Bendable Bats

After viewing the spectacular bat flyout, I was eager to try some bat crafting. This bendable bat is inspired by our bendable monkeys. Affiliate links below. 

Bendable Bat Craft

Materials:

• 2 black pipe cleaners
• black cardstock
• black tissue paper
• googly eyes
• yarn
• scissors
• craft glue

Steps:

Hold one pipe cleaner horizontally and bend the tips up. These will be the wings. Take the second pipe cleaner and twist it around the center of the first pipe cleaner. Continue twisting about halfway down, then bend the tips out. These will be the feet. 

Layer two pieces of black cardstock. Holding the pieces together, cut out a bat's body. You basically want a tapered cylinder with pointy ears and a blunt nose. Glue the googly eyes to one of the body pieces.

Cut a piece of black tissue paper to make the wings. It should be about 2 inches longer than the pipe cleaner arms and the same width as the twisted portion of the body pipe cleaner.

Glue the pipe cleaner structure to the plain body piece. Add the tissue paper wings, then top them with the body piece with the eyes.

Hang the bat by bending his pipe cleaner toes around a length of yarn. Your bat has his wings outstretched and is ready to take flight.

Gently bend the wings up to show that your bat is relaxing.

Bend the wings all the way up when it's time for your bat to go to sleep. 

I should have added eyelids... do bats have eyelids? Google says yes. Here are some other fun facts I learned about bats:

• The surface of their wings have touch-sensitive receptors on small bumps called Merkel cells, which are also found on human fingertips. (Source) 
• Bats have one-way valves in their arteries that prevent blood from flowing backwards. This is why they can hang upside down without blood rushing to their heads. (Source)
• When bats relax, their body weight keeps their talons closed. If bats die while roosting, they will continue to hang upside-down until something shakes them loose. (Source)
• While others can glide, bats are the only mammals capable of continued flight. (Source)
• Some bats can fly as fast as 50 miles per hour! (Source)

Bats are incredible!