This fun and easy Halloween centerpiece is a simple DIY project that will add a little spookiness to your home for the Halloween season in 20 minutes or less.

Long time readers know that I love sweet, simple and spooky Halloween decor. Here I’m sharing how to make this super easy Halloween centerpiece that most closely resembles a plume of bats flying out of a bunch of branches!

This Halloween centerpiece is a quick, easy craft that anyone of any crafting level can make in 20 minutes or less. (Yes, anyone! Even those of you who think you aren’t crafty.)

While I’m not one to go all out with extensive Halloween decor, I love creating a fun vignette in the foyer or in the dining room, especially if we’re entertaining. It’s fun to add a little festive touch to the house for the spooky season!

Halloween Centerpiece Supplies

The supplies for this Halloween centerpiece are super easy to source either at a local craft store or even using materials you may already hae at home. See my tips here for where to find all of your supplies.

• Thin branches – You’ll need a handful of thin branches, 3 to 4 feet tall. You can collect them from your yard or a local park or buy them in the dried floral section of a craft store. Optionally, you can spray paint them black if you choose.
• Bat cut-outs – I picked these bats up at a craft store, but alternately you could trace a bat stencil shape onto black card stock and cut them out. In all you’ll want roughly 20 to 30 bat cut-out shapes each approximately 3″ wide. (For reference, my centerpiece shown here features 24 bats that are just shy of 3″ across the widest part of the wings.)
• Hot glue gun – A basic hot glue gun is needed to attach the bats to the branches.
• Hot glue sticks – Make sure to grab a bunch of hot glue sticks. I always seem to use them up faster than I think I will!
• Vase – I opted for a simple cylinder vase for my Halloween centerpiece, but a silver urn or antique piece would be very cool, too.

To get started you’ll need small bat shaped cut-outs of some kind. I found these glittery bats at Michaels and saw similar ones at Jo-Ann.

Alternately, you could do a search online for a bat template or bat clip art to trace and cut out of black card stock using sharp scissors or an X-Acto knife and a straight edge.

 You’ll also need a bundle of thin, scraggly branches. I found birch branches at the craft store that happened to be painted black and were perfect for the centerpiece I had in mine.

Try to find branches at least 3′ tall to create a large, dramatic presence to instantly add a little bit of a spooky edge to your Halloween centerpiece.

Arrange your branches in a tall glass cylinder vase until you find the arrangement you like best. Then run a thin bead of hot glue along the backside of the center of the bats and carefully press each one onto a branch to secure.

Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot glue! As you’re working, disperse your bats and make sure they’re pointed in slightly different directions to give them the appearance of a flock of bats that have been disturbed and are flying up and out of the branches in a hurry.

This is such a fun seasonal piece that’s perfect for displaying on a mantle, in your foyer or on the dining room table. You could even nestle it along a credenza or on your bedroom dresser to add a little Halloween drama wherever you like.

And that’s that, friends! A fun, slightly spooky, simple Halloween decor idea for your repertoire that you can easily recreate each Halloween or save to use year to year.

Keep scrolling for the complete tutorial and to print the how-to instructions card!

More Easy Halloween Craft Ideas

• DIY cheesecloth ghost cake toppers
• DIY black lace candle holders
• DIY colorful jack o’lantern treat bags
• DIY golden taxidermy plaques
• DIY glow in the dark trick or treat bags
• DIY Halloween spider lanterns

Try These Spooky Halloween Treats

• Halloween candy bark
• Halloween charcuterie board
• Halloween dessert platter
• Smoking blueberry lavender martini
• Halloween coconut white russians
• Spider cheeseballs

[Photos by Alice G. Patterson for The Sweetest Occasion.]

DIY Bat Branch Halloween Centerpiece

Yield: 1 Halloween centerpiece

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Estimated Cost: $10

This fun and easy Halloween centerpiece is a simple DIY project that will add a little spookiness to your home for the Halloween season in 20 minutes or less.

Print

Materials

• 1 bunch of thin branches, 3 to 4 feet tall
• 20 to 30 bat cut-outs, approximately 3" across

Tools

• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Vase or urn

Instructions

1. Arrange your branches in a tall vase or urn until you find the arrangement you like best. Spread the branches and vary the height to create a centerpiece that feels dramatic.
   
   
   
2. Run a thin bead of hot glue along the backside of the center of one of the bats.
   
   
   
   
3. Being careful not to burn yourself, carefully press the bat onto a branch, holding it in place for a few seconds as the glue cools to ensure it is firmly attached.
   
   
   
4. Repeat the process with each of the bats, placing them in an arrangement that gives a sense that the bats are flying up and out of the tree branches.
   
   
   
5. Tweak the arrangement of the branches to your liking and display your Halloween centerpiece in your foyer, living room or anywhere you need a little extra Halloween spookiness.