TP Roll Bat
Updated: Oct 21
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Save those empty toilet paper rolls because we’re turning them into adorable little bats! This Toilet Paper Roll Bat Craft for Kids is an easy Halloween project that transforms something you would normally toss in the recycling bin into a cute Halloween decoration. With a cardboard tube, a few basic craft supplies, and a little imagination, kids can create their own bat that’s ready to hang out with you all October long.
I love crafts that start with materials we already have around the house. There’s something extra fun about handing a child an ordinary cardboard tube and asking, “What could we turn this into?” Suddenly, it isn’t a toilet paper roll anymore—it’s the body of a bat! Projects like this are a great reminder that kids don’t need expensive art supplies to be creative. Sometimes the simplest materials inspire the best ideas.
Kids can give their bats completely different personalities. Make a traditional black bat, choose spooky purples and grays, or pull out every bright color in the art box and create a rainbow bat. Add a silly smile, tiny fangs, goofy eyes, or your own special details. One bat might look sweet and friendly while another looks like it just flew straight out of a haunted cave.
This easy bat craft for kids is especially fun for preschool and elementary-aged children. Coloring, cutting, gluing, and assembling the different pieces gives kids a chance to practice fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and scissor skills while creating something they can proudly display when they’re finished. Younger children may need a little help with cutting, but they can still take charge of decorating their bat and deciding exactly how it should look.
And once you start turning toilet paper rolls into Halloween characters, it’s surprisingly hard to stop! Your little bat might need a spooky friend, and an empty cardboard tube can just as easily transform into a Toilet Paper Roll Vampire. Make the two together and suddenly those tubes you almost threw away have become the beginning of your own little collection of Halloween monsters.
Finished bats can perch on a shelf, decorate a classroom, sit on a Halloween party table, or become part of some imaginative play. Make several and create an entire colony of bats, give each one a name, or use them as characters in a Halloween story. I especially love crafts that don’t end when the glue dries—when kids can play with what they’ve created, the project gets a whole second life.
If your child can’t get enough of these fascinating nighttime creatures, this little cardboard bat is only the beginning. Artsy Kids Zone is packed with bat-inspired projects using all kinds of different art techniques and supplies. You can paint, fold, color, cut, launch, and even make bats that move! Be sure to explore my collection of 15 Bat Crafts for Kids when you’re ready for your next bat-themed project.
Handprint Bat 
Cute Witch Puppets 
Paper Bag Puppets 
Origami Templates 
Zombie Finger Puppets 
Coffee Filter Bats 
3D Witch Paper Dolls 
Painted Rocks 
Agamograph 
Bat Crown 
Bat Finger Puppets 
Witch Paper Bag Puppet
And there is so much more to make beyond bats! Artsy Kids Zone is filled with Halloween crafts for kids, including witches, ghosts, vampires, mummies, pumpkins, skeletons, zombies, Frankenstein’s Monster, and plenty of other spooky characters. Try Halloween Finger Puppets, Paper Bag Puppets, Clothespin Puppets, Paper Masks, Origami, Moving Eyes Portraits, Halloween Agamographs, Handprint Crafts, Painted Rocks, and interactive paper crafts. Whether your kids like Halloween cute and silly or a little creepy, there’s always another project waiting at the craft table.
So before you toss that next empty toilet paper roll into the recycling bin, set it aside for craft time! This Toilet Paper Roll Bat Craft is inexpensive, easy to make, and a fun way to get kids excited about creating for Halloween. Gather a few simple supplies, let kids add their own creative touches, and watch an ordinary cardboard tube transform into a little bat that’s ready to swoop into your Halloween festivities.
Materials Needed:
Toilet Paper Roll
Pen
Black Paint
Coffee Filter
Washable Markers
Googly Eyes
White Paper
Spray Bottle Filled with Water
Glue
TP Roll Bat Craft for Kids
Flatten and Draw the Bat’s Ears
Gently press the toilet paper roll flat. Using a pencil and ruler, draw a straight line across the top of the roll, then draw a triangle along the line to create the shape of the bat’s pointed ears.
