Make Spooky Spiders and Scare...Children?

RAWR...or whatever spiders say

I usually get really busy in the last third of the year, every single year. That bums me out, since I have lots of projects I need to accomplish during that time and I usually don't. Before you suggest I do my project in the beginning or middle of the year instead, let me just stop you right there. Who can make scary spiders in the middle of Spring Break? Exactly!

So, I have a list of three Halloween projects to complete in four days. Perfect! Well, we'll see how that works out. Here is the first of perhaps three. 

Start out with the following items:

- styrofoam balls in size of choice

- eight black pipe cleaners for each ball

- glue

- black spray paint

- floral pick or small gauge wire for display

First, you put glue all over the styrofoam ball. If you don't and use spray paint on it, it will disintegrate into a lumpy mess. So, yes, put glue all over the ball. 

If you get dog hair or even possum hair in it, don't worry about it. Shoot, if it falls off the table into the dirt, all the better. This spider is supposed to be scary!  A dirty spider is a scary spider!

Once the glue has dried, spray the ball with spray paint. FYI: I didn't use that set-up to spray the ball. I put the ball on a wire and turned it slowly as I sprayed.  Once dry, poke four holes on each side.

Grab all eight pipe cleaners and bend them like below. Make one leg longer to make up for what you stick into the ball. Make feet, too! Aren't they cute? Stick them into the holes.

If you feel that you live in a windy area, go ahead and glue the legs. After dry, poke the floral pick or wire into the bottom of the spider and place in your yard or side garden. Wherever! I also thought about using googly eyes, but I think I vowed never to touch those things again after this project.

I haven't scared any actual person, so far, but I did make the cat hurry away. However, the dog wanted to eat it. Fun times!  I mean, scary times!  Scary, scary times!

Vamp-o-lantern project...minus the lantern

I love Halloween projects!  I think I could make something Halloweeny once a month and still have tons of projects lined up come October 31st.  Here's the latest thang:

Isn't that fun?  We did that with a real tiny pumpkin this year.  Next year, we might try it with a fake pumpkin, just so we can keep him, year after year.  I can't keep calling him 'him,' so he is now Vlad.

Here's our starting point.  I guess there's a spoiler here:

First, we had to cut a mouth opening for Vlad.  It took a while, but we finally came up with the correct dimensions to fit Vlad's enormous teeth.  We used both a cheese knife and a safety knife and didn't slice or dice human phalanges.  Hooray!

We cleaned out Vlad's brains, then had a fitting.  Vlad's a snarky dental patient...

All is vell (said in a very dramatic Vampire voice), so we pinned Vlad's teeth in with his eyes.  Sounds weird, but it works like a charm.

We had leftover glitter glue from the Creepy Eyeball Project, so we thought it would be funny to add a little in appropriate places.  Muah-ah-ah-ah!

Vlad needed a friend, so we repeated the process for Constantine.

All finished.  Does this look like a happy family?

Creepy Eyeball Project - - Look Out!

HA!  I crack myself up with my little puns.  Eyeball.  Look out.  Oh, ma-a-an.  Classic.

So, I have had the 'ingredients' for this little project for a while, but I haven't been in the crafty mood...so I waited until today.  I've got just enough time to panic and think that I don't have enough time to do all the things I need to do for Halloween.  That's called 'motivation' in my world.  I've been told it's called procrastination...whatever that is.

We'll jump right in!  First, you'll need:

Googly Eyes, of all shapes and sizes (lots!)
Red glitter glue (or you can use regular paint in Halloween color of choice)
Cheap picture frame (got mine for $1 at Michael's, $0.60 if I use a coupon!)
Funky ribbon of choice
Letters of choice, from wherever (cricut, etc, if you have it, or store-bought)
Glue/epoxy of choice

Next, unwrap frame and get to it.

I think I used too much glitter glue, and probably should have used my fingers to rub it around, as that paintbrush was irkin' me.  I declare!   *ponder*  Wow, I'm in full Southern mode, y'all.

At this point, I'm having fun putting the eyeballs into the glitter glue.  Yay, me!  Just a note:  Obviously, if you use paint, you'd let that dry and then glue the eyes on.  I know it doesn't always need to be said, but I'm covering my bases.





I.
Hate.
Googly.
Eyes.

I never want to see another one again.  Seriously, I think I googly-eyed for two hours straight!  I can set this aside for a few hours to let it dry.

After all that glue was dry, I ran a black sharpie around the inner and outer edges of the frame. I love the drippy glitter glue.  Makes it creepy...well, creepier.
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I then wrapped a bit of ribbon around the bottom, and held it there with my handy-dandy clippy things.  I have to say, I lucked out with the ribbon.  I had no idea it was see-through, and that really works for this project!     ------>

I glued the very punny letters in place and filled the frame with nothing.  Look:  that one eye has two pupils.

I really like the red glitter glue.  It's icky and shiny and gross.  Enjoy, while I go to my next panic project!