DIY Halloween Banner – Belfry Bats
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I have a few projects in the works for Halloween this year.
Ok, well, it’s more than a few, more like a couple of dozen, and the list is still growing.
I’ve been working on this list for a month, planning the steps, ordering supplies, and outlining each project’s tutorial.
Finally, all supplies have been gathered up and organized along with my notes and outlines and I’m officially ready to kick off the 2023 Halloween season.
It’s going to be a cakewalk, right?
It would be if I stuck to the plan, but I always have a few projects where I abandon the program and go off script.
This banner is one of those that took on a life of its own.
The original intent was to make a bat banner to display in my office. From there, I planned to make a template you could use to hand or machine-cut simple bats to string together for a quick and easy Halloween garland.
And we accomplished that, but then I felt we needed more. So I started working with digital papers to create printable bats as well.
Ultimately, this versatile download includes a simple bat template that you can use with your favorite scrapbook paper – or – choose bats from three gothic-inspired patterns in six moody colors that you can print and cut.
Because when it comes to creating Halloween decor, one can never have too many options, right?
No matter which option you choose, this batty banner comes together quickly and easily.
So, let’s get started.
Let's Make A DIY Halloween Banner
Get It Together Using Your Favorite Paper
We will need:
Scrapbook paper
Cutting machine, scissors, or X-Acto knife
Printer (if hand-cutting)
Pencil (if hand-cutting)
Hole punch (if hand-cutting)
Ribbon or cording
We will also need the Belfry Bats file from the Haunted Library. Select the PDF template file if hand-cutting or, for machine cutting, select the SVG file.
Bats In The Belfry - Cutting By Hand
Print the Belfry Bat template, transfer it to your paper, and cut out as many bats as you need for your length of garland.
Use a hole punch to make a small hole in the top of each wing and string the bats together.
Bats In The Belfry - Machine Cutting
To machine cut, upload the SVG file into your design software and resize it as desired. For reference, my bats are 7 inches wide.
Cut as many bats as your like from your favorite scrapbook paper and string them onto your ribbon to complete the garland.
So simple!
Now that we have that banner done let’s dive into the printable bat version.
Going Gothic - Printable DIY Halloween Banner
Get It Together Using Our Gothic Bat Printables
We will need:
White cardstock
Cutting machine, scissors, or finger blade
Printer
Hole punch (if hand-cutting)
Ribbon or cording
Again, we will need the Belfry Bats file from the Haunted Library. Select the PDF template file if hand-cutting or, for machine cutting, select the Print Then Cut PNG file.
Printable Bats - Cut By Hand
To create the printable garland, open the Printable Belfry Bat PDF file in Adobe PDF Reader or similar. Print the pages you want onto white cardstock and cut them out.
Use a hole punch to make a small hole in the top of each wing and string the bats together.
Printable Bats - Machine Cutting
For machine cutting, select the bats you wish to use from the Printable Belfry Bats Print Then Cut PNG file and upload them into your design software.
Resize if desired. Again, for reference, my bats are 7 inches wide.
Print your bats onto white cardstock and cut using your cutting machine’s Print Then Cut option.
Quick Tip – Run an alcohol ink marker along the edge for a finished look.
Finally, string the bats onto your ribbon and hang.
Aside from how simple this project is, I love that I can customize my look and make any length of garland desired to decorate my space.
And, just because these are super simple doesn’t mean they need to stay that way. Add glitter or other embellishments, or make a two-sided banner by gluing bats together back-to-back.
Two-sided DIY Halloween Banner
It's Bats!
Which one is your favorite?
Until next time – stay batty!
