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Photo Credit: Amy Dee Stephens

Hang this kid-friendly spider web on your door or window in October. (It looks good from both sides.)

If you grew up near a sweetgum tree, then you know how inventive kids can be with the seedpods. I remember throwing them at my opponent during a friendly neighborhood game of “war.” Another personal favorite was dropping them down my cousin’s shirt when she spent the night. Such sinister-looking “prickle balls” just beg to be collected and put to use – especially at Halloween!

Here are variations on two of my favorite sweetgum critters: spiders and bats. These are creations from my childhood days, and it turns out, kids still love to make them today!

Spooky Sweetgum Spider
Materials:
Sweetgum pod
Brown pipe cleaner
Glue
Google eyes (optional)
To make eight legs, cut the pipe cleaner into 2-inch pieces. Put a dab of glue on the end of each piece, then poke them into eight of the pod’s holes. You can also glue on google eyes for a sillier-looking spider.

Once you’re done with your lil’ critter, what can you do with it? Well, there’s always the ol’ hide-it-in-the-cabinet-and-scare-your-mom-to-death trick. But if you’re the mom, and you’re looking for something more refined for your children to do, then help them create one of these cool Halloween decorations:

Spider Web Door Hanging
Materials:
Spooky sweetgum spider
Embroidery hoop
White yarn or thread
Tape

To make the web, first remove the outer hoop. Tape one end of the thread on the inner hoop to hold it in place while you work. Crisscross the thread over and over the hoop until the web looks the way you like it. Put the outer hoop back on and tighten to secure the thread in place. Tie a small piece of thread to the hoop’s screw to use for hanging. Add the spider by bending the pipe cleaner legs so the spider hangs on the web. The whole thing can be easily disassembled after the holiday, and mom can get her embroidery hoops back.

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Photo Credit: Amy Dee Stephens

For this neat Halloween decoration, all you need is one spooky sweetgum spider, a wreath and a little creativity!

Spider Web Wreath
Materials:
Spooky sweetgum spider (Make sure to leave the stem on the pod.)
Grapevine wreath
White yarn or thread
Stretchy spider webbing material (the kind you can buy around Halloween)
Ribbons or other decorations (optional)

This wreath can be pretty or messy – either way, it’s perfect for Halloween. The first step is to tie a length of white yarn around the spooky spider’s stem. Tie the other end to the top of the wreath so the spider dangles down in the center of the circle. Next, cover the wreath with the fun webbing material (just make sure you can still see the spider). The final step is to add any ribbons or extra decorations of your choice.