How To Make A Spider Cage .

This caged spider is an old project but a favorite. He hangs year round from the rafters in my garage but gets showcased hanging from the front porch on Halloween. The best thing about Halloween decor stored away gathering dust is... it looks better from year to year.

For those interested... below is a brief step by step for my spider cage.

First...find a giant spider.

I found a good looking giant rubber spider dirt cheap during a 50% off post holiday sale at one of those halloween stores that rent out a vacant shopping mall space for a month. I thought...a giant spider is scary, but one caged makes it seem more dangerous.

Then get this stuff...

-2 matching wire plant hanging baskets ( large enough to hold your spider ).
-6 feet ( or length wanted ) of black plastic chain link ( or real ).
-Spool of wire ( guage? ... anything thin but strong and needs to be low profile ).
-Super glue ( hot stuff super "t" is my fave )
-Spool of 10 lb. or greater test fish-line.
-Paint: flat black, dark brown and orange to create faux rust look or a similar faux texture paint kit.

Now, follow these steps but use your imagination. Any improvements or better ideas welcome.


Step 1 -Pre paint/faux finish the baskets! You'll thank me later. Were possible hang the chain from above at a comfortable working level and lash the first basket to it upside down with wire... strong enough to hold but easy to remove as you may have to adjust the balance of the finished cage later. Now is the best time to faux finish the chain if needed as the attached basket holds it tight.


Step 2- Thread the fish-line through to "butt" or rear spinners of your spider. Tie it off so it appears as a single thread but don't cut away from the spool yet unless you give yourself a foot or two of extra line to play with later.


Step 3- Hang the spider center at the the top of the basket to create the illusion he is trapped. Tie a loose knot as you may need to adjust balance or height inside later.

Step 4- Wire the second basket right side up to the previous upside down one. Be sure to line up the spokes to create the cage illusion. Now you can adjust the balance of the cage on the chain or the height of spider in the cage if needed. Secure everything. I suggest a drop of glue on all fish -line ties and glue around the seam where the baskets meet to fill any gaps. You can let the spider hang dead center or as I've done, glue a some of his feet to the cage bars as if he is holding himself up. Do any touch up painting if needed.


Step 5- A finishing touch. Creating a lived in cob webbed domain. First... drink 10 cups of coffee and get shakey hands. Then...hold a hot glue gun 20 or so inches above the cage and squeeze away moving around in random spastic motions. This is the only hot glue project you want all those annoying threads. You can't go wrong here and if too much you can always go back and trim away excess. The hot glue is great as it will last forever and looks real.



I think I might add a huge oversized ol' rusty lock to the cage this year.

Countdown to Halloween 2

Here 's how I spent my Sunday afternoon ...making a zombie.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Mix in a large bowl...one cheap Big Lot's plastic skeleton, one small bag of Crayola Model Magic, one wooden dowel and one can of Great Stuff insulation foam. Garnish with paint and cheese cloth.

The Saturday Morning Cartoon

Woke up a little late today, technically it's the Saturday afternoon cartoon...



Countdown to Halloween...

It's been a full several months of constant work.

This weekend is a long overdue homework free one. I'm going to get messy working on something for me. The timing is perfect as the Halloween season is coming. It's time to start making new monsters zombies and ghouls for the frontyard.

Tonight I pulled the first random decoration box I saw on the garage shelf. What a cliche' holiday vingette appeared opening it...


I had to laugh and take a picture. It looks like something I'd art direct as a prop for a show... but it is as it was. Now that I think about it, I probably packed it this way last year so it looked like a cliche' Halloween prop box.

Under the Sea on Hollywood Blvd.

Everyone's tickets for The Little Mermaid at the El Capitan : a whole lotta money.


Parking: $8.00.


Tip to street performer for a first kiss from a parrot: $2.00.


2 quick bites of a hotdog to get to the chocolate milk shake at the Disney soda fountain: $15.00


Seeing the world as her playground waiting in line ...

remembering how an ordinary handrail ...


can bring pure fun and joy...PRICELESS!

Uncommon Threads wraps Season II

Today we shot the last show ending the second season of DIY's Uncommon Threads. It's been a crazy but fun few weeks and I look forward to next year's run. Today everything seemed off, I guess the long hours caught up with everyone ...here's some behind the scene photo's and a breakdown of the day...

6:45 am -Vince our P.A. arrived at the hotel to pick up our guests who by mistake took the UNCOMMON TREADWAYS TOUR bus moments before. Vince knew time was short and swung by Home Depot and saved the day...


9:45 am - It took extra time to bring our "new" guests up to speed but Gordon our director took it in usual stride and good humor...


10:40 am - The whole crew took a 15 minute break and Chris the production manager told a great story to the gang how he threw crab apples at the ol' man who kept our stick balls when they fell into his stage 2 next door during our lunch time games all season in the parking lot.


1:45 pm - "Wardrobe" Jane and "makeup" Suzi prepped the host of DIY's new show, TRIBALICIOUS for a quick camera test requested by the network at the end of our day.


4:45 pm - Uncommon Threads show producers...Alana, Loreli, Judy and Steve were still working hard in the production office going over every detail up until the last minute.


5:01 pm - The art department... Jason, Andri and I took a moment to get a group photo inbetween our many runs to Michael's or Jo-Anne's for gun powder...


6:14 pm - Executive producer Joel and I discussed how to make the set design better for next season. This is the new concept...


7:48 pm - Wrap! Host Allison Whitlock says she has not worked so many long hours since she was a child actor in Australia as the "feral kid" in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior...


...and she made her own costume too!

Pumpkin watch: 2006


Labor Day to most means the end of summer. To me it's the start of fall and the countdown to Halloween begins. This year's pumpkin patch is better than last year. I knew to give the vines more space. There has been very few pumpkins though. I lost two of the little guys a few weeks back when work kept me from regular watering.

I have 3 right now on the way.

This guy has himself a nice little bed of jade as the vine grew over it and back into the garden.
His orange is beginning to show.

This guy's just starting to grow.

It may be cutting it close but I have a few other small bulbs with potential.


Although the pumpkin harvest is not what I hoped, this was the first year I planted sunflowers and with great success.