Trapped Spider Luminaries (Free Silhouette Cut File, SVG for Other Cutting Machines, and PDF Printable)
Spiders can be beautiful, but mostly they’re just plain creepy. It’s no wonder they’re a ubiquitous symbol during Halloween festivities, and they’re quite active during this season, aren’t they? This tutorial will show you how to make this hair-raising decoration in a few easy steps, and you can use objects you probably already have around the house.
As always, the free images we provide for you are for personal use only. Please do not sell the contents of these files; we want to keep it free and fun for everybody.
There are three ways you could make your spider cutout:
If you have a silhouette cutting machine, you can click here to download the Silhouette Cut File.
You can click here if you have a compatible Cricut or another cutting machine to download the SVG file.
You can click here to download the PDF Printable to print and cut the spider out by hand, if you don't have a cutting machine.
All file types are designed for an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. If you have a cutting machine you can resize the image in the design studio for smaller jars if you have the need. For all three options, creating your spider out of cardstock is ideal. Cardstock is heavier and more opaque than copy paper, so when the jar is lit, the light doesn’t shine through the paper. This gives a more solid, lifelike appearance. Gross.
There are two ways you can finish the jars. Both methods use acrylic paint on the inside.
Smooth finish method:
A 24 oz. clear glass jar – or however many you need
Acrylic paint in the color of your choosing
Water to dilute the paint
A paper or plastic cup
A plastic spoon
Battery operated tea lights or a string of battery operated LED lights
Crackled finish method:
A 24 oz. clear glass jar – or however many you need
Acrylic paint in the color of your choosing
Gallery Glass Window Color in clear frost
A paintbrush
Battery operated tea lights or a string of battery operated LED lights
For a Smooth Finish-
Prepare your jar by removing any labels and washing thoroughly. Make sure you dry the interior of the jar really well before starting.
Squeeze a generous amount of paint into the cup, and add enough water to thin the paint to the consistency of melted ice cream. Pour the thinned paint into the jar, and rotate the jar to evenly distribute the paint. Transfer the paint from the jar back into the cup and -carefully- hold the jar (upside down) over the cup for a few minutes, to allow the excess paint to fully drain from the jar.
You can let the jar air dry for 24 hours or until the paint is dry to the touch, or speed the process along by using a hair dryer on a COOL setting.
Paint the lid too, to make it more decorative.
For a Crackled Finish-
Prepare your jar just as you would for the smooth method. Remove labels, and wash and dry thoroughly.
With a paintbrush, apply a thin coating of the clear frost Gallery Glass Window Color to the inside of the glass jar. Allow this layer to dry completely before starting the next step. Now with a clean paintbrush, paint over the clear frost with acrylic paint. Brush the paint on in an even layer.
You can let the jar air dry for 24 hours or until the paint is dry to the touch, or speed the process along by using a hair dryer on a COOL setting.
Paint the lid too, to make it more decorative.
Assembly-
Take the spider strip, and meet the ends, one inside the other, to round the cutout and make it fit into the jar opening. You can use a pencil to shove the spider into place; using the eraser to grab the paper and move it around more easily. Make sure you press all of the paper as close as you can to the wall of the jar, for the sharpest image.
Pop in your light source (ABSOLUTELY NO REAL FLAME) and close the lid.
Whoa! That’s creepy!
Place the jars wherever you’d like (a dark corner will work perfectly), and you’re finished.
We hope you had fun making these luminaries, and we hope they fit right in with your spooky Halloween décor!
Have a safe and very happy Halloween!
-The Grey’s Posy Team