With Halloween fast approaching and Bat Week in full s-WING, it’s time to take advantage of freshly fallen maple leaves and recycled egg cartons to fill your home with a cuddle of bats.

In this article, I’ll share two easy DIY maple leaf egg carton bats crafts that you can make without a trip to the craft store. Plus, they’ll be far cuter and more eco-friendly than most Halloween décor for sale. I’ll also share a few fun facts about bats that you can share with you child when you make these adorable maple leaf bats together.

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Contrary to popular belief, bats mostly eat bugs, fruit, flower nectar, fish, and small mammals. A bat eats its body weight in insects each night, which is somewhere in the thousands. Don’t like mosquitos? Time to befriend bats!

Only three species of bats eat blood, out of the 1,400 species found worldwide, and they don’t suck it out of people. Blood eating bats, the vampire bats of Central and South America, have an anticoagulant in their saliva. When they bite animals the wound bleeds so that the bat can lick it up. Ok, maybe that’s still gross, but they very rarely bite people.

Bats are not blind! Bats have eyes and sensitive vision. They can see well in the darkness, but they use echolocation to help them find food and move through the night.

Bats are the only flying mammal on our planet, and no they aren’t rodents! They can also fly incredibly fast. The Mexican Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) has been recording going up to 161 km/hr (100 mph).

Baby bats are called pups (so cute!), are born live (because they are mammals) and depend on their mama for milk and food for four to five months.

I’ve been making maple leaf bats (version 1) for a few years now. They’re simple to make and so cute! They’re a perfect craft for toddlers and younger children. When my kids and I were making them this year, I was inspired to make an egg carton version (version 2). They turned out to be new family favourites! Even my teenage daughter was pleased by the cuteness of these bats.

To press or not press leaves for this craft? Pressed leaves lay flat, making them easier to paint and decorate. They do look prettier. However, pressed leaves are more delicate and rip more easily – not ideal for toddlers. One workaround is to paint the leaves, let them dry and press them for a night or two. That seems to work well if you want tehm to lay flat but have young children helping out. 

• Maple leaves
• Egg carton, cardboard
• Acrylic paint (black, white and pink)
• Acrylic paint markers (black, white and pink) – optional but easier to use for smaller details
• Paintbrushes
• Scissors
• Glue

I’ve been making maple leaf bats (version 1) for a few years now. They’re simple to make and so cute! They are easier to make with toddler and younger children. When my kids and I were making them this year, I was inspired to make an egg carton version (version 2). They turned out to be new family favourites! Even my teenage daughter was pleased by the cuteness of these bats.

To press or not press the leaves? Pressed leaves lay flat, making them easier to paint and decorate. They look prettier. However, pressed leaves are more delicate and rip more easily – not ideal for toddlers. One workaround is to paint the leaves, let them dry and press them for a night or two. That seems to be the best of both worlds.

1. Cut a “V” shaped notch: Start by cutting a “V” shaped notch at the top of the maple leaf.
2. Paint the maple leaf: Use black acrylic paint to paint one side of the maple leaf completely.
3. Let the paint dry: Before adding the face be sure to let the leaf fully dry.
4. Paint eyes and fangs: Use white acrylic paint or a white paint marker to paint on eyes and fangs.

1. Cut out an egg carton cell: Using sharp scissor, cut out a single cardboard bubble (egg cell).
2. Press the sides out to make ears: Push two pointed edges out towards the point of the egg cell for the ears and trim away the other side of the cell.
3. Paint the egg cell: Use black acrylic paint to paint the outside of the egg cell which will be the bat’s head.
4. Fold and cut a maple leaf: Fold a maple leaf in half (symmetrically). Cut up along the central vein of the leaf and then end with a curve, removing the top of the leaf. Cut the leaf into two bat wings.
5. Paint the leaf wings: Use black acrylic paint to paint the leaf wings.
6. Let the head and wings dry: Allow the bat head and wings to fully dry before gluing or adding facial details.
7. Paint the face: Paint the inner ears and nose in with pink acrylic paint. Paint the eyes white with black inner dots. Add two nostrils with black paint.
8. Glue the head to the wings: Add glue to the back of the bats head and ears. Place two matching wings on a surface, close together, and press the head onto the ears.

“13 Awesome Facts About Bats | U.S. Department of the Interior.” Blog Post, October 24, 2024. https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats.

“Are Bats Blind?  | U.S. Geological Survey.” Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/are-bats-blind.

Bat Conservation International. “FAQ.” Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/faq/.

Harper, Rachel. “Bat Pups.” Bat Conservation International, July 3, 2024. https://www.batcon.org/pupping-season/.