How to Make a DIY Bat Costume (for Adults & Kids)

Making the Outfit

Gather your supplies. You will need a long sleeved black shirt, black pants, a long piece of black felt for the wings, and hot glue or sewing supplies. To find out how much felt you need, measure yourself from wrist to wrist with your arms stretched out. Next, measure the distance from the top of your back to your waist. Use these measurements to choose a rectangular piece of felt. If you want to make a more feminine bat costume, use a long-sleeve dress instead of a shirt and pants. Felt can be found at most craft supply stores. If you use another kind of fabric you will have to use a sewing kit to attach the wings.

Cut jagged edges in the felt. First, fold the felt in half lengthwise. Next, cut the bottom edge of the mask into a jagged bat wing. The jagged edge should be longer near the center fold and shorter near the edges. When unfolded, the fabric will resemble a long triangle. If you want to go for a cute look cut the edges into a scalloped pattern instead of a jagged lightning pattern.

Center the wing fabric on the shirt or dress. Lay the shirt or dress out flat on your work surface. Stretch the sleeves out, making a straight line from wrist to wrist. Lay the wing fabric on the shirt with the long side of the triangle resting on the shoulders and arms. Center the fabric so that the tips of the wings reach each wrist. Use straight pins to secure the fabric if you’re worried about the wings shifting. Straight pins can be found in most sewing supply kits.

Glue or sew the fabric. Apply a small circle of glue between the shoulder blades of the shirt or dress. Press the wing fabric onto the glue. Next, apply a circle of glue to each wrist and press the wingtips into them. Once the glue cools the costume is ready to wear. If you aren’t using felt for your wing fabric you must sew on the wings. Add a few stitches where you would normally use glue.

Assemble the outfit. Carefully put on the winged shirt, pants, and black shoes. If you used a dress, put on the dress and pair it with cute black shoes. If you made a paper mache mask, tie the mask tightly around your head. You don’t have to wear a mask if you don’t want to. Instead, purchase black cat ears that resemble bat ears or wear face paint.

Making a Paper Mache Mask

Gather your supplies. You will need five or six foot-long sheets of aluminum foil, a few sheets of newspaper torn into one inch by six inch strips, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, scissors, a ribbon or large rubber band, a cup of flour, a cup of water, a mixing bowl, and a spoon. Most bat masks use black paint for the “fur,” white paint for the eyes, and red paint for the mouth. However, feel free to get creative! You can measure out foil from a roll or purchase individual sheets of foil from a baking supply store.

Make some paper mache paste. Add a cup of flower and a cup of water to a mixing bowl. Mix it well to remove any lumps. The mixture should be the consistency of glue. If it’s too thin, add some more flour. If it’s too thick, add some water. If you don’t feel like mixing up your own glue, you can buy non-toxic clear paper mache paste at a craft supply store.

Make the foil mold. Crinkle each sheet of foil slightly. Next, lay the sheets of foil on top of one another. Press the layers of foil onto your face, using your fingers to outline each major facial feature. Pay special attention to the areas around your nose, brow bones, eyes, and chin. The more detail you press into the mold, the better the mask will fit your face. If your mold seems flimsy, gently stuff the inside with newspaper to help it keep its shape.

Cover the mold with paper mache. First, dip a strip of newspaper into your glue until it’s completely saturated. Gently squeeze any excess glue off the tip. Next, lay the strip of newspaper down on your mask. Repeat this step, completely covering the mask with strips of newspaper. If you’d like to add ears to your mask, fold pieces of wet newspapers into triangles and attach them to the top of the mask. These triangles will take extra time to dry.

Add five layers of paper mache. Allow each layer to dry before adding another layer. Once the fifth layer has dried completely press gently on the mask to test the strength. If you think the mask is too flimsy, add another layer of paper mache and test it again. If you add a layer of paper mache before the previous layer has dried, your mask will take twice as long to dry.

Paint your mask. Paint from light to dark, allowing the paint to dry between each layer. For example, if your mask will have large eyes and pointy teeth, paint the eyes and teeth first, the red mouth next, and the black fur last. Otherwise, the lighter paint will mix with the darker paint and create a mess of grays and pinks. Acrylic paint is water-soluble. Therefore, if you only have one paintbrush, you can dip it in water in between colors to clean off the paint. Avoid using oil paints and other paint types that take a long time to dry. Otherwise you’ll be waiting a few days for your mask instead of a few hours.

Cut and trim the mask. Use a sharpie or pencil to mark out the mouth and eye holes before cutting them out with scissors. If you’re not sure where to put the holes, wear the mask while you carefully mark the areas to cut. If your mask is uneven, neatly trim the edges of your mask. Most people cut small circles on the eye area to see through and a thin slit on the mouth area to talk through. If you have trouble cutting small areas with scissors use a hobby knife instead. These knives can be found at most craft supply stores.

Attach the mask to your head. Cut two holes on the sides of the mask. Next, thread a ribbon or large rubber band through this area. Place the mask on your face and tie the ribbon or rubber band tightly. The mask should rest tightly but comfortably. If you have long hair, use a ribbon instead of a rubber band. Rubber bands can cause damage to your hair.

Customizing Your Costume

Wear ghoulish face paint. If you don’t want to wear a mask, consider wearing face paint instead. First, cover your skin in a thin layer of white paint to make you look ghoulish. Next, paint grey circles around your eyes. Use some black paint to outline “fangs” on your lips. Finish the look by painting your lips black. Wear plastic fangs instead of painting them on for an extra creepy effect. Add mascara and red lipstick to become a cute or sexy bat.

Use props with your bat outfit. Visit your local Halloween supply store or costume shop and buy some interesting bat props. For example, if you’re planning on wearing a dress with your costume, buy some spider webbed black tights. If you don’t want to make a mask but you still want to wear one, buy a scary bat mask. Many Halloween supply stores are seasonal, opening in August and closing after Halloween.

Add decorations to the bat wings. If you’re making the costume for a child, add sparkles to the edge of the bat wings with craft glue. If you want to add bold colorful designs to the bat wings, paint the fabric with colorful fabric paint. If you like to sew, consider sewing black fur to the top of the bat wings for a realistic touch.