Cut the Bat’s Ears
Carefully cut along the lines you drew at the top of the flattened toilet paper roll. Open the roll back into its round shape, then remove and discard the piece you cut away. The two pointed shapes left at the top will become the bat’s ears.
Paint the Toilet Paper Roll
Use washable craft paint to cover the outside of the toilet paper roll with black or gray paint. Apply a second coat if needed, then set the roll aside until the paint is completely dry before moving on to the next step.
Glue on the Googly Eyes
Once the paint is completely dry, glue two googly eyes onto the front of the toilet paper roll near the top of the bat’s face. Press them gently into place, then allow the glue to dry.
Add the Bat’s Fangs
Cut two small triangles from a piece of white paper to create the bat’s fangs. Glue the triangles beneath the googly eyes with the pointed ends facing downward, then let the glue dry.
Color the Coffee Filter Wings
Now that the bat’s body is complete, it is time to make the wings! Place a plain white coffee filter on top of a piece of scrap paper to protect your table from ink that may bleed through. Use washable markers to cover the coffee filter with colors, patterns, and designs. Traditional Halloween colors such as black, purple, orange, and gray are always fun, but kids can use any colors they like.
I always keep coffee filters stocked in my craft supplies—and I do not even drink coffee! They are inexpensive, easy to use, and so much fun to transform into colorful art projects. If you enjoy making these bat wings, be sure to check out my other coffee filter crafts for kids for even more creative ideas!
Spray the Coffee Filter with Water
Place the colored coffee filter on a protected work surface, then lightly mist it with water from a spray bottle. Because you used washable markers, the colors will begin to spread and blend together, creating a beautiful tie-dye effect. Avoid soaking the coffee filter with too much water, as this can wash away the colors or cause them to become muddy. Lay the coffee filter flat and allow it to dry completely before continuing.
Fold and Cut the Coffee Filter
Once the coffee filter is completely dry, fold it in half. Fold it in half two more times, creating a small, layered wedge. Use scissors to carefully cut a scalloped edge along the rounded side. When you unfold the coffee filter, the curved points will give the bat’s wings a fun, webbed shape. The folded layers may be difficult for younger children to cut through, so an adult may need to help with this step.
Unfold the Coffee Filter
Shape the Bat’s Wings
Pinch the folded coffee filter together at the center, then gently spread the outer edges apart. This will gather the middle while opening the scalloped sides into a colorful pair of bat wings.
Attach the Bat’s Wings
Position the pinched center of the coffee filter against the back of the toilet paper roll. Secure it firmly with a piece of tape, then gently spread the sides outward to display the bat’s colorful wings.
Your adorable TP Roll Bats are finished and ready to fly into some Halloween fun! Display these easy toilet paper roll bat crafts on a shelf, use them to decorate a classroom, or let kids give each bat a name and create their own spooky adventures. If your little bats are looking for a mysterious friend to join their Halloween crew, be sure to make our TP Roll Count Dracula next—after all, every vampire needs a few bats nearby! This simple recycled Halloween craft is a fun way to transform empty toilet paper rolls into decorations kids will be proud to display.
Discover More Kid Friendly Crafts
Crayon Relief Stocking 
Christmas Stockings 
Christmas Puppets 
Turkey Cootie Catcher 
Cow Paper Bag Puppet 
Rainbow Fish Craft 
Alien Handprint Craft 
Fall Agamograph 
Hatching Dragon Egg 
Fire Dragon 
3D Fairy Paper Dolls 
Dino Finger Puppets 
Boat Origami 
Mermaid Craft 
Tiger Masks 
Pirate Paper Masks
If your kids loved making the TP Roll Bat, be sure to explore everything that Artsy Kids Zone has to offer! There are several fun and creativity crafts waiting, from interactive paper bag puppets and playful clothespin puppets to unique coloring pages and imaginative paper masks. Whether your child is into animals, pirates, dinosaurs, fairies, or something in between, you’ll find endless projects designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
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