Halloween has never been a very big thing in our house. We don’t take the boys trick or treating, we don’t decorate the house. We do have a carved pumpkin, but only if my sister comes to visit as she likes to make one for the boys. But October is often grey and rainy which means I have two young boys to entertain indoors. Last year we tried making a pom-pom spider, which turned into a hit with the boys. Instead of just one we ended up with a whole herd? pride? shoal? of spiders. They are quick and easy to make – especially if you prepare the pom-pom in advance for toddlers.
Ingredients
You will need:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Some way of drawing circles, approx. 5cm and 2cm diameter
- Oddments of Yarn
- Wool needle
- Pipe cleaners
- Stickers or label
- Felt pens
Method
Step 2
Cut out the outer circle, then the inner circle to create a donut or ring shape. You will need two of these. They do not have to be perfectly accurate.
Step 4
Keep going until you have a small hold in the centre. Check the size of the hole- you should just be able to get 4 pipe-cleaners through. It doesn’t want to be too loose. Once you are happy with the pom-pom, thread the remaining yarn under some existing strands to hold it down, and cut the yarn.
Step 6
Start cutting the yarn around the edge of the ring. Make sure you get all the strands. Gently ease the two cardboard rings apart as you go.
Step 8
Cut the cardboard rings and remove them. Fluff up the pom-pom and trim to shape if needed.Shape the legs into a pleasing spider arrangement and …
Step 1
Raid the kitchen cupboards, or toys in order to find something to draw circles. Draw concentric circles on to the cardboard.
Step 3
Place the rings together and start winding yarn around the ring. This is easiest if you cut a length of yarn and thread your needle. Try and go evenly around the ring.
Step 5
Bring in the toddlers! Steps 3 and 4 can be quite time consuming, so for very young children it might be better to prepare the pompom base in advance and start from this step of the pom-pom spider. You need to push 4 pipe cleaners through the hole in the middle of the ring. You want equal amounts hanging out on each side.
Step 7
Take some yarn, and twist it around the pom-pom strands, between the two cardboard rings. Pull as tight as you can and tie it securely. It’s worth taking some time over this part as this is what holds the pom-pom spider together and stops the strands of yarn and the legs from falling out. Cut the yarn, leaving quite a long length. This is useful to carry the spider, hang it from, or just bounce it up and down with.
