Decorating with Fake Spider Web Effectively

Halloween is near, and one of the least expensive ways to decorate your house and yard is with the fake spider web that is for sale everywhere- but you have to put a little effort into using it effectively.

A lot of the fake cobwebs is just polyester fiberfill (if you need a LOT of spider webs, go to the crafts section and buy a bag of that), and if put up hastily it looks just like that. Fiberfill just hung around is not spooky.

Take a look at some real spider webs. Webs come in a lot of different styles, but none of them include big lumps of stuffing. Even in the heavy, trap door types, you can see how the fibers are stretched out tight. Take this is a guide- no big clumps of fiber. You’ll be surprised at how far one of those little bags of web goes when you obey this principle!

Spider webs don’t just hang or drape on things; they have anchor points. On a shrub, the strands go from branch to branch. Pull a small lump of the fake web from the pack and then tease a thin bit out. Attach it to a sharp branch or twig. Pull the lump gently away, teasing it to make a thin strand. Anchor to another branch and cut off. Repeat on another twig, crossing the first strand, to create a radial pattern like a traditional garden spider web. Put a fake spider in it if you want to complete the effect.

If you’re creating a web on a building, you’ll need to put anchor points in. On the exterior, I find that small finishing nails work well. They have no head, they have a matte finish that doesn’t shine back, and they are available in several colors so they are virtually invisible against the wall.

You can create a radial pattern on the wall or from porch rail to eaves, or make a thicker, more densely woven trap door spider type of web in a corner. Just make sure that even though the web gets dense, it’s made out of thin strands with out large lumps. I personally find dense webs creepier than radial ones, because you don’t know what’s in there.

For an extra creepy effect, go to the thrift store and get a baby doll, the more worn the better. Take the webbing, spread it very thin, and make about three wraps around the doll, keeping it thin enough to see the doll through the webbing but having enough to support the doll. Attach the webbing to anchor points. You may need something larger than finishing nails for this. You can also do this in a shrub, and use some of the branches to support the doll. You can also do this with rubber rats, skulls or even a dog collar with tags. Anything caught in the web tells your guests that the fate of being caught in the web could happen to them, too!