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Tuesday, December 5, 2023

DIY a cotton batting spider and web!

       One of many Christmas spiders that hang on our trees during the holidays. This one is made from wire and cotton batting and a tiny bit of paint. The face is modeled from Sculpey pressed into a factory made mold. I'm not sure whether or not one of these may be found just anywhere... So crafters may need to paint a small wooden bead and attach it to their spider's body for a head.

This cotton batting spider hangs on a white 
Christmas tree ordinarily, however, this 
year she has been hung on a woodland 
themed tree in our study.

Supply List:

  • Sculpey (oven-bake clay)
  • thin wire or chenille stems
  • acrylic paint
  • white cotton balls
  • white school glue
  • hot glue and hot glue gun
  • white thread
  • transparent glitter.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. First, cut long lengths of a thin wire or chenille stems to wrap with cotton batting. If you are using chenille stems, trim off excess fuzz, before wrapping these stems.
  2. Unravel several white cotton balls and dap on the glue to the surface of the wire.
  3. Twist the cotton fuzz around the sticky surface of the wire. You can roll the wire between the palms of your hands to get the cotton to adhere evenly.
  4. Now shape the spider's web twisting and trimming off ends as you go. Hang the web and let dry.
  5. To make the spider, cut eight short legs for the arachnid and wrap or glue these to a oval shaped bead. 
  6. Glue on a head, I molded one from Sculpey.
  7. Cover the surfaces of the spider with a bit more cotton batting and glue and then attach the spider to the web using thread or hot glue.
  8. Paint on a few details if you like. I painted stripes on this spider and highlighted eye-brows.
  9. Brush more white glue on the entire surface of the spider and web to sprinkle on transparent glitter.

Left, the spider prior to painting. Right, the painted version.

The spider get a shower of glitter after painting.

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