Ric Rac & Lace Spiders

Happy Halloween friends!!! Since Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday, I have seriously been crafting up a storm. I shared these last week at the FABULOUS BLOG EIGHTEEN25!! We have loved their blog for so long as I’m sure ALL of you have, and we have always enjoyed the fresh ideas that come from these fellow crafters. We have LOVED looking at all the other Halloween ideas for their Spooktacular September….SO FUN!!

Today I will be sharing my LACE & RIC RAC SPIDERS. I wanted to make some spiders this year. I immediately knew I wanted to use Martha Stewart Fine Glitter, spray glitter, lace, liquid starch, patterned fabric, and some sparkly beads for the eyes. As I went along, I added the pipe cleaners to stiffen the spider legs.

SUPPLIES:

• 4′ ric rac or lace for each spider
• Sta-Flo Liquid Starch
• matching pipe cleaners
• glitter spray
• loose glitter
• sewing machine
• ribbon
• patterned fabric
• sparkly beads for eyes
• glue and glue gun

Dip the ric rac and lace in the liquid starch and wring it out so there is still starch on the lace or ric rac, but no excess. Next, hang them up to dry either over a bowl to shape the legs, or hang clothes pin them to a string.

The thicker lace needs more support with pipe cleaners, but the liquid starch still lends needed stiffness to the lace and ric rac. Cut the lace and ric rac to the size of the pipe cleaners.

Glue the pipe cleaners to the back of the ric rac. These are nice because they stay pretty hidden.

Then, shape the 4 pieces of ric rac into an “M” shape.
Let the lace dry overnight in a bowl that will shape the legs like so….

This is the smaller spider that dried in a smaller bowl. After the lace dries, hot glue the pieces together and curl that legs like so.

Use a couple of pieces of pipe cleaner to make the legs point upwards a bit. The starch makes the lace bendable, but stiff enough.

After the pieces of pipe cleaner are glued to the pieces of ric rac, glue the ric rac pieces together and mold the legs to your liking.

THEN EMBELLISH!! At this point, you use the spray glitter and add the Martha loose glitter while the spray glitter is wet. Then add the orange Martha glitter to the Mulit-colored spray glitter when it’s still wet. I love the way the different glitters add to the vintage feel of the spiders. You can’t really see the glitter on the white spiders, but oh it’s there….believe me, it’s there. Now for the SPIDER PHOTO SHOOT! Mr. Black Spider Magoo…

To make the scrunched up fabric, all you do it cut a piece of fabric that’s 3″ wide and about 36″ long and sew along the edge, then turn the fabric piece right side out. Then, choose a ribbon to string through the center and fasten both ends of the patterned fabric so the ribbon so it doesn’t slide off the string. Glue the scrunched up fabric to the middle of the spider body or anywhere that makes it hang straight. Add glitter pom poms for the body.

SHOT #2 of the dainty spider.

This spider is much bigger. I WISH WISH WISH you could see the glitter on the body, it’s magnificent! For the body of this one, I made a polkadot rosette and folded it into a cylinder then glued it to the spider legs.

Each one turned out with a unique little personality. I made two of these and this one just fit nicely resting on my corn husk pumpkins.

This guy looks a little spooky here, he’s starring at me with his wee beady eyes.

So that’s a wrap! You can use these spiders in a variety of ways….add to a wreath, hang from a chandelier or anything for that matter, rest on a tabletop or other decoration, etc. etc. Happy Crafting!!

xoxo, KIRSTEN