"The Christmas Spider"
My ornament is called The Christmas Spider. It is very special to me, even though I don’t like real spiders, because my grandmother had shown me how to make one when I was 15 or 16 years old. My original spider has since lost all but 1 leg & 1 eye, so I decided to make a new one.
Supplies:
2 different sized silver ornaments or whatever color you want I suppose. I used glass ornaments but I imagine you could use plastic ones as well.
Silver pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
Clear fishing line (it’s what I had handy)
Miniature-like silver garland
Hot glue gun
Instructions:
First, remove the tops on the ornaments. Save the metal hangers you will need them. If you can slip the small one into the large one GREAT but is not really necessary.
Hot glue the 2 ornaments (top to top) together.
Cut pipe cleaners into 4 equal lengths for the legs & twist all 4 together. Glue them onto the bottom of the large ornament.
Cut a small amount of the mini garland – to measure how much you’ll need for 1 just wrap around the “neck” of the ornaments and snip, when it is all covered and the joining of the ornaments isn’t showing. Hot glue around the connection and quickly wrap the garland around.
Glue on the googly eyes.
Lastly, take the metal hanger from the little ornament and hot glue it onto the large ornament slightly above the “neck”. Tie a bit of fishing line to the hanger and adjust the legs to how you want them to appear and viola! You have a Christmas Spider.
I am currently stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany with my husband who is active duty Army.
There is a Legend about the Christmas Spider. This is the one I hand out with the Spiders as a gift. Of course, there are many different variations, I just happened to like this one the best...
The Legend of the Christmas Spider
Once upon a time in Germany, long ago,
a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house
for the most wonderful day of the year.
Not a speck of dust was left on the day when
the Christ Child was to come and bring the gifts
of Christmas Eve. Even the spiders had been
banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to
avoid the housewife's busy cleaning.
They finally fled to the farthest corner
of the forgotten attic.
'Twas Christmas Eve at last! The tree was decorated
and waiting for the children to see it.
But the poor spiders were frantic,
for they could not see the tree, nor be present for
the Christ Child's visit. The oldest and wisest
spider suggested that perhaps they could peep
through the crack in the door to see Him.
Silently, they crept out of their attic and
across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold.
Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit, and quickly
the spiders sneaked into the room. The tree towered
so high they couldn't see the ornaments on top.
In fact, their eyes were so small they could see
only one ornament at a time. They scurried up
the trunk, out along each branch, filled with a happy
wonder at the glittering beauty. Every place they
went they left a trail of dusty, grey web.
When at last they had inspected every bit of the
Christmas tree, it was shrouded in a
dusty grey of spider webs.
The Christ Child smiled as He thought of the happy
spiders seeing His tree. But He knew the mother
would not feel the same way and that she would
be broken hearted. So He reached out His hand
and touched the webs and blessed them.
They all turned to shimmering, sparkling silver and gold.
The tree glistened in greater beauty than ever before.
Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on the tree,
and according to the story, it has become a custom
to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.
Story courtesy of Fanny
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