Spooky Spiders

Halloween can be tricky. How can you avoid all the gimicky merchandise and sugar overload at the same time as not making your child feel like they're the only one not taking part? One answer is crafting! Use it as an opportunity to get creative with your kids, exploring decorative options, and maybe costumes, that veer away from the garish plastic stuff in the supermarkets.

You will need: Pipe cleaners, Carded wool, Merino wool

1. Take four pipe cleaners and form a cross with two of them. Wrap one of them around the other, by bending one side up and the other one down.

2. Going at a diagonal, repeat this process with your other two pipe cleaners.

3. Once all your pipe cleaners are attached, you can gently separate them to form two sides.

Don't worry about them all being the same length, it makes the spiders look like they're walking if the legs are a bit different!

4. Take a small piece of carded wool and wrap it around the knot in the middle of your pipe cleaners.

5. Pull off a small tuft of merino wool and hold one end in place on top of your carded wool. You can then begin to wrap it around one of your spider legs.

Tip: Keeping your merino as flat as possible will mean that you can cover more as you go, as well as giving you a smoother finish.

6. Once you get to the bottom of the leg you can hold the wool in place by folding up the end of the pipe cleaner, creating a sort of foot for the spider.

7. When all of your legs are done, you may wish to wrap a bit more merino around the body of the spider, covering any bits of carded wool that are sticking out.

8. Now your spider is about to get spooky! Bend each of the legs so that they're at about a 90 degree angle...

... and then it will be able to stand all by itself!

The bendy legs on these spiders mean they're great for attaching to things - door knobs, button holes, hair accessories, as well as the spider's web we made for our display.

To make one yourselves you just need some sticks and a bit of yarn.

Bind the sticks together by wrapping the yarn around the middle, and then follow the instructions for the weaving that can be found in this fabulous Conker Fun Craft Idea.

The spiders are, of course, a terrific way of tormenting your siblings, and I've been surprised by how many people the kids have managed to genuinely scare with them this week!

You may also enjoy this Craft Idea for Sparkling Pumpkins & Squashes.

Wishing you a Happy & Wholesome Halloween, full of treats!