# Extreme Makeover, Spider Style



## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Our Halloween yard display has for many years included a large spider web populated by a few of those cheap cheesy fuzzy spiders with bendable legs. This year, having some extra time on my hands D), I decided to try revamping one of the spiders to make him a little less cheesy. I started with this:

DSCF3768 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

And through the magic of papier mache and acrylic paints, turned him into this:

DSCF3834 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

Here is a little slideshow of the process:


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Looks great Roxy! Love the upgrade ...


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## Eeeekim (Aug 14, 2009)

nice job!
are her legs still bend-able?


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Excellent!!! I've got a few of those and have never been 100% happy with the look. Put it on the list for next year!


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

Wow, what a completely different look! I hate the majority of the stuff we can buy retail but you've come up with an excellent solution.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks, guys

Eeeekim, no, the legs are not bendable anymore. I thought about leaving the knee joints mache-free so they could be bent, but the look wasn't going to be what I wanted after I thought about it.


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## spidermonkey (Jul 29, 2008)

Too cool.


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

That's awesome, a job very well done!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Roxy amazes me. She keeps coming up with some strange critter and half the time I'm not certain how it's going to come out. Then it suddenly comes together and looks fantastic.


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

Nice!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Did you wrap the legs in shark pants?


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Genius!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Apparently Spooky1 likes this guy even more than I thought, because right before Halloween he brought home another cheesy spider he got on sale at one of the local garden centers and said "Maybe you could make over this one for next year". This thing has a six foot leg span - that's gonna take a LOT of masking tape and papier mache


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Roxy, first of all, great makeover - absolutely amazing and genius (as HB said!). My question is - was it for outdoor display or indoor, and how did you light him (as in what color) I would be afraid of losing the black portion of the legs at night unless you lit him in a warm white or something. That is just a great idea!!


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

Great transformation. Love the slideshow how to as well.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks, all!

Dixie, we had him outside sitting in some white webbing on top of one of our Japanese maples along our front walkway. We didn't use any special lighting since he wasn't far from the lit front porch area, although it did occur to me that a little spotlight for him might have been a good idea He was quite visible before the sun went down completely, but probably not so much afterwards.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Love her Roxy!!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Nice job on the video, great time lapse. Mother nature is always a good inspiration. I'm never sure about putting skulls on spider bodies but in this case it works very well. Very creative. So did you go out and buy a bunch more of those to work on this winter?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Bone Dancer said:


> So did you go out and buy a bunch more of those to work on this winter?


Aside from the humongous one Spooky1 just bought for this year, no, we didn't get more. We do have three more of the original ones that are crying out for a redo now, though. I may have to resort to leaving the knee joints open so they can be stored more readily. Otherwise they'll be out in the basement and I'm bound to startle myself one day going down there to do the laundry and forgetting we have large multi-legged creatures lurking about:googly:


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## STOLLOWEEN (Apr 13, 2008)

Turned out brilliantly...congrats...I don't think I could have seen the potential in the original prop...very, very cool.


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## Creep Cringle (Jun 23, 2009)

Looks great! One thing though..... How did you find some extra time???? I'm already running out of time for next year...


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## BrainSkillet (Oct 2, 2010)

Awesome! Really great transformation.


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## bobzilla (Nov 13, 2008)

Wow Roxy! Great job on that transformation


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

That looks great! Very creepy! 

I built a mache spider a couple of years ago from scratch and had a heck of a time keeping the legs from breaking from the weight. I think I might try your method, but use Liquid Nails to coat the legs. 

You've given me a winter project! Thanks!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Creep Cringle said:


> ..... How did you find some extra time????


I not only transform cheesy props, but can also bend time and space....NOT:googly:

Thank you kindly, all! This was actually a pretty quick and simple prop to put together since the good "bones" were already there, and Mother Nature herself suggested the paint scheme. It's definitely a great winter project and one that younger kids (if you have them) could do with a little guidance from a watchful parent.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Wow! Thats cool. For soem reason when I am looking at those old spiders I always just saw junk, not a ready made sculpture armature waiting for clay. Well done my dear Roxy, well done indeed!


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

That is really cool!


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Jaybo said:


> You've given me a winter project! Thanks!


The man never stops 

You guys are going to force me into mache....nooooooooo!


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

that thing is gruesome! Nice Work!


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

Roxy that looks great! You really changed the way the original spider was into something really cool! Very nice job!!!!


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

I love her Roxy! Great Job! You will have to back some kind of a back story with the two (or more) spiders next year. The large one and the small one.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Aww, you guys are sweet

HP, I told the neighbor kids that the big spider was the mother of the smaller ones, so I'm thinking the story starts there:jol:


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## ghubertu (Apr 10, 2009)

Great upgrade Roxy! I have always loved the display on the golden-garden weaver spider and your take is spidertastic! Can't wait to see its mother finished.


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## nurseratchet (Oct 27, 2010)

Very nice! We have one of these. Might give this a try next year!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Just an update - we've started working on the big mama spider, so hopefully it will be far enough along in the next few days to get a thread up for her.

And if anyone else has tried transforming one of these cheesy guys, we hope to see those threads soon, too


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

nice work Roxy now ya gotta get that lazy hubby of your's to make some technical stuff LOL!!!!


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Now _that_ is what they mean by "before and after." Very cool. You really improved that spider.


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## Bethene (Jan 19, 2008)

How did I miss this before??!!? Roxy, that turned out so cool, I have several spiders, and just might remake them(if I have time!) like a more realistic spider, what a ingenious idea, can't wait to see what the mama looks like!!!


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