Spider Bells!

Here's a little project to add arachnids to your Yule. I used Brass colored, but green, red, and silver are readily available too.

I decided to call the Spider Bells

To the Tune of "Silver Bells", and with my apologies...
In your attic, in the garage

Twisted holiday style

Crawling out

Some new beasties

For Christmas

Children shrieking

People gasping

As the twisted all smile

And from every dark corner they'll fear

Spider Bells,

Spider Bells

Bright Christmas bugs with no pity

Ring-a-Ling, feel their sting

This Christmas won't be the same....

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Here's how I made mine.

First, I hit the faithful Dollar Tree. I got everything there but the epoxy and tools, though you might be better off getting the hooks from Wal-Mart, or substituting ribbons.

Clockwise from top left, what we see here is:

masking tape

two-part epoxy

Chenille Stems

ornament hooks

large bells

small bells on a doorknob decoration

I made the legs from the chenille stems.

No mystery here. Take 2 stems, bend them in half.

Cut them into 4 pieces.

I bent the ends into tiny loops to prevent unwanted pokes.

Then I pinched them in the center and twisted them together a couple of times.

Next come the bells.

I had two sizes of bells - a larger one for the abdomen and a smaller one for the head.

I popped one of the small bells off the doorknob decoration. This was no problem, as the hot glue they used barely held it on long enough to get it home anyway.

Then, I cut the little loop of metal in the back.

I cut it at one end only, and close to the bell. This is so I could easily slip the stems in, and also hook this part to the corresponding part of the larger bell.

Once the legs are in place, it's time to epoxy the pieces together.

A couple of points here.

First, you can certainly use hot glue. It will probably last this season just fine. I know it will not last the summer in Phoenix, and I doubt it will last through fall in colder areas. Epoxy will last.

Second, I did not glue my hooks in at this time, because I wanted to make them so they could either sit on something or hang. If you know you want to hang them from the tree, gluing them into the spider at this time might make the most sense.

Those Dollar Tree hooks are ridiculously thin wire. I will be using better hooks, or using ribbon instead, if I give these to anyone.

Anyway, I mixed the epoxy and slathered it over the loop on the larger bell. Then I hooked the small bell into the loop and sat it on top of the larger bell.

Masking tape holds it all in place. Since the doorknob decoration used these little cone things to cover the hot glue, I thought I'd use one on one of the spiders. It is not necessary, but it is a little added detail.

That's it, really. The epoxy cures, you remove the tape. You can add hooks at this time or not, and place the beasts whithersoever you choose.

Add a long ribbon or a clip and you can wear one around your neck, on your hair, on your hat, or just about anywhere!