DIY Spider and Web Ornaments
Imaginative Crafts, Do-It-Yourself Projects and Video Tutorials by Robert Mahar, robert-mahar.com
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DIY Spider Christmas Tree Ornament
Materials:
Thin cotton string/yarn
Fabric stiffener
Cork board
Graph paper
Wax paper
Push pins
Straight pins
Paint brush
Glitter
Pencil
Red marker
Directions:
1. Begin by making a template for the spider web. On a piece of graph paper measure and draw a box that is six by six inches. Next draw two diagonal lines that connect the opposing corners. Finally draw one vertical and one horizontal line that meet in the center of your square. There are now four lines that intersect in the center of the square.
Along each spoke that radiates out from the center point, measure and mark in red the one inch mark, the two inch mark and the two and a half inch mark.
2. Next position your template under a piece of waxed paper and pin them both to a corkboard with pushpins.
3. Place one sewing pin in each of the red marks on the template. These indicate all of the intersecting points of our spider web.
4. To create the spider web you’ll need a fine, thin yarn. Create a tail that’s 6 inches long and tie the yarn to one of the outer pins – this tail will help create the hanging loop for the ornament.
The yarn is going to be wrapped around the pins in a similar fashion to a string art project. It’s easiest to string the web with one hand and use the other to press the yarn down to surface of the corkboard, helping to keep the yarn taught and the lines straight.
To begin, wrap across the first line, wrapping the yarn once around each pin you pass. When you get to the end of the first line, work your way back to the center pin, pivot directions and wrap up and down the second line. Continue on to wrap the third and fourth lines. Before you wrap the yarn back up to our starting point, pause at the center pin – wrap it up to the first pin at the one inch mark, pivot and wrap the yarn around to create the inner circle of the web, connecting all of the spokes. Then work your way up to the pin at the two inch mark and again pivot and wrap the yarn around to create the outer circle of the web. Finally wrap the yarn up to our starting point, tie at around the pin and leave a six-inch tail.
5. To bind all of the wrapped yarn together and to keep the spider web configuration, we’re going to apply a fabric stiffener. However, before applying the fabric stiffener, take a toothpick and push the wrapped yarn up from the surface of the corkboard about a quarter of an inch. This is going to prevent us from adhering the web to our work surface.
Now dispense a small amount of the fabric stiffener and carefully apply it to every part of the yarn web using a fine tipped paint brush. When finished, apply one additional quick coat over the top and while the stiffener is still wet, sprinkle it with fine silver or gold glitter. Set the web aside and allow it to dry for at least three hours- preferably overnight.
6. Once the web is dry, gently remove each of the pins – supporting the web with one hand and pulling out the pin with the other. Tie the two tail ends together to complete the hanging loop.
Optionally, flip the web over and brush additional fabric stiffener on the other side of the web and apply more glitter. Hang to dry.
Spider Ornaments
Materials:
Two different sized ball ornaments
Pipe cleaners
Hot glue gun & glue
Scissors
Directions:
1. Remove the cap and hanging loop from the larger ball ornament. Apply hot glue around the opening and position the bottom of the smaller ball ornament on the glued edge. The hanging loop for the smaller ball ornament should remain visible, positioned at the top of the spider’s head.
2. To create the spider’s legs, cut four – eight inch segments of pipe cleaner. Align the ends of the four pipe cleaner pieces and twist them together several times in the center.
3. Apply a small amount of hot glue to the spider’s neck. Press the twisted center of the pipe cleaner legs into the glue and hold for a second, allowing it to set. Then wrap the pipe cleaners around the neck, twist the two sides together and fan out the individual legs. Bend each leg in the center to create the joint and then trim the ends if necessary to make certain the legs are all roughly the same length.
4. Finally string a hanging loop and spider is ready to display.