Looking for a last minute Halloween costume idea that is quick and easy to make and won’t cost a fortune? I’ve got you covered with my DIY Bat Wings. Suited to both kids and adults, these bat wings can be made to any size with my handy instructions!
Wear them to your next Halloween Party! I’ve got some great Halloween Party Ideas in the video below – Read the blog post Halloween Party Ideas
One Pair of Bat Wings – 3 Halloween Costume Ideas
These bat wings are the cutest and so fun to wear. Best of all they are really versatile too. A regular black pair of bat wings can be used for multiple Halloween costumes.
Here are some ‘how to wear’ ideas from readers that have made my DIY Bat Wings for their own kids over the past few years.
VAMPIRE BAT – Wear black Bat wings over black clothing for an instant Bat costume that the kids will love. Draw on some Vampire teeth like this cute kiddo from Little Hiccups for an instant Vampire Bat upgrade.
Image credit – littlehiccups.net
BATMAN/BATGIRL – If your kid is more the superhero type, these Bat wings make the perfect addition to a DIY Batman Costume just like Craftsmumship has done here.
Image credit – Craftsmumship.com
DRAGON – Make them in green and add a tail and you’ve got a Dragon costume sorted.
More Halloween Costume Ideas:
- Raven Teen Titans Costume
- Princess Bubblegum Crown
- Harry Potter Hogwarts Robes
- Chat Noir Costume
- DIY Korok Mask
Don’t just save these wings for Halloween, these bat wings are fun for imaginative play and are the perfect addition to any dress up box.
Emma had a great time wearing these Bat Wings and got several years use out of them. They are worn like a shrug so there is no dangerous ties or which can get caught and cause a choking hazard.
Only minimal sewing is required, and with a few simple measurements that I’ll explain below, you can make these in around half an hour. The best fabric to use is a stretchy lycra like the style used for dance costumes.
If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can stitch the main seams by hand. Only one seam is required so it’s not too taxing.
These wings can be made for a child or adult if you adjust your measurements accordingly. Only a little math is required to work out how much fabric you will need to start off with.
How To make Bat Wings
You will need:
- Black stretchy fabric (lycra/spandex with 2-way stretch is best for movement and it doesn’t fray)
- Measuring Tape
- Scissors
- needle and black thread for hand sewing
- sewing machine with ball point needle if machine sewing
Measurements required:
You will need the following measurements to draft your bat wings.
A = the wing span
B = the finished length
C = fabric allowance for sleeve, measure around widest part of arm
D = shoulder allowance for cutting in step 2.
Amount of fabric required:
Width = arm span from wrist to wrist ( A ). If your fabric isn’t very stretchy give it and extra inch or two for added movement.
Length = back of neck to waist (B) + half circumference around widest part of arm (C)
How to:
1. Fold fabric in half, to halve the width (half of A) – The fold will be the center back. Fold over sleeve allowance C and mark the top of centre back.
2. Cut out semicircle from centre back as wide as measurement D. D is the measurement from center back to shoulders. The bottom of the semicircle should be the length B, where you previously placed a mark in step 1.
3. Fold over your sleeve again and cut out scallops for bat wing shape.
4. This is how it should look when the bat wings are unfolded.
5. Fold over the sleeve allowance C and sew where indicated. You can hand stitch or machine sew. If machine sewing I recommend using a zig zag stitch to allow the fabric to stretch.
Wear the wings like a shrug over some black clothing and get ready to scare the neighbours. Boo!
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I love it! Now my wheels are turning for other costume ideas.
i just finished it!!many thanks for this easy brilliant idea!!!!i made with felt and it came out excellent!!!
Great idea to make them with felt, perfect for beginner sewists.
Hi, I can’t figure out how to do a general reply, so I’m replying to your comment! Many thanks for this! For Halloween this year my 3yo twins wanted to go as a kitty and puppy, so I decided to make their costumes. I had them almost entirely worked out except for the puppy ears…and then I suddenly had a brainstorm about the ears. However, my son then switched to wanting to be a bat. Which actually made the costume easier except I was flummoxed about the bat wings! This was perfect and the wings are so cute. Thanks!
So glad I could help out. I bet he looks super cute. Happy Halloween!
This looks so simple – thank you Cintia. Nicely presented, great photos and brilliantly simple instructions. Can’t wait to get started (I’m sure to make a hash of it but currently enjoying that positive I Can Do This feeling one gets at the start of all diy craft projects 🙂
I’m sure they will turn out great.
This is a fab idea Cinti – love it!!
