How to make corn husk bats

You guys might know already that I like decorating with natural elements in my house. So if you’re looking for a rustic, eco-friendly Halloween craft, these corn husk bats are a simple and spooky project you can make in under an hour. I love how they bring that farmhouse-style vibe to fall decorating. They pair perfectly with other natural crafts, like my DIY paper moths and DIY paper leaves, and they look amazing whether you hang them indoors or outside under the porch lights.

Whether you want a farmhouse-style decoration or a kid-friendly classroom project, this step-by-step guide will show you how to make your own corn husk bats and how to decorate with them.

a close-up view of three black corn husk bats hanging on tree branches that are wrapped in fairy lights

Where do corn husk bats come from

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When I saw multiple shops offering their own interpretations of corn husk bats, I was inspired to create a tutorial for my version, not realizing there was an original creator of the design. I had assumed it was a traditional folk craft, much like corn husk dolls. With that understanding, I want to highlight and credit the artist who created the original concept and encourage others to support her shop, and please do not make them for resale yourself. I have since removed the other shops from my blog post.

Meet the corn husk bat creator

Deven Blackwell from Nebraska, founder of House of Blackwell, created the first corn husk bat in 2020, followed by the corn husk spider a year later. Since then, she’s been at the cutting edge of corn art, crafting new designs that celebrate folk art in a spooky way.

Her love for corn husk dolls began in childhood, using leftover husks from the family farm, but it wasn’t until Halloween 2020 that she revisited the craft, and everything changed.

“When we had to stay inside that year, I thought it’d be the perfect time to make a corn husk doll styled like a witch for the spooky season,” Deven recalls. “I posted it online, and right away people started asking for more. That’s when it really took off.”

From there, she launched House of Blackwell, a shop dedicated to eerie, handcrafted art. From witches and their familiars to spiders and bats. Each piece is sculpted and dyed by hand, transforming a humble harvest material into haunting works of folk art.

Deven’s work blends old-world craftsmanship with dark whimsy, inspired by rural folklore, autumn rituals, and a lifelong love of the unusual. Every corn husk figure tells its own story and captures the spirit of the season.

You can explore Deven’s latest creations at thehouseofblackwell.com or follow her on Instagram. For videos, find her on TikTok or YouTube.

Materials you’ll need to make corn husk bats

dried corn husks
black string or embroidery floss (I used leftover black macrame yarn, but you can also dye cheap cord from the dollar store when you dye the corn husks)
black fabric dye
plastic gloves
metal pot and metal spoon
black towel or old rag
scissors
chop sticks
clothing pins or pinning needles
optional: styrofoam ball or wood bead with large center hole
optional: googly eyes or rice corns for bat teeth

Corn husk bat video tutorial

Before I get started with my step-by-step instructions, I want to share my video tutorial with you. As always, it’s a good idea to watch that first so you can see exactly what my hands were doing. It is definitely helpful. If it doesn’t load for you here on my blog, then you can head on over to my YouTube Channel and watch it there instead. Or just give me a follow on YouTube 😉

Music: Acid Jazz by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Step-by-step instructions on how to make corn husk bats

It’s no secret that I love Halloween. It’s so much fun to play pretend. And I have always liked making my own costumes and Halloween decor. I’m, however, no fan of all the plastic decor and costumes that you can buy everywhere. Making your own is more sustainable, fun, and gives you something unique that nobody else has.

When I saw some corn husk bats on Pinterest without a tutorial, I knew that I wanted to come up with my own version and to share that fun Halloween craft with you!

Let’s get started…

Step 1: Dyeing and preparing your corn husks

I am using Rit Dye to color the corn husks black. They have a great blog post about dyed corn husks that explains the best way to dye corn husks.

I dyed mine according to the instructions on the back of the Rit dye bottle. Soaking the corn husks for 30 minutes in the hot, black-colored water was enough to get a deep black color.

