Learn how to make these cool bats out of a coffee filter and clothes pin. The wings are reminiscent of tie dye!


Materials
-coffee filter
-wooden clothes pin
-washable markers
-container of water plus paint brush OR spray bottle with mist setting
-scrap paper, newspaper, or protective table cloth
-paint brush
-black paint
-scissors
-googly eyes and glue stick (optional)
Instructions
1. Flatten coffee filter out with hands. Colour the coffee filter in with markers. You can use any colour you’d like. Here we are using black, purple, and blue. You do not have to colour in all the white spaces and the colours can be placed anywhere. You can also draw patterns or swirls, etc. but note that everything will blend together in the end so the pattern won’t be fully visible.


2. Place the coffee filter on top of scrap paper or something to protect your surface. If you have a spray bottle with a mist setting, you can spray the entire coffee filter. If not, use a container of water and a paint brush to brush on the water. Use only enough water to wet the coffee filter for the colours to flow a bit. Try not to use too much water as this will lengthen the drying time and cause the colours to fade.


To dry it, you can drape it over a container like shown here. Or you can hang it up on a line with clothes pin and set it near a fan. Let it dry completely.

3. While the coffee filter is drying, paint the clothes pin black. Let dry. You can paint on eyes or glue on googly eyes when it is dry!


4. When the coffee filter is dry, fold it in half. And in half again to get a quarter. Using scissors, cut 2-3 curved lines along the round edge. Unfold the coffee filter once.




5. Unfold once. Pinch the middle with your thumb. And pleat and fold the top and bottom towards the middle. Don’t worry if it looks a bit uneven at this point. Clip the clothes pin in the middle. Now you can adjust the wings as needed. And you’re done!



