DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Paper Bag Bat Craft

This is a fun craft to make around Halloween or when doing a "mammals" thematic unit.
 

Materials:

• a paper lunch bag
• black paint or black paper  (or neither if you're making a brown bat).
   
• a printer,
• some crayons,
• scissors
• glue,
• paper for the printer
   

Optional:

• big wiggly eyes.
   

PRINT THE TEMPLATE:

• Print out the template of choice (color or b&w)
• Colour (as required) and cut out the template pieces.
   

GET FAMILIAR WITH YOUR PAPER BAG:

• I'm going to walk through this slowly.  Look at your paper bag.
• It should be closed and flat like a piece of paper.  Just like when they are brand new.
• On one side, it's all smooth.  This will be the BACK of your puppet
  • It's important that all the kids get the back and front straight at the beginning!
• On the other side there's a flippy tab (which is typically the bottom of the bag when you're carrying your lunch around...)
  • This flippy tab will be the HEAD
• Lift the flippy tab up a bit.  Underneath of the tab will be the mouth,
  • When the child puts her hand in the bag, she'll be able to make the puppet talk.
• Look at the rest of the front of the bag.  (The 3/4 or so of the bag below the part with the flippy tab)  This will be the BODY.
• Look at the sides of the bag.  There should be a FLAP of paper.  
  • We'll be slipping the wings into this flap.
  • If the kids goof and glue the wings onto the front or back of the bag, it isn't a big deal.
• OK, now that we're comfy with our bags, let's craft!
   

Assemble your puppet:

• For a Black Bat:  Cover the paper bag with black paper (just glue it on and trim) or paint the paper bag black and let dry.
   
• For a Brown Bat:  leave the paper bag the regular brown paper bag color
   
• Glue the ears to the top of the HEAD 
   
• Glue the eyes onto the HEAD just under the ears.  If you like, you can use wiggly eyes instead of the paper template pieces.
   
• Glue the nose just below the eyes.
   
• Glue the fangs so they stick out from under the mouth.
   
• Glue the tongue into the mouth so you only see it when the puppet mouth opens up
   
• Glue the wings into the FLAP.
   
• Glue the feet onto the bottom of the BODY
   
• Glue the tail onto the BACK.

 

Templates:

• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
   
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).
   

Template 1:    (Black Bat)   or   (Brown Bat)   or   (B&W)

Template 2:    (Black Bat)   or   (Brown Bat)   or   (B&W)

 

 

Print friendly version of these instructions