According to Scottish lore, having a spider cross her path on her wedding day will bring a bride good luck.
Spiders also play a part in the traditions of many native peoples around the world, usually having to do with blessings in the home, creation and industriousness.
With these things in mind, we wrap up our Craft Corner wedding offerings with a different kind of shower gift: a good luck bridal spider on a festive wedding web.
This project combines a couple of crafts we’ve featured in the column before – the beaded Christmas spider and the basic dream catcher – with an original good luck wish in verse to accompany the spider.
When making your spider, feel free to borrow our simple poem or to write one that better expresses your wishes for the bride and groom and their future together.
Dream catchers are very easy to make, but rather than try to fit written instructions into this column, we’ll refer you to a couple of Web sites that feature good diagrams and instructions. Go to www.girlscoutspc.org/adults/crafts/dream_catcher.php or www.craftsforkids.com/projects/dream_catchers.htm
And you can do a search on “dream catcher diagram” for more options.
We used a metal hoop for our sample, but you can use any round hoop – wooden, twig or plastic – as a base for the dream catcher.
To cover the hoop, we single crocheted around the edge with the same cord used to make the web.
To make the beaded spider, simply follow these steps (photo illustrations included):
* Cut a length of beading wire about 12 inches long.
* Thread a small round bead onto the wire, fold the wire in half, run both ends of the wire first through a large bead for the spider body, then through a smaller bead for the spider head.
* Fold the ends of the wire down over the smaller (head) bead and wrap the two ends between the small and large beads, leaving two lengths of wire to use for legs.
* Cut three more lengths of wire, about 6 inches each, and wrap them around the spider middle to form the other six legs. Pull the fold of each wire as tight as you can so there is no bulge around the spider’s middle.
* Add round, oval and tubular beads as desired to finish the legs.
* Finish the end of each leg with a small round bead, fold wire down and wrap it around the last bead and the one just before it; clip off end of wire as close to the base as possible while still securing.
To assemble the spider and web, lay the spider on top of the dream catcher and anchor it in place with clear nylon or matching thread. Use one or two strands of thread to secure the spider around its midsection and at a point on each leg.
Finish by attaching bell clusters, flowers or bows to the edge of the web (on the hoop).
For our samples, we used combinations of white and gold and white and blue/green beads for the spiders, a gold hoop and gold bells for embellishments, but you can customize your spider by using the bride’s wedding colors for beads and all other materials.
And here’s our poem. Just copy it onto a card or piece of fancy paper and attach it to the spider with gold (or silver) thread.
The Bridal Spider
While strolling on your wedding day,
Be careful where you tread.
A spider – so the legends say –
Brings luck the day you wed.
This bridal spider sends your way
A wish for love that’s true,
And not just for your nuptial day,
But all your lifetime through.
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