When working with corn husks, you always have to make sure that the husks are soaked before using them. This softens them and makes them workable. Pat them dry before starting your project!

coloring and preparing the corn husks for making the corn husk bats

Step 2: Shaping the bat’s head and body

Pick some smaller strips of corn husks and gather them at the wide ends as pictured in images 1 and 2.
Cut a piece of black cord and tie it around the gathered wide ends of the corn husks. (images 3 and 4)
Now fold the corn husks over the tied cord and downwards. (image 5)
You can either tie the corn husks off like this to shape the head of the bat (image 6), or you can stuff the head a bit more, which I’m showing as well in the next steps. One makes a smaller head, and the other version makes a slightly larger head. It depends on what look you like better. I tried both ways.

DIY tutorial image collage showing steps 1 through 6 to form a corn husk bat head

Or you can shape the head around a mold like a styrofoam ball, as I am showing you in the next steps. I happen to have some left from my combed macrame wall hanging. (images 7 and 8) Use the scissors to poke a larger hole into the ball and then insert the gathered and tied-off corn husks into the hole.
Now simply fold the corn husks over the styrofoam ball. (images 9 to 13)
Gather the corn husks with one hand below the styrofoam ball to create a neck under the head. (image 14)
Cut another piece of black cord and tie it tightly around the gathered husks. (images 15 and 16) Trim any husks that are sticking out oddly.

image collage of steps 7 through 16 about how to form the corn husk bat's head

Step 3: Forming the bat’s feet

You don’t have to use a stick to form the bat’s feet. I find it helpful, though!

Place the bat’s body as pictured with the head facing downward. Separate the corn husk ends into two sections. (image 1) Also, cut two pieces of black cord.
Take a chopstick or other stick and fold one side of the two bunched corn husks over the chopstick. (images 2 and 3)
Use one of the two black cords to tie the folded-over corn husk ends to the stick. Trim the ends. (images 4 and 5)
Repeat the same thing with the other foot. (images 6 and 7). And now you have a bat body hanging off the chopstick.

image collage of steps 1 through 6 about how to form the corn husk bat's feet

Step 4: Adding the bat’s ears

Tear two identical strips of corn husk as I’m showing below. (image 1 and 2)
Cross those two pieces and place them behind the bat’s head. (image 3)
Use a black piece of string to tie the two crossed pieces to the back of the bat’s head. (image 4)
Use sharp scissors to cut the shape of the bat’s ears (image 5) and then cut the remaining pieces of corn husk on the bat’s body. (image 6)

In image 7, you can see the finished bat’s body with feet and ears hanging on a stick without wings.

image collage of step-by-step instructions on how to add the corn husk bat ears

Step 5: Tying on and folding the bat’s wings

Pick two large pieces of corn husk that don’t have any tears or holes in them. (image 1)
Place them around the bat’s body with the narrow part of the corn husks right below the bat’s head. (images 2 and 3) Make sure that there is an opening where the bat’s face would be.
You can use your one hand to gather the corn husks around the bat’s neck tightly. (image 4)
Cut a piece of black cord and tie it tightly around the corn husks and neck. (image 5)
Now the wings/corn husks are ready to get folded down. Turn the bat body around and have the bat’s face looking forward. Fold both corn husks down so it looks like the bat is wearing a black cape. (images 6, 7, and 8)
Remove the chopstick by gently sliding it out of the feet. (image 9)

The instructions are continued below the image…

image collage of steps 1 through 16 about how to fold the corn husk bat's wings

Fold the bat wings to overlap like I am showing you. Then use a clothing pin or pinning needles to keep the wings in place. (images 10, 11, and 12)
Most likely, the feet will be hidden under the wings. I wanted them to be visible, though. You could skip this step if you like the look of hidden feet and simply thread a ribbon through the feet. And hang the bat like that.
I chose to trim the bat wings as pictured in the images 14 and 15. After that, I had to refold the wings and pin them again. I let the bat dry overnight, and then the pins can be removed again because the dry corn husks keep their shape.
If, for some reason, your bat isn’t keeping its shape, you can add some hot glue to the dried husks. I didn’t have to do that.

Step 6: Optional add-on details like teeth and eyes

You can add eyes like googly eyes or teeth as well. I like the idea of cutting rice corns in half and gluing them onto the face to look like teeth.

