Embroidery Hoop Spider Webs

I’m just going to tell you upfront that I am super into spiders this Halloween crafting season. I don’t even know why because I am terrified of spiders and bugs in general. They, like, totally creep me out. But here we are with me sharing the first of many spider projects to come :)

Maybe it’s because this summer my sister and I really got serious about my nephew’s freshman biology project. He needed to collect different kinds of insects, classify and then mount them for display. When I say we were really into it, we were REALLY into it.

We bought a good 5 butterfly nets and brought at least one and a jar with a nail polish remover covered cotton ball inside everywhere we went. To the river, to the mall, on vacation, EVERYWHERE. We were SO into it that I’m sure we’ll remember it as the year I came running around the house crying with a bright orange bug in my hand yelling “where’s the jar? where’s the jar?!?” And the year where my sister tore apart a rotten tree stump and continued grabbing all of these interesting bugs that were hidden within while also crying because it was so gross.

What can I say? We’re hardcore. Even if it brings us to tears, as a family, we’re gonna win!

What you need to make your own Hoop Spiderwebs

• Wood Embroidery Hoops
• Mercerized White Cotton Yarn (Amazon | Consumer Crafts)
• Crochet Hook <– mine are these super cool light up hooks!
• Black Yarn (cheap acrylic is fine)
• Black Pipe Cleaners
• Pompom Maker (Amazon | Consumer Crafts)
• a Sturdy Fork (yep, like from the kitchen)
• Hot Glue Gun (Amazon | Consumer Crafts)

My wooden hoops are 8″, 10″, 12″ and 14″ but use whatever sizes you have or would like. While working up this pattern I first used inexpensive Red Heart Super Saver yarn but found that the yarn’s fuzziness made it difficult to discern the stitches and gaps. For my final crochet spider webs, I used a mercerized white cotton because it is more smooth than inexpensive acrylic yarn. Though these webs take a small amount of yarn, which can be great for stash-busting, I’d strongly suggest grabbing mercerized cotton if you don’t have it for the best possible results.

How do you make an embroidery hoop spider web?

Firstly you’ll need to make one crochet spider web per embroidery hoops. We want for each web to be smaller than the hoop itself. The web will be stretched to fit making each web a different, interesting shape.

Feel free to go much smaller to only slightly smaller than the hoop for a good variety. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Crochet Spider Webs Using this Pattern

This crochet pattern is worked in the round using a hook slightly smaller than suggested for the yarn to achieve a tight crochet. If you already crochet tightly by nature, use whatever hook suggested on your yarn label. (Want a light-up crochet hook like mine?)

The stitches we will use include:

• CH = Chain.
• SL = Slip Stitch.
• DC = Double Crochet.
• ST = Stitch.

CH 6. SL to join and make a ring.

Round 1: CH 3 (acts as first DC + 1). *DC in ring and CH 1. Repeat from *7 times. SL to join and end round. (9 ST & 9 gaps)

Round 2: CH 5 (acts as first DC + 3). *DC in ST (skipping gaps) and CH 3. Repeat from *7 times. SL to join and end round. (9 ST & 9 gaps)

Round 3: CH 7 (acts as first DC + 5). *DC in ST (skipping gaps) and CH 5. Repeat from *7 times. SL to join and end round. (9 ST & 9 gaps)

Round 4: CH 9 (acts as first DC + 7). *DC in ST (skipping gaps) and CH 7. Repeat from *7 times. SL to join and end round. (9 ST & 9 gaps)

Round 5 & on: (Are you noticing a pattern?) For each additional round add 2 CH to grow the round.

Attach the webs to embroidery hoops.

Snip pieces of yarn that are 3-5 inches in length. Hot glue one end to the side of your embroidery hoop where you want to stretch the web to. Allow the glue time to cool and set up. Wrap the yarn 1-2 times around the glue and then run the end through one of the web’s gaps. Pull the yarn back to where it meets the hoop and wrap the yarn 2-3 times in the same spot, hot gluing the end in place. Snip off the excess yarn and continue around the hoop.

To get a fun and interesting shape out of your web it’s important to vary the distance of each attachment to the hoop. It is also important to vary taut or loosely you pull the yarn while attaching it. Most of all there’s no right or wrong way but the more varied your webs are the neater they look when hung together.

How do you make pompom spiders?

For each spider, you’ll need 2 black pompoms. One will be smaller (the head) and one larger (the body). From from this Clover pom pom maker set, I used the green one for my spider bodies. My heads were made using a metal fork from the kitchen drawer. For slightly differently sized spiders trim away more or less yarn when cleaning up and rounding out the poms.

Do you need help making pompoms? Learn how to use the Clover pom pom maker tool here (with video tutorial). Learn how to make pom poms with a fork here.

Using hot glue (and a fair bit of caution) glue the head and body poms together and allow the glue to set.

Cut a pipe cleaner into 3-4 pieces and fold them like in the image above. I suppose it’s kind of a “Z”…

Apply hot glue inside of the pom pom on the side of the spider’s body. Shove the longer end of your z-shaped leg into the hot glue, pushing the pipe cleaner as far in as it will go. Hold in place until the glue cools and sets.

Continue adding 7 more legs (spiders have 8 legs, after all) and then bend the pipe cleaners as needed so it looks properly spider-like.

How to attach your spiders to your embroidery hoop.

First, we will apply a spider directly to the wood embroidery hoop.

Squeeze a large blob of hot glue onto the underside of the body of the spider and push it directly onto the wood. If you have a few stray pieces of black pipe cleaner, you can push them into the glue wrapping them over the frame for a little extra stabilization. This is really handy if your spider is pretty large and heavy.

How to attach your spiders to your crochet spider web.

You can also apply your spiders directly onto the web itself. Again apply a blob of hot glue onto the underside of the body.

Push the spider into the web in the placement you’d like. Hold the entire business upside down (glue side up) over scrap paper to catch any drips as the glue. Alternatively, if you have a silicone craft mat, this is the perfect time to whip it out… You can then place your spider right down onto your mat and allow the glue to cool (no dripping hot glue is always a good thing). Once the glue has cooled and set you can peel the spider and web easily from the mat.

If your spider is particularly large or heavy, you can add more glue to the backside to reinforce the bond. Allow the glue to cool completely.

How to make dangling spiders.

The dangling spider is definitely my favorite way to include a creature in your embroidery hoop spider webs. This look works particularly well with an “in progress” smaller web within the embroidery hoop.

Along the underside of the spider apply a line of hot glue and place the yarn on top of the glue.

Allow the glue a little time to begin cooling and setting up and then push the pom’s fibers over the glue closing up the seal and hiding away the glue and the yarn. Continue until you have the yarn coming straight out of the rear end so that it dangles properly.

Also, this step is easier if done before adding on the legs but can be done after also.

Look at that dangling spider! Isn’t he just so fun? I must admit… he’s my favorite!

Though the dangler is pretty awesome, I also love this big boy pom pom spider lurking on the edge of his crochet web :)

All in all this project is super inexpensive and really very easy. With varying sizes of hoops and webs it’s also completely unique. No 2 will look just the same!