Sally from The Peanuts cutting eyeholes in a white sheet to use as a ghost costume
Kooky Crafts

Yarn Spider
by Amanda Formaro
[originally from Kaboose.com]

Make this adorable, but creepy spider to hang from your ceiling and welcome your Halloween guests!

a series of photos showing how to make a yarn spider What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Cut eight pieces of black yarn, four inches in length each. Line a baking sheet or sturdy piece of cardboard with waxed paper.

2. Combine 2 tablespoons of white glue with one tablespoon of water and mix together. Place the eight pieces of yarn into the bowl of the glue mixture and move them around to be sure they are completely covered.

3. Remove yarn, one piece at a time, removing the excess glue mixture with your fingers. Do not squeeze, you want there to be glue, you just don't want them dripping. Place each piece of yarn onto the waxed paper.

4. Bend each piece at a 90-degree angle to create the "knee". At one end of each of the pieces of yarn, bend a short piece to create the foot. Set aside.

5. Wrap black yarn around one finger. Remove it from your finger and continue wrapping and turning to make a yarn ball. Keep wrapping until the yarn ball measures about 1-inch in diameter. Cover the yarn ball in glue mixture and place it on the waxed paper with the legs; set aside.

6. Wrap black yarn around two fingers. Continue wrapping, as your did above, to make a larger yarn ball, about 2-inches in diameter. Cover ball in glue mixture and place on waxed paper. Allow the glue to dry completely; this could take a few hours.

a series of photos showing how to make a yarn spider 7. Remove the items from the waxed paper. Peel off any waxed paper that sticks to the yarn.

8. Glue the head (smaller yarn ball) to the body (larger yarn ball).

9. Use a toothpick to poke a hole in the side of the spider where you want a leg to go. Wiggle the toothpick around in a circular fashion then remove the toothpick. Add a bit of instant grab glue to the end of the leg and insert into the "hole." Repeat for each leg.

10. Glue on wiggle eyes onto the face of the spider.

11. To cover up any remnants of waxed paper, touch up spider with black paint.

12. If you want to suspend your spider from the ceiling, tie a piece of fishing line around him and secure with glue.

Tips:

1. Make your spider more colorful by adding spots or stripes made from felt.

2. To add fangs, paint a toothpick white then cut in half and glue the fangs to the bottom of the head.

3. To make your spider look friendlier for little ones, add a simple smile with a piece of skinny chenille stem.

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