Above all holidays, I love Halloween. It’s no secret here at the ChalkTalk offices – and everyone knew I was going to be running around looking for fun ways to share this love with our community. My awesome co-workers also weren’t at all shocked to find me decorating and making a DIY vampire bat softball, baseball, lacrosse ball, and hockey puck. They were surprisingly easy to make – and require little help beyond cutting out the wings (downloadable here) and putting the screw in the top – should you be doing this fun activity with your kids.

You will need:
01. The ball of your choice. (Note: The baseball or lacrosse ball wings would also work on a tennis ball – so go for it if that’s your sport!)
02. The downloadable bat wings for your specific ball.
03. Permanent markers or acrylic paint to draw the faces.
04. Scissors to cut the wings out (Tip: color the white parts with markers, colored pencils, or crayon for even more fun.)
05. Glue or tape to attach the wings
06. Hooks or screws so you the balls or puck are able to hang.
07. Fishing line (or the string of your choice) to hang the finished balls or puck.

Behold, my supplies, for they are mighty and powerful and have been known to lead to major transformations.

Step one: Print your free downloadable bat wings at the following links:
Softball Bat Wings
Lacrosse Bat Wings
Baseball Bat Wings
Hockey Bat Wings

Step two: Color the white parts (if you choose to) and cut out the wings. Be careful to fold the tabs so you know where to glue or tape them.

Having fun coloring the lacrosse ball’s wings.

Step three: Cut out the bat wings. Do it carefully – some of those edges are pointy and a little tough to cut out. (But hey, we have no limit on how many times you can download them. Just in case.)

I did it! I did it! All by myself!

Step four: Attach the wings. Place the glue on the black side of the folded tab and hold them in place for a few seconds to make sure they stay. I used a washable glue stick and had no issues, though I did have to add a little piece of transparent tape on the hockey puck because of the uneven edges. You can use any glue you like, however.

My trusty glue stick is awesome.

Step five: Place the screw in the center at the top of the ball or puck and screw it in. This is not difficult to do (I promise – if my tiny hands could do it, anyone’s can) but smaller children may need an adult’s assistance.

Easy as can be.

Step six: Draw or paint a face on the ball. I recommend using fine-point permanent markers – and you’ll need silver, gold, or white if you are doing a hockey puck).

Step seven: Choose the length of string and thread it through the hook and hang your ball or puck. It really is that easy to make an original Halloween decoration that celebrates your favorite sport. I used fishing line because, as you can see, the vampire bats look like they’re actually flying when hanging!

The Baseball Vampire Bat was being shy. Awwww. (And yes, their wings flap in the wind.)

Questions? Comments? Want to share photos of your awesome DIY vampire bat balls? I’d love to see them! Send me an email at blog@chalktalksports.com and have a happy and festive Halloween!

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