Halloween craft

Halloween passes every year with new and improved costumes, candy and, most of all, decorations. To instill unsettling fear in trick-or-treaters this year, try dangling these life-like spider egg-sacks in front of the door or just around the house.

Fear and horror have become a part of the Halloween tradition in society today with frightening creatures, terrifying ghosts, chills and eeriness. This decoration brings that feeling to individual homes.

Materials Needed: Ivory pantyhose, white batting/spider webbing, black plastic spiders, 9-inch white balloon and water.

STEP 1: Fill a regular, white latex balloon with water until it is a little larger than a softball. Tie the end in a knot.

STEP 2: Wrap the white spider webbing or batting around the water balloon, leaving some areas thick and others thin. The batting will automatically spread thin across the entire balloon once the pantyhose is stretched over it.

STEP 3: Attach 5-10 plastic spiders to the batting by inserting 2-3 of their legs through the strands of cotton. Avoid letting the spiders’ legs pop the balloon. Keep the majority of the spiders clustered at the bottom of the balloon to make it look like there are more than there actually are.

STEP 4: Cut the legs off of the pantyhose so that you are only working with one leg at a time. Gather the pantyhose with your thumbs on the inside so you hold both the top and the toe. Starting at the base of the balloon with the cluster of spiders, gently stretch the pantyhose over the “egg sack.” Having a partner to hold the balloon at this step is helpful.

STEP 5: The pantyhose will have pulled most of the batting and spiders up slightly. After the pantyhose is covering the balloon, work the spiders and batting back to the base of the balloon, spreading it evenly. Move the batting with your hands on the inside of the pantyhose to make it easier. Make sure to cover the knot of the balloon with the batting.

STEP 6: Attach more spiders to the outside of the pantyhose the same way they were attached to the batting. The more spiders, the better. Start again at the base of the balloon and have them become sparser the higher up the pantyhose they get.

STEP 7: Hold the “egg sack” in the air by the top of the pantyhose to see how long it is. Cut the top of the pantyhose at the desired length then tie it in a knot.

STEP 8: Finally, attach the “egg sack” to the roof or ceiling. The “egg sack” hangs best if there is a hook that it can attach to, but if that is not an option, duct tape should hold just fine.