Crafting Lifestyle


Today's Crafting is more for the Soul than for survival!



making spider web jewelry





For the Best Dressed Witch



Whether you're a witch or a vampire you still need to have the right accessories including jewelry. I'm talking about for Halloween of course!





This little spider dangling from his web is an elegant addition to any feminine costume. It’s great for Halloween (which is what I have in mind here) but if you’re Goth or something he may be worn any time! Making spider web jewelry like this is rather easy, too. It’s simply a matter of wrapping wire.



Collect the Parts for Weaving a Web



First I started with a metal ring like the ones used to sit on the stem of wine glasses that feature different charms so we aren’t all drinking from each others wine glasses at parties. You know? You can find them at craft supply stores or on-line (plain without the charms). And they’re cheap by the dozen. So make some for a friend or make extras for earrings.





Here’s a view of the items used to complete the spider and web. You’ll need:


Wine Glass Rings


Long Head Pins (enough to cut three pieces of wire at ½”, ¾” and 1” long)


Two Long Eye Pins


A length of thin wire (something thin that wraps easily for the webbing)


Beads (I use a rondelle for the head and a bi-cone for the body)



Making the Spider's Web



The color of the wires and/or beads is your choice. You may notice that the picture above is gold wire with light colored beads but I am using silver for the step by step instructions. I have never found a gold wine glass ring (never really looked to be honest) so I just wrapped the gold wire (if that’s my choice) around the silver ring more times to disguise the silver.





(Cheapster Hint: You can get wire at a craft supply store but also check the hardware stores for a nice supply that might be a little cheaper.)


After closing the ring at the hook and latch, use a pair of needle nose pliers and pinch the ends down as close as possible to the ring so it won’t slip apart.


Then, starting at the connection point, wrap the thin wire around the clasp where they overlap and out toward the ends where they meet with the ring. Don’t worry about making it neat and clean. Remember, you are creating a web for Halloween Jewelry! Just make sure the loop is secure and there are no sharp wire ends sticking out.



Weaving the Web



Side Note: There are a number of ways that you can attach the pendant to a necklace which comes later (details at the bottom of this page) but if you wrap the wire in such a way that the openings of each hook is left clear you will be able to run the necklace material through that for hanging.





Then extend the wire straight down to the other side of the circle and wrap it around the circle a few times moving in either direction until you get about 1/8th of the way around.


Again, extend the wrapping wire straight across the circle and wrap it around the circle a few loops this time moving away from the secured hook and latch until you get about 1/8th of the way around.


Continue extending the wire across and wrapping around the circle this time toward the hook and clasp. At this time your wire should be back at the starting point (at the hook and clasp) and the circle is divided in six somewhat even sections like a pie.



How Thick is Your Web?



From the hook and latch, drop down either half or a third of the way to the center (depending on how dense you want your spider web to be). For instance:


If you want to have one ring of webbing inside of the outer ring, move to a point halfway from the hook and clasp to the ring center or…





If you want to have two rings of webbing inside of the outer ring (like this example), then move the wire to a point one third of the way between the hook and clasp and the ring center.


Wrap the wire there and extend it to each of the divider lines at the same distance from the outer ring as your first stop (halfway or a third of the way to the center) wrapping it once or twice to secure it.


When you finish making the web, wind the wire back to the start at the hook and latch. Here I made a few more loops with the wire, cut it and tucked in any loose ends.


Side Note: This is another place where you can prepare for the attachment to necklace material. Before cutting the wire you can make a few large loops from the hooks to run cloth or yarn through for a necklace.



Making the Spider



Hey, this project is pretty easy but if you need a few tips on this craft just read Basic Jewelry Making! OK?





Cut three pieces of wire about ½”, ¾” and 1” long. For this use a wire that is thicker than the one you used for wrapping the web (you can snip the ends from an eye pin like I suggested in the supplies needed above). Using your round nose pliers wrap each wire around at the middle to create a complete loop. Then, use your flat nose or needle nose pliers to kink his legs (those wires extending out from the loop) so he can crawl!


Now, I know some of you are already thinking, “Wait! That’s only six legs and spiders have eight!” Right? Well, I know but I think that eight legs make it a little too busy so I only do six. But that’s entirely up to you! If you want to have eight legs on your spider that’s OK! Just cut another length of wire maybe 1 – 1/14” long.



Beading the Spider



Crawling on…





Slide a bead that would be a good representation of the spider’s body onto a flat head pin (I used a black bi-cone bead). Then slide the three (or four) pieces of wire that you cut onto the pin through the loop you made (putting the longest wire on first and smallest last). Add the bead you have selected to be the spider’s head (I chose a round black bead that has some sparkles in it although I know you can’t really see the sparkles – it’s cool!).



Putting the Spider on His ( or Her) Web



Leave an inch or so above the spiders head and using your round nose pliers, make a loop at the top of the pin. Attach the loop somewhere in the web so he can swing freely and move quickly to any one careless enough to end up in his trap!





There is a second choice for attaching the spider to the web. You can make a loop on the head pin just above the head of the spider. Then, take an eye pin and make another loop at the opposite end with your round nose pliers. Connect the spider on one end and the other end to the hook and latch at the top of the web. This method gives your spider an optimal swinging position!



Necklace Options



I used a couple of options to hang the pendant. 



First, the gold spider web is hanging from a strip of cheese cloth which adds a wispy cob web look. I even soaked it in a brew of tea bag seeped water for an aged look.


Second, the silver spider web is hanging from a string of fluffy black yarn. Oooohhhh! Scary, right?


One more thing, now that I am looking at the picture. Notice that I put a kink in the pin just above the spider’s head? Well, that’s just to keep his little body parts from separating on the pin (so he can keep it all together during parties and such!!!).


I forgot…how are you going to attach the web to the necklace material? Well, there’s a number of ways to do that too:


One - You can use an eye pin hooked through one of the wires at the hook and clasp and make a send larger loop at the other end to run your cloth or yarn through.



Two - When you finish the web and you are wrapping wire around the clasp and hook, you can make several loops with the wire there before cutting it off.



Three - If you wrapped the wire around the hook and clasp leaving the loops open, you could run the yarn or cloth through that.


Well, that’s about it for Making Spider Web Jewelry! Just remember, I like to come up with ideas and share them with you so you can take it from there. I know you have a great creative streak and can expand upon what I’ve done so don’t forget to share back with me and all the others here too!





Get ready for next year! Or maybe you have two Halloween Parties this year! Visit Making Skull Cabochon Jewelry for the scary details on how to make this necklace. It’s frightfully simple.


Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed this project. Try some of the other ideas here at Designs From Penny!

Happy Haunting!!!!

Penny





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