the bat, starting with its left wing, then its head, body, and finally its right wing. Allow the glue to dry on all of the bats before moving on to the next step.

Tie your bats to a twig. Once your bats have been covered in beans, pick out a really spooky looking twig to use as the branch your bats will hang from. Then, choose some dark string or yarn to tie your bats onto the twig with. Securely knot one end of the yarn in the hole at the bat’s feet. Then tie the other end onto the branch. String up your bats in varying lengths. Hang some short, long, and medium, so they are not all in one straight line. We used three bats for our wall hanging, but hang as many as you like!

Trim access yarn and hang it up. Once your bats are securely attached to the twig, grab another piece of yarn and tie it at each end of the branch to use as the hanger. Then, trim the excess yarn from the twig and from the bats and hang it up on your wall and enjoy!

Why we love black bean bats

Uses simple household materials. We love stress-free simple crafts that use materials you probably already have on hand. This one only used black beans, yarn, and a twig. All materials you probably already have or if not, they’re very easy to find and free or inexpensive.
Good fine motor skill practice. This craft requires patience and finger dexterity…both skills that are tricky at first, but so important for little ones to practice and master!
Fun craft for Halloween. We love crafts that center around a holiday, because it makes crafting even more exciting and fun! But it also helps kids learn about the holiday and the particular season it is in. Just like a few of our other Halloween crafts, like Fall Leaf Jack-o-Lanterns, Halloween Rocks, and Halloween Pinecone Wreaths, this one also gets everyone in a lively Halloween spirit!

How to Make a Black Bean Bats Wall Hanging

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Active Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Cost: $5

Materials

Thin cardboard
Black beans
Yarn
Twig

Tools

Scissors
Black marker
Hot glue gun
Hole punch

Instructions

1. Find a bat template that you like. Print it out on regular printing paper and then cut it out.

2. Once your bat template is cut out, lay it on top of a piece of thin cardboard (like cardboard from a cereal box) and trace the bat. Trace three to six bats, however many you would like to use for your wall hanging.

3. After you have traced your bats onto the cardboard with a marker or pencil, carefully cut them out.

4. Using a hole punch, create a hole in the center of the bat, toward the bottom, where its feet would be. (In the alternative you could punch a hole in the middle/top of its head if you'd prefer "flying" bats to "hanging" bats.)

5. Using a hot glue gun (or just regular school glue if a grown-up is not available to assist), attach a row of black beans around the outline of the bat.

6. Once the outline has been created, fill in the rest of the bat, starting with its left wing, then its head, body, and finally its right wing. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving on to the next step.

7. Once your bats have been covered in beans, pick out a really spooky looking twig to use as the branch your bats will hang from.

8. Choose some dark string or yarn to tie your bats onto the twig with. Securely knot one end of the yarn in the hole at the bat's feet. Then tie the other end onto the branch. String up your bats in varying lengths -- hang some short, long, and medium, so they are not all in one straight line. We used three bats for our wall hanging, but hang as many as you like!

9. Once your bats are securely attached to the twig, grab another piece of yarn and tie at each end of the branch to use as the hanger. Then, trim the excess yarn and hang it up on your wall to enjoy!