Transform an umbrella into a fun and festive Halloween decoration -- or costume accessory -- using this how-to from puppeteer Basil Twist.

Tools and Materials

• Umbrella
• Bat template
• Duct tape
• String or nylon cord
• Key ring
• Silver spray paint
• Scissors
• Craft foam
• Pencil
• Faux fur
• Aluminum foil
• Hot glue and hot glue sticks
• Red marbles (or similar)
• Dittalini pasta

Bat Umbrella How-To

1. With duct tape, create two stops along pole of umbrella to prevent it from opening or closing all the way. Place one at the very top of the pole and the other midway along the pole.
2. Tie a piece of string around the base of the opening mechanism and attach a key ring to end of the string so it can be pulled to open and close the bat’s wings.
3. Lightly spray umbrella with silver spray paint and use scissors to cut large scallops along the edge of the umbrella. Complete the wings by cutting out two opposite panels of the umbrella.
4. To create the head and body, download, print and cut out bat template. Trace and cut out body and jaw from craft foam and eyes from aluminum foil.
5. Cut faux fur for chest of bat body, as well as 4 strips the length of the radius of umbrella to act as the arms and legs.
6. To create hands, cut eight 4-inch lengths of white rope and secure together two sets of four side by side using duct tape at one end.
7. With hot glue, attach rope fingers to each arm and then attach arms and legs to umbrella along the straight edges of the wings.
8. Using hot glue, build head and body from craft foam pieces. Attach aluminum foil eyes and glue red marbles (or similar) in the center. Knot a length of rope to make a nose and also attach with hot glue. To make teeth, use hot glue to attach pieces of pasta to jaw.
9. Attach faux fur to chest of bat and finish umbrella by using hot glue to attach entire bat body to center of umbrella wings.