Spooky and Stylish: DIY Bat Branches Halloween Centerpiece
Transform your Halloween décor with a centerpiece that’s both eerie and elegant by creating your own DIY bat branches. This simple yet striking project combines the natural beauty of branches with the spooky charm of fluttering bats, creating a stunning focal point for your table or mantel.
Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or just love seasonal decorating, this DIY is the perfect way to add a touch of haunting sophistication to your home!
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I’m thrilled to be joining some creative bloggers as we “Celebrate the Season!” You will discover so many amazing decorating ideas for Halloween from these talented creative. Be sure to read to the bottom of this post so you can get all of the decorating ideas and inspiration for the month of October! Thank you to Carol from Blue Sky at Home for hosting!
If you are joining me from visiting Laura at Everyday Edits, didn’t you just love her Halloween tiered tray decor. Such a fun and clever idea to decorate your home for Halloween!
Our family vacations in the Colorado mountains were always the highlight of the year.
Breathtaking hikes, cozy fires, and plenty of laughter!
But one trip gave us a story that’s become legendary in our household—though at the time, I wasn’t exactly laughing!
After a long hike, we all walked into the sunroom (ready to put our feet up), when suddenly I spotted something moving on the floor…
It took me a moment to realize that it was a real live bat, flopping around the sunroom floor!
Those tiny claws kept snagging on the carpet, and let me tell you, I’ve never moved so fast in my life!
I grabbed one of my daughters, and we bolted outside, both of us shrieking like we were in a horror movie.
Meanwhile, my husband and our other daughter stayed cool under pressure, successfully coaxing our uninvited guest back outside where it belonged. So much for my bravery with bats!
While I’ve sworn off live bat encounters, that hasn’t stopped me from going all out with non-living bats for homemade Halloween decorations!
They may be just as spooky, but at least these won’t have me running for the hills!
You are going to love this Halloween centerpiece made from random twigs and bat cut-outs. It’s a great idea for decorating for the Halloween season!
Supply List
This is not an inexpensive project. In fact, you can find or create many of the elements by shopping your house and wandering your neighborhood!
- Small tree branches or large twigs
- Plastic or paper bats
- Black spray paint
- Halloween string lights
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (or other strong glue)
- Black mesh vase (I got mine from Ikea but you can use a black mesh wastebasket from the dollar store.)
How to Make a Halloween Tree with Bats
First off, take a walk!
That’s right! Go for a walk and keep your eyes peeled for random small branches that have fallen from trees. Three small branches of different sizes and various lengths is a great number to shoot for. The more twisted the branches are…the better!
Remove any leaves from the twigs and then spray paint them a solid black color.
While you wait for the branches to dry, turn your attention to the vase.
If you are able to find a mesh vase with lots of holes in the side, take your string lights and start to push the individual lights through the holes from the inside out. Place the lights randomly around the entire vase.
No worries if you don’t have a mesh vase. You can just wrap a black vase with the string lights.
I chose purple lights but orange lights would be fun too!
Regardless of the type of vase, cover it with the string lights. Keep in mind the cord length and where you want to plug it in. I used an extension cord so I had more flexibility in the centerpiece placement.
Now take your painted black twigs and arrange them in the vase. For the most part, mine fell into a natural placement that looked pretty good as far as twigs pointing in different directions.
There was one pesky twig that didn’t want to stay in place. So, I tethered it with the twist tie from the light string. A piece of thread or twine will work just as well.
Let’s Get Batty!
This is the fun part…adding the bats!
I ordered a set of plastic bats from Amazon and they were perfect. The set came with bats in different sizes and the bat wings can be fold in or out.
You can also make your own bats!
Using the bat template provided below, simply print (enlarge if you want) and trace the bat shape onto a piece of black paper or black card stock. Trace and cut out whatever number of bats you want!
To attach a bat to a branch, place a small dot of hot glue (or other strong glue) to the back body of the bat. Press the glued spot to a branch and hold for a few seconds.
I started with large bats first and then would fill in with a small bat. If you are able, bend and twist the shape of a wing so it looks like the bat is really flying!
Creating a DIY Bat Branches Centerpiece
You could plug in the centerpiece at this point and be done. But why stop there?
I pulled out my black Halloween wreath with red apples (Yes, Snow White poisonous apples!) and placed it on my kitchen island.
I stacked the black vase with bat branches and primped all of my spooky bats before plugging it in.
We love having a lighted bat tree centerpiece in the kitchen!
But wait! The living room needs to be “spookified!”
Placing the centerpiece on top of our living room piano in front of a large mirror makes the room look charmingly eerie!
I even switched out the artwork by the piano from a happy, preppy floral bouquet print to a darker, moody, wide-eyed piece of art.
I loved the entire scene…right off the “bat!”
Turn Down the Lights
Turn down the room lights and feel the shivers down your spine!
Now that you’ve created your own DIY bat branches, your Halloween décor is officially bat-tastic!
Whether you’re hosting a spooky soirée or just enjoying the festive vibes at home, this centerpiece is a fun way to decorate your home for Halloween.
So sit back, admire your handiwork, and maybe even give yourself a little batty pat on the back. After all, you’ve brought a touch of haunting elegance to your space—without a single bat-related scare!
Be sure to head on over to Thistlekey Lane and discover Michelle’s adorable Black Cat Pumpkin Project!
Boo!
Don’t Forget to Pin It!
Pin the image below to your boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
Celebrate the Halloween Season
Another Bat-Tastic Idea
Bats in the Belry Fireplace Decorating
Halloween Decor Shopping
Visit my Amazon Halloween Shoppe HERE to add spooky fun and elegance to your home!
HI missy, We had a bat in our umbrella on the deck and I screamed. I didn’t even know we had bats in Colorado! Ha! Love this project! Go Buffs! ;0)
Hi Laura, I found out later that they hang out behind the shutters during the day. I’m always on the lookout when we vacation in CO! LOL!
This is super cute Missy! And you had me cracking up the whole way. The addition of the lights is spooktacular and I love your potion apple wreath. Love all the ways you style it. Fun to be sharing with you today. XO- MaryJo
Thank you, MaryJo! These are the only kind of bats that I can handle! LOL!
I love how your bat centerpiece came together Missy. The apples, the lights and the black branches make it extra spooky, and adorable at the same time! Pinning!
Thank you so much, Michelle!
What a great display! So simple to make yet very effective.
Thanks so much for sharing with #MMBC. 🙂
Thanks so much for hosting each week!
Missy, great minds think alike. I love how you incorporated lights into your bat tree. And the black wire basket is a perfect container. I’m so glad you shared your version of a bat tree for Celebrate the Holiday.
Thanks so much, Carol!
Wow, what a statement! Creepy and elegant all-in-one! My son would adore this… I think I’m going to make one just for him!
Yay! I hope he like it…let me know!