October 31st is on its way 🎃, and somewhere in your house there’s a child who has decided their Halloween costume should be homemade. You know, because Mum can sew, right?!? Sure, it’s a lovely compliment. It’s also a fair bit of pressure when your sewing time is limited anyway. ⏱️
You want to make something original and a bit creative that your kids will actually be proud to wear. What you don’t want is a sewing pattern with fifteen pieces, instructions you have to read three times, and a half-finished costume still sitting on the table on the afternoon of the 30th.
So, this year I have a project for you that’s quick, simple and a joy to make: fabric batwings. There’s no pattern to purchase and store away, because you make them to suit your child. The size, the fabric and the fit are all up to you, which is half the fun.
Once you’ve made this, you know how to make them for good. If a sibling gets jealous, you can make a second pair. If you want to do it all again next Halloween in a bigger size, you already know how. It’s a costume you can keep coming back to without starting from scratch each time.
Ready to jump into it?
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Easy Kids Halloween Costume Tutorial- DIY Bat Wings
What you need to make fabric bat wings fast
✂️ Fabric- dark and flowy (It can be stretchy. Or not. You just don’t want fabric that will fray since you’re not sewing any seams or edges. I used a cheap faux velvet)
✂️ Elastic- wide elastic for shoulder straps
✂️ Elastic- slim elastic for finger straps (also elbow straps, if wanted)
✂️ Measuring tape and ruler
✂️ Tailors chalk or other fabric marker
✂️ Fabric scissors
✂️ Sewing pins
✂️ Sewing machine or sewing needle
✂️ Thread
Step 1: Measure your spooky Halloween child
Have your child stand with their back to you and stretch their arms out to the sides.
With your measuring tape, measure from one wrist across the shoulder blade to the base of their neck.
Write this number down! This will be (part of!) the top edge of the fabric and form the wingspan of the bat wings.
Again, with your child standing with their back to you, measure from the base of the neck down their spine to the point that you think is a good length. I measured to the point where the buttocks meet the upper thigh. (Better to cut it now a teeny bit long and trim it later than to have it too short at the start 😉.)
Write this number down. This will be the length of the bat wings.
Step 2: Calculate the amount of fabric you need to make these bat wings
You’ll need to purchase fabric that is as long as the length measurement you just made. No need to add on seam allowances or anything like that!
Once you have your fabric cut to length, lay it on a flat surface and fold in half across the width so the short sides of fabric meet. The fold you just made will be the centre of the wings (it will be centred over your child’s spine) and the fabric will now be double-layered.
Tip: If your fabric is slippery (like mine was 🙈) use pins along the short edge to hold it together.
Step 3: Cut the fabric to size
In Step 2 you prepared the length of the costume. Now for the width!
From the fold across the fabric, measure and mark the size of that first number you wrote down (wingspan / arm measurement).
Parallel to the fold, cut the double layers of fabric along this measured line.
For now, leave this large rectangle of fabric folded in half.
Step 4: Create your brilliant bat wing shape
The upper straight edge will be the longest part of the wings, as this is what will drape from wrist to wrist.
Using the tailors chalk or fabric marker, draw the shape of wings to your liking. Think of that scalloped look of bat wings. The height of the “scallop shape” will be less at the wrist and continue diagonally towards the centre of the lower fabric edge.
Don’t be afraid to experiment! As you can see in the photo, it took me a few attempts to get a shape my daughter and I agreed looked right. 😅
When you are satisfied with your drawing, cut through the double fabric layers along the wing shape.
Now you can unfold your wings-in-progress!
Step 5: Prepare the elastic for wearing the bat wings- Part 1
You have the fabric wing shape, but now you need to create a way for your child to be able to wear their handmade Halloween costume!
First up, cut a short piece of thin elastic for your child to loop a finger through while spreading their wings. You don’t need much; I used about 5 cm (2 in.).
Fold it in half to form a loop. Near the end of one wing stitch this in place, either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Cut another small piece and repeat at the other wing tip.
Step 6: Prepare the elastic for wearing the bat wings- Part 2
Next up hold the end of your measuring tape at the base of your child’s neck and loop it under their armpit and back to the base of their neck. This is the length of elastic you’ll need to cut for the shoulder straps.
Cut 2 pieces of elastic approx. 2-3 cm / 1 in. wide (wider than the elastic you used to make the finger elastic hoops above) and fold each of them in half to form a loop. Pin to hold each loop.
Optional: Using a long stitch length, sew back and forth close to each end to hold each loop ready for the next step.
Measure along the straight long top edge and mark the middle point.
Lay one of the shoulder hoops parallel to that long edge, with the cut ends of the elastic approximately 1 cm (1/2 in.) to the right of this and pin in place.
Repeat this with the other shoulder loop, but facing the other direction, so that the cut ends of the elastic are about 1 cm (1/2 in.) to the left of the centre marking.
Tip: To prevent the ends of the elastic irritating your child when wearing their bat costume or coming loose with repeated wear, cut a small square of scrap fabric to cover them and zig zag stitch this patch in place
Optional: Depending on the length of your child’s arms, you may want to create and sew another elastic loop around about halfway between the large shoulder loops and the small finger loops. This could sit around the child’s elbow and provide a bit more support for the fabric to stay in place along the top edge of a wing rather than falling backwards from the child’s arm and losing “bat” shape. 😉
Step 7: Homemade Halloween costume bat wings for your child completed!
Hooray! You did it! The batwings are now finished. Time to let your kid take those wings for a test run! 🦇
Heaps More Halloween DIY Ideas for You
👻 Easy DIY Halloween Costumes to Sew
👻 Halloween for Kids: Family-friendly ways to make something spooky together
👻 No Sew Halloween Decor to Make
👻 Trick or Treat Bag Sewing Pattern
👻 Digital Cut Files to Use Last Minute this Halloween
👻 Hauntingly good Halloween Jokes for the Whole Family
👻 13 DIY Halloween Costumes to Try Now for Your Kids
👻 Wicked Halloween Costumes to Sew
And that’s it: a bit of elastic, some cheap fabric, and a child who is now extremely pleased with themselves. Not bad for a project that barely counts as sewing. 😅
If this was your first time at the machine in a while (or ever), I hope you’ve seen that sewing doesn’t have to be a big production. Quick little projects like this are a really good way to get your confidence back, and you don’t need a craft room or a weekend to do it. 💪
If you give these a go, I’d love to see them! Tag me @everythingsfamtastic on Instagram so I can cheer on you and your little bats. 🎃 Happy Halloween and happy sewing!