Halloween Spiders (again)

The spiders from last year are in the October issue of FamilyFun magazine. While we were shooting the feature, the kids made their rock spiders on set and added tons of eyes; their versions are so cool! I really like them with all the eyes.

Hurray for October and Halloween!

Halloween Fruit Flies

Owww! So creepy! I know that's what you're thinking. But these fruit bugs and spiders made from nuts and dried fruit are really delicious and an alternative to candy AND more importantly-really fun to make!

So easy- and the secret ingredient for antenna- Chow Mein noodles.

I developed these for work awhile back and they're still a favorite snack around here, especially with Halloween on the horizon.

Halloween Rock Spiders

There was a white spider climbing on my computer last week. A real one!

When I first thought about making rock spiders, I thought only of black spiders. I made black spiders and a black glitter web last year on the blog here and here and also for work. But after freaking out about the white spider, I decided to go crazy and paint the spiders white AND lots of other colors, with different kinds of eyes (you choose which ones you want to do) and glitter! I didn’t paint any patterns but you could – so many possibilities!

I realize that spiders have more sections to their bodies but this is a craft, not a science lesson (though you could add the cephalothoraxe using a second smaller stone and a stronger glue like E6000 and of course! 6 more eyes).

Materials:

Rocks

Acrylic paints (including white)

Wax paper

Brushes

Pipe Cleaners

Crafter's Pick the Ultimate Multi-Purpose Non-Toxic Water Based Glue

Options: 
Googly Eyes

Small plastic gems

Sharpie markers

Medium Sharpie paint pen

Fine Glitter

Mod Podge

I like this glue because it holds very well and is non-toxic; I also tested E6000 which worked well but is smelly (and toxic). Your choice-- but don't let the kiddos work with the E6000. And BTW- hot glue DID NOT work.

Cut 2 pipe cleaners in half.
Wrap one half section around the other three in the middle and twist in place.

Spread all the pipe cleaners out and up-- away from the center then bend them down in the middle of each leg to make the spider joint. Set aside.

Paint the rocks on a piece of wax paper. For black spiders just paint the rocks but for lighter colored spiders, they might need a white base coat and then up to 2 layers of the colored paint.

Use a skewer or a toothpick to hold the rock steady while painting the surface – (you don’t really need to paint the bottom).

Once the paint is dry, you can decide if they need glitter. Brush Mod Podge on the rocks first, then add the glitter over a little paper plate and fold the plate in half for easy return to the bottle.

To avoid having glitter run rampant around your house it’s helpful to brush the rock surface with a dry clean brush once the glitter/Mod Podge has dried to release any excess glitter. If you really need your project to be glitter tight- add layer of Mod Podge over the glitter.

Add glue to the bottom of each rock and press the center of the pipe cleaner legs in place.

Carefully add eyes- jewels or googly eyes. Wait until the glue on the rock and leg connection has set up before drawing the eyes on with a sharpie paint pen (if you go that route).

I would love to see yours when you make them.

Halloween Black Bats (and Spiders too)

I like to have a simple, fast craft for Halloween Eve that doesn’t call for drying time for glue or paint (we made the glowing eyes 2 years ago). That’s why these bats are perfect for making with kids- we have a group that gathers at our house every year before going out to trick or treat.

Here are 2 crafty tips for making this craft:

Tip #1 

About glue dots in general-
DON’T pull the glue dot off the paper backing! Just press the thing you want to adhere to the glue dot on the paper and the glue dot will peel off and stay on the thing you are gluing OR tear a piece of the glue dot paper roll with the glue dot on it and press the dot (or line) onto the thing you are gluing to… then pull the paper backing away away. Stop trying to peel the dot off with your fingers! That's just futile and frustrating- you know who you are; the rest of you carry on.

Tip # 2
When you have to cut a LOT of tiny felt things, iron the shiny side of freezer paper to your felt (mat side up to the iron), then use a template to trace onto back of the freezer paper and cut the shapes out OR just glue (stick) what you’re cutting out onto the freezer paper backing and cut everything at once.
Then peel off the freezer paper. Ta-dah! tiny felt things.

So if you decide to make a dozen bats – it might be easier to cut the wings using the freezer paper method (because that’s 24 wings).

Materials:

• Plastic Easter eggs (spray painted black or buy from Oriental Trading*)
• Googly eyes (small)
• Black felt
• Glue dot lines (like glue dots but 1” lines)
• White tape (electrical, masking or duct tape)
• Baker's twine/yarn/jute/Perle cotton
• Wing template

*You can purchase chalkboard eggs (pack of 72 for $12.99) from Oriental Trading or use evil spray paint to paint the plastic Easter eggs.

The “chalkboard “ eggs (top in photo) came with 2 holes in the top and at the bottom but if you’ve painted your plastic eggs you can use a pushpin to make the hole at the top bigger as well as make a second hole (and you might need to use a needle to get the string through).
Or maybe your bats have purple and blue bodies? That's cool too.
 

Cut an 11” length of twine.

Open the egg.
Thread the string through the top of the plastic egg and tie it into a loop.
Close the egg.

Cut the wing shapes from the felt and attach them to the egg in the back on the sides using the line glue dots.
 

Add 2 googly eyes to a glue dot line and then cut them off together and put them on the bat.

Cut out 2 fangs from white tape (I used electrical tape).

 

I realized while I was making the bats there are several other Halloween themed things that could be made from the black eggs- like a spider-made here with 4 chenille pipe cleaners or owls, cats, witches, monsters…more?

I'd love to see yours if you make them.