Get Your Spooky On With These Easy DIY Tulle Bat Decorations
Hey Makers!
I don’t know about you, but there’s something about the cute side of Halloween that just puts me in the best mood! I’m talking jack-o-lanterns, white sheet ghosts, and now – these tulle bats! The sheerness of the tulle combined with the ruffles from cinching the fabric together… I feel like I need to make a whole swarm of them!
They’re lightweight enough to stick on the wall or hang from the ceiling. And an added bonus of making them from tulle is that they hold up better than the paper bats you see a lot on Pinterest. When I’m done with these for the season, I’ll just throw them in the box with the rest of my halloween decor, and I don’t have to worry about them getting all crinkled up and ruined. Next year I can pull them out, give them a little fluff up if they need it, and they’re ready to go!
But the best part is – if you have a rotary cutter and mat, they’re SUPER easy to make!
Read the step by step tutorial below and download the free template and you can whip up a few of them in no time at all!
Let’s get started!
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Supplies for Tulle Bats
Materials:
Black Tulle – You can get tulle by the bolt at any fabric store, but this roll is just the right width for the bat template and it made it so much easier to work with.
Black Thread -This is a good multipurpose thread, but this thread is the one I actually used in the tutorial.
Free Tulle Bat Template from Simple Creative Living – Download below
Tools:
Scissors – these are my favorite all-purpose crafting scissors
Needle – I find the size 26 embroidery needle easiest to thread
Rotary Cutter
Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Tulle Bat Step-By-Step Tutorial
STEP ONE: Cut Out Tulle Bat Template And Prepare Fabric
First, print the template and cut it out, then set that aside.
Now, to prepare the fabric, you’ll use the rotary cutters to divide the tulle into 12″ x 9″ rectangles. You’ll need five pieces per bat.
Once they’re all cut, stack 5 pieces together, making sure they are lined up well.
STEP TWO: Cut Pattern Pieces
Next, fold the stack of tulle into a 9″ x 6″ rectangle. L
Line up the long side of the template with the fold of the tulle, and use your rotary cutter to follow the curved edges.
STEP THREE: Fold and Sew in Place
Unfold the fabric and accordion fold it all the way down the middle of the bat.
In order to keep all five layers of tulle in place, I found it was easier to start your folds in the middle of the bat and work your way to the top, then go back to the middle and work your way to the bottom.
At this point, you should have a nice bat shape pinched between your fingers. Now just take your needle and thread, and pass it back and forth a few times and wrap the thread around the middle of the bat to keep the fold nice and tight. Tie off the thread and snip the ends.
A couple times I’ve made this tulle bat, it first came out looking more like a black butterfly. If that happens to yours, just fold the tips of the wings down toward the tail end, and pinch the middle of the body like this. When if opens back up, the wings should stay spread farther apart and look more like a bat.
And there you have it! Easy tulle bats that you can use just about anywhere in your Halloween decorating!
I can’t wait to see what you make!
Stay crafty,
KatyAnna
Download the Tulle Bat Template here!
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