Tips for Making Corn Husk Bats Last Longer

Store them in a dry box wrapped in paper towels.
Spray lightly with matte sealer if using outdoors.
If wings lose shape, re-soak and re-pin.

Pin this tutorial with the image below to save for Halloween!

Photos of finished corn husk bats in my house

I thought these cute little bats would be a perfect addition to my fairy light branches that I made several years ago. One year, I added paper leaves. And wrote a tutorial about how to make paper leaves, too. I also added DIY paper moths. You should check out those projects. I included templates for you to use.

paper moths clipped on lit branches with DIY paper leaves in living room

The following year, I only added the paper moths and no leaves.

paper moths on lit branches in pot on living room coffee table

And this year I’m adding the corn husk bats!

DIY corn husk bat Halloween decoration hanging on a tree branch with fairy lights — This bat is tied to the branch with a string that was threaded through the feet.

The other bats are hanging from the branches with floral wire because it was easier to thread through the feet than cord.

a close-up view of a single black corn husk bat hanging on a tree branch that is wrapped in fairy lights

If you like DIY bat decorations, then you might also like my tutorial about how to make a macrame bat.

three corn husk bats hanging on a branch arrangement that is lit with fairy lights and has paper moths attached to it

a close-up view of a single black corn husk bat hanging on a tree branch that is wrapped in fairy lights with a DIY paper moth in the background

Come see how I used these lit branches for winter decor after Christmas.

living room view with fall and Halloween decor featuring a branch arrangement with sleeping corn husk bats and paper moths

branch arrangement on top of side table that is lit with fairy lights and sleeping corn husk bats and paper moths attached to it

And here are some of the bats hanging on my fireplace mantel.

three finished corn husk bats hanging on a fireplace mantel with a skull, and lit candles

I also added a ghost wreath to my mantel that I made right after this tutorial. It is inspired by the viral Pottery Barn lit ghost wreath.

DIY ghost wreath hanging above fireplace mental with the corn husk bats

three finished corn husk bats hanging on a fireplace mantel with a skull, lit candles, and text overlay

Creative ways to use your corn husk bats

String them up on a long piece of cord to create a garland for a fireplace mantel.
Use Command strips to hang the corn husk bats in a row from your crown molding, curtain rods, or door frames.
Hang them on branches in a vase or flower pot, the way I did for a natural rustic fall decor display.
Add the corn husk bats to a fall or Halloween wreath.
Outdoor porch displays: weatherproof your spooky bats with a protective spray and hang them on your front porch.
You can also hang the bats on a chandelier or light fixture over your dining table or kitchen island, which is perfect for Halloween parties.

Frequently asked questions about corn husk crafts

What is the story behind corn husk crafts, specifically corn husk dolls?

Corn husk crafts have been around for centuries. Native American communities first shaped dried husks into dolls, charms, and ceremonial figures — often tied to stories and traditions. Later, European settlers and enslaved Africans adopted the practice, crafting their own faceless figures.
In the early 1900s, the tradition saw a revival in the Appalachian region, where simple toys evolved into folk art. Some makers even patented their designs.

Can you buy finished corn husk bats?

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog post. Please purchase from Deven at House of Blackwell, who has perfected the craft of making these beautiful bats and other amazing corn husk creations.

How long do corn husk crafts last?

These bats can last for many seasons if kept dry and stored properly. The husks can turn brittle over time, so always handle them carefully. I’d suggest that you gently wrap them in paper towels and stack them inside a box like that.

What else can I make with corn husks besides bats?

You can also try making corn husk witches or corn husk dolls/harvest dolls.

More of my DIY Halloween decorations, crafts, and DIY Halloween costumes

How to paint faux terracotta pumpkins
How to make a scary scarecrow mask with burlap for Halloween. I use this mask now as decor inside my house.
DIY macrame ghost
Simple DIY creepy Halloween art using thrifted frames
And one of my all-time favorite costumes from when my daughter was little. Her DIY Maleficent costume. The headpiece is mostly made from black duct tape and aluminum foil.

So that’s it for today! Do you have any ideas what I should be or could be making next? Also, if you try making these corn husk bats, tag me on Instagram or send me an email. I’d love to see how yours turn out!

Tschüß,