The Adorable Fall DIY That Gives Your Plants Their Own Faux Flying Bat Visitors

It really is a boo-tiful thing when you can start decorating for Halloween and all the new trinkets come out on the store shelves, but before you rush to the store to buy giant decor or big box designs, why not consider this clever DIY? If you have been trying to add some unique Halloween items into your home, this flying bat planter idea will elevate any room you keep it in, and you might wonder why brand names haven't capitalized on it already. You don't have to drop hundreds on this craft either: just pop to your local craft store for a few supplies like ribbons, glue, and a pot. You can find the rest of your items on Amazon before deciding whether to sink your flying bats into real or faux florals. Just by swapping out solar butterfly stakes with plastic bats, you've got a fun fall decor that offers all thrills and no chills — the scary kind, at least).

You will want to start by ordering a pack of solar-operated butterfly stakes from Amazon for about $16. These also take batteries, so you don't have to worry about keeping your bats in the sun to make them "fly." If you like to get crafty, you can DIY your own bats with construction paper or play with other mediums like felt, poster board, or even ribbon. You can draw out a bat outline and simply cut as many as you need, or print bats onto your paper and trim around those. If you prefer an easier option, buy a pack of plastic bats from Amazon (approximately $7) to use.

Once you have the solar butterflies and a potted plant (real or faux), you want to begin by pulling the original butterflies off gently. Then, you can use scissors or a hole punch to create two holes vertically in the center of the bat, which will replace the butterfly. Also, consider swapping out the bat for ghosts, like these $10 Amazon cutouts (or draw and cut your own); just ensure you don't opt for a plastic piece that's too big, as it could prevent the solar stake from moving properly. The idea is to make it seem like the bats or ghosts are flying around the plant, so anything too heavy will be detrimental.

Place the ghosts or bats over the small buttons from which you removed the butterflies. Secure the plastic shapes to the plastic piece at the top of the wire (where the original butterfly was) with hot glue or Gorilla Glue, so they don't fall off when each one is turned on. Trim the antennae off with scissors, then pop your stakes into your pot and turn them on to watch your homemade bats fly around your plants.

The stakes are fairly long, so keep that in mind when choosing your pot. You want something large enough to hide the base of your solar stake inside among your florals or plants. If you want to use a slightly smaller pot, you can remove the bottom of your solar stake; just ensure there's enough foliage or soil to hold the whole piece up when it's inside your planter. Purchase plant foam blocks like these Walmart options ($12) to insert the stake into if you aren't using soil inside.

Your plant or bouquet is just as important to this decor as the bats or ghosts themselves. If you're taking the faux plant route, opt for seasonal foliage and florals that convey fall and autumn themes. Sage greens, red, yellow, and orange colors will make the flying visitors pop, or you can get a little creative and use baby's breath with a few seasonal florals mixed in. Add your flying decorations to your leafy friends throughout the house if you don't want to purchase fresh flowers. These clever crafts are so fun you might consider adding them to your year-round Halloween decorations that stay up no matter the season.