Great project, Cinti! Will be keeping an eye out for black lycra when next in the shops. And I wanted you to know that I've done a quick video that includes putting a zip in a cushion back that was based on your made-of-cloth tutorial. Have credited you all the way through and just wanted to say thank you!
PINNED! Thank you! Gorgeous spot you've got too!
brilliant!!!! this is much better than the plan i had for my son's bat costume. i'm so happy i saw this (on oneprettything.com)
thank you!
I've been thinking about making a bat wing for my 4yo and your tutorial is perfect for my little project. Thanks for sharing!
Rowena
so simple! great idea! I may have to try it out 🙂
doh! I just finished a bat wing costume for my son that was way more involved and not as cute as this…luckily, my daughter also wants to be a bat so I will be using your help, thanks!
I'm making this for myself right now! Thanks 🙂
so simple! great idea, thanks for sharing this tutorial. happy hallowe'en!
Thank you so much My kids will love it!
Haaa this the the cutest thing I've ever seen! The facials are awesome.
I'm making this for a 4 month baby who loves to flap their arms, they will look cute on halloween!
Awesome, sounds like the perfect costume!
adorable!!!! thanks for sharing!
Just made this for my 4 year old nephew. He wouldn't take it off for 3 days, including sleep. Thank you so much.
Making this for my 2 year old daughter who is obsessed with vampire bats! I've seen a bunch of wing tuts that attach to a shirt, but this one is better, being in new england a shirt is never warm enough to trick or treat in, this will go right over her coat! And will be a great addition to our dress up box after halloween! Thanks for posting!
what a great idea, it's still cold in october down here too.
tip for readers:
To adjust this pattern fit over a coat, just make sure you measure C with the coat on.
happy sewing 🙂
This must only be easy for people who are good at sewing because I have tried over and over and the thread is just not working right for me as I try to do the very last part. My last resort is a plea for help from my friend who can sew much better than me.
Oh I hope you manage to work it out Lisa. Sometimes changing the needle can help with skipped stitches on stretch fabric.
tell me how you go
I stumbled upon your tutorial when looking for ways to make bat wings… it is so easy and very well explained! Thanks for posting, my daughter is having a blast in her wings and will continue to after Halloween has passed, I'm sure!
Oh that's lovely to here. Emma wore hers to the supermarket the other day 🙂
really cool!
I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!
doro K.
Super awesome! Thanks for sharing this. If I wasn't actually on schedule for homemade costumes this year (first time EVER!) I would definitely be trying to convince one of my kids to be a bat for Halloween…. Maybe I need to be a bat….
Thanks for sharing! After I mastered the first set, I popped off another two in less than an hour. Brilliant!!
That's great, would love to see how they turned out.
x cinti
You saved the day in our house!!! We made these…and succeeded!! Thanks so much – she has a Halloween costume now!
Glad I could help! Have a great Halloween
I just stumbled across your tutorial and its just what I need! My daughter has decided she wants to be a vampire cat for Halloween and I was wondering how I would make the wings so thank you!
Love it! Thank you for the great tutorial as it was perfect when my Master 6 asked to be a bat
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=549943318408325&set=a.354846991251293.76725.109596745776320&type=1&theater
~ Mariane xxx
Thanks for sharing the link. Have a great Halloween!
Cute! I did a little twist on it. Instead of cutting a scoop neck, I left some extra fabric extending up the back of my son’s neck and cut it into the shape of a bat’s head. From the front, it just looks like a collar. From the back, you get the full sihouette of a bat 🙂 thanks for sharing the wing pattern!
great idea, you could also sew in a cowl if you were really clever
Thanks for re-posting! I made the bat wings last year for Halloween, and then some pteranadon wings 🙂 and I’m coming back to make a new one to modify into a t-rex this year.
Thank you for this super idea. I made the bat wings for my son this halloween. He loves it and he’s going to wear it tomorrow!
Thanks for the tutorial. My son is happily wearing his bat wings.
I love this, I need to make some purple ones. I have shared this on my Magical Things Fairy Day Roundup post.
Oh I love it. What a great result! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cintia
I’m trying to make your lovely bat wings out of cotton lycra, rather than lycra. Given that it only has stretch in one direction, which way would you advise I lay the fabric. The first pair I’m part way through I had the stretch running horizontally which means the sleeves don’t stretch around the arm, but it does stretch around the back. So I’m thinking of try the second pair the other way. Also, I’m obviously not experienced at measuring because this first pair I started for my seven-year-old fits my four-year-old, but I’ll persevere. Thanks! 🙂 Kiera
I think the second way with the stretch around the arms is best. If you are having trouble measuring just lay the fabric over him and mark it against his body.