DIY Black Cat Paper Bag Luminaries for Halloween

A porch glowing with black cats is peak Halloween — and you don’t need
expensive decorations to pull it off. These black cat paper bag
luminaries are made from plain brown paper bags, a little craft paper,
and battery tea lights. Cut a cat silhouette into the bag, add sand and a flameless candle,
and you have glowing luminarias for pennies apiece.

What You’ll Need

• Brown paper lunch bags (one per luminary; make 3–5 for a nice row)
• Black craft paper or cardstock (for the cat silhouettes)
• Pencil and scissors or a craft knife
• Glue stick or double-sided tape
• Sand, gravel, or rice (about 1 cup per bag)
• Battery-operated LED tea lights (never use real flames in paper)
• Optional: cutting mat and a printed cat silhouette template

Draw Your Cat Silhouette

Sketch an arched-back black cat on the front of a brown paper bag with
a pencil — back arched, tail curled up, ears pointed. Keep the design
bold and simple: thick lines glow best. If drawing isn’t your thing,
print a free cat silhouette template online, cut it out, and trace it
onto the bag.

Cut Out the Shape

Carefully cut along your traced lines, removing the paper inside the
silhouette. Smooth edges catch the light more evenly, so trim any
ragged bits.

Back It With Black Paper

From inside the bag, glue a square of black craft paper behind the
cut-out opening. The dark backing makes the cat read as a crisp
silhouette when the light is inside, and it softens the candle’s hot
spots.

Add Sand and the Tea Light

Spoon about a cup of sand into the bag. This weighs the luminary down
against autumn winds and lifts the tea light closer to the window. Set
one LED tea light in the sand and fold the bag’s top down a couple of
inches for a finished look.

Line Them Up and Dim the Lights

Place your luminaries along porch steps, a walkway, or your mantel.
Wait for dusk, switch on the tea lights, and step back — the row of
glowing black cats is instantly the spookiest, cheapest porch on the
block.

Styling Tips

Vary the bag heights by folding some lower for a more organic look.
Pair the luminaries with mini pumpkins or dried corn stalks, and place
them against a dark wall so the glow pops. They look great photographed
from a low angle with the porch lights off.

Safety note: Always use battery-operated LED tea lights — never a
real candle inside a paper bag. Keep luminaries away from dry leaves
and door wreaths, and switch them off when you go to bed.

These black cat luminaries cost next to nothing, take under an hour
for a full set, and the bags can be flattened and reused next year. Once
you see them glowing on your porch at dusk, you’ll skip the
store-bought Halloween decor for good.