Spider Hatchlings
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This is one egg that trick-or-treaters will scramble to get away from: an orb of hatching spiders hanging from an entryway ceiling or a door frame.
What you'll need
- White glue (we used a 7 5/8-ounce bottle)
- 2 bowls
- Plastic spoon
- Balloon (we used an 11-inch size)
- Cheesecloth cut into 12 or so 3- by 18-inch strips
- Pin
- Clear fishing line
- Plastic spiders (available at www.orientaltrading.com)
How to make it
Empty the glue bottle into a bowl. Then fill the bottle halfway with water, shake it to dilute any remaining glue, and add the contents to the bowl. Stir the mixture well.
Inflate the balloon to about 9 inches tall and set it aside in another bowl.
Individually dip the cheesecloth strips into the glue, gently squeeze out the excess fluid, and spread the strips flat on the balloon. Cover the balloon this way, leaving 3 or 4 small gaps (as shown) and a 1 1/2-inch opening around the knot for tying on the spiders later. Let the glue dry, rotating the balloon occasionally to speed the drying process.
Pop the balloon with a pin and remove it.
Tie a loop for hanging the egg at one end of a long piece of fishing line. Near the top of the egg, insert the other end of the line through the cheesecloth, then reach inside and pull it out through a nearby gap and tie a spider to it. Gently pull the line back until the spider comes to rest against the inside of the egg, thereby securing the line.
Use more fishing line to create strings of spiders. To tie them to the egg, thread one end of the line through the cheesecloth and out a gap, knot the line, and pull the knot back inside the egg. Attach more spiders directly to the egg simply by poking 2 or 3 legs through the cheesecloth.
