These little bat wing candy or napkin holders are fun and quick to make. They can be used to wrap around a chocolate bar, especially the mini-pack chocolate bars. Chocolate bars wrapped in dark/black wrappers work best for making bats, as the bar is the body of the bat. The end of the wrapper makes a perfect “squashed” face for the bat.
As napkin holders, they are simply napkin rings with bat wings. But for added effect, you could use black napkins and fold the napkin up in front to represent the bat’s face or head. These would look great on an orange or red tablecloth, or, if your tablecloth is dark, lay a different coloured napkin under the bat to show up the black bat.
To make the candy holders
Fold a sheet of black card and draw and/or cut a bat wing through both layers (or create a template of a bat wing on ordinary card first, especially if you have many bats to make). Open the card out to form a pair of joined bat wings.
Measure the length of your chocolate bar, and then the circumference. Use the length as measured, but add an extra 2cm on each side of the circumference measurement for cutting out tabs.
Create a roll for the body, holding the tab section together. Cut out the extra 2cm on each side of the tabs, leaving two tabs of about 2cm by 2cm, depending on the size of your bat and the weight of the card.
Cut a slit in the bat wings the same width as the tabs.
Wrap the body roll around the chocolate bar. Push the tabs into the bat wings and fold over to hold the body in place.
To make the napkin holders
Measure the circumference of a ring that would fit comfortably around your napkin – ie, not too tight that your guests have to tear your bats to get at their napkins, or too loose that it flops out.
Add 2cm on each end for the tabs, and cut away the extra portion leaving two equal tabs.
The length of the body ring can be as long or short as you prefer.
Wrap the body ring around the napkin and push the tabs into the slit of the bat wings. Fold over to hold in place.
Bend the napkin up in front to form the bat’s head.
For more fun ideas for Halloween crafts, activities, and costumes, try Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids by Leila Peltosaari or 101 Spooktacular Party Ideas by Linda Sadler
