What you'll need:
Floral foam for dried arrangements
Large opaque vase or flowerpot
Gnarly tree branch
Silver paper shreds
Candy corn
Bat stencils or cookie cutters
Black art paper
Metallic silver marker
Small translucent vellum, glassine or waxed paper envelopes
Standard hole punch
Thin (1/4 to 1/8 inch) ribbon
Rubber skeletons and spiders (optional)

1. Cut a piece of floral foam to fit the vase and push it into the vase, leaving about 1/2-inch space at the top. Push the trunk of the tree branch deep into the floral foam, making sure that it is anchored securely. Spread silver paper shreds or candy corn over the surface of the vase to cover the floral foam.

2. Using bat stencils or cookie cutters as guides, cut out folded bat shaped cards, joined at the wings, from the black art paper in a size that will fit into the envelopes. Use the silver marker to write a fortune or mystic message inside each bat card.

3. Place each bat card, along with a single piece of candy corn, into a glassine envelope and seal the envelope. Punch a hole into the top of each envelope, thread a piece of ribbon through the hole, and hang the envelope on the tree. Hang enough envelopes so that each party guest can pluck one as they prepare to leave the party. Decorate the tree with rubber skeletons and spiders, if desired.

Credit: Design by Elizabeth Woodson

Resources:
Bat cookie cutter from www.fancyflours.com (Item number 420000151-1)

Plastic spiders from www.CenturyNovelty.com (Item numbers 146-010 and 146-393)

4-inch rubber skeletons from www.CenturyNovelty.com (Item number 209-293)