Since fall and Halloween are almost here, I wanted to share my latest card creation, the Spider Spinner Card. It is a collection of SVG, PNG, DXF, etc. elements for use with your Cricut, ScanNCut or Silhouette machine that allow you to create the adorable card shown above.
Those of you who are pretty proficient with your machine’s software could also use the design to create a non-spinner card just by filling in the hole in the card front.
But, I can’t resist a creepy, spinning spider for Halloween so that’s what I’m showing you today.
The video below shows you how to assemble the already cut card components but if you are interested in seeing the set up steps for this card in Cricut Design Space, Brother Canvas Workspace or Silhouette Studio, you can find those videos in my Resource Library. CLICK HERE to sign up for the password to access the FREE Resource Library. It’s new but growling all the time with new tutorials, free SVG files coming soon and more!
Click here for the SUPPLY LIST
Please check out the video tutorial below or scroll down for instructions with photos:
What Comes in the Spider Spinner Card Kit?
The Spider Spinner Card is a digital download of SVG, PNG, EPS, DXF and Studio3 design files for use with your Cricut, ScanNCut or Silhouette cutting machines. It makes an A2-sized card (4.25″ x 5.5″) so please note that you won’t be able to cut the card base on the Cricut Joy unless you shrink the overall size down. Or, you can slice the card base to use just the front section of the card base as a template to cut the hole in another card base. OR you can slice it apart to change the orientation of the card base from horizontal to vertical and use a 4.5″ x 12″ cutting mat to cut it out.
The entire kit comes in one zipped folder. Within that zipped folder you will find all of the card components in a labeled folder. There is also a PDF instructions and tips sheet that covers some specifics for Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio and Brother Canvas Workspace. NOTE: This card does not come with an envelope template but is sized to fit in an A2 envelope.
I encourage you to sign up for the FREE Resources Library to access the specific tutorials for Cricut Design Space, Brother Canvas Workspace and Silhouette Studio to get complete instructions on how to easily cut all of the components, including material settings where appropriate.
Tips for Assembling the Spider Card Layers
As mentioned above, you will have the choice of SVG, PNG, EPS, DXF or Studio 3 versions to use depending on the type of machine you’ve got.
Cricut and ScanNCut users should use the SVG. Silhouette users who have Designer Edition or higher of Silhouette Studio can also use the SVG. Those who have the basic free version of Silhouette Studio should use the Studio 3 file.
Basic free Silhouette Studio can also open DXF files, but I would avoid that in this case because there are a couple of layers to the card that are pretty complex. Since the DXF file doesn’t preserve groups, it will make picking apart the various components for those layers somewhat tedious and time consuming. You may also have to resize the DXF file to fit an A2 size, since Silhouette Studio may resize the spread apart components to fit on the mat.
The card is made up of the card base, two spiders (one with eyes cut out, one without), the web design for the front, a layered funky rectangle that goes inside the card, a greeting that is designed to be drawn on the funky rectangle by your machine and finally a small oval that can be used to fill in the eye holes on one of the spiders and a connecting web piece to connect the spider to the front web design.
For the intricate web design (white piece), I highly encourage you to use a lighter weight cardstock (eg an 80 lb, low GSM cardstock similar to Michael’s Recollections cardstock) because it is easier to cut these kinds of details out of a lighter cardstock. The card base, however, should be heavier (eg 80 lb, high GSM or 100 lb, medium – high GSM). to support the decorative elements being added to it.
I also suggest using a glue or wet adhesive when adhering the layers together. It gets tricky to line up the overall web design on the card front especially, so being able to move it around a bit as you go is important. Wet glue should allow you to do that.
Having a fine tip on your glue bottle will help with keeping the glue dots small.
Having a skinny tweezers on hand as you go so you can clean off any glue that may ooze out from under the layers is super handy. I find scraping the glue off right when you see it is much easier than trying to fix it after the glue has dried. My skinny tweezers allows me to scrape the wet glue off without much hassle.
You will also need some clear fishing line and a small amount of strong double sided tape for the spinner mechanism, and some decorative sequins, gems or drops to finish off the front of the card.
Sparkle Up the Spiders for the Spinner Card
I wanted my spiders to be fuzzy and sparkly for Halloween so I applied glitter flock to them. I added the glitter flock to a coffee filter and then made a puddle of glue on my non-stick craft sheet.
Then, I used my finger to spread a layer of glue over the fronts of the spider pieces and pressed them into a coffee filter with the black glitter flock poured into it. This got them covered in a nice coat of flock.
Then, set them aside to dry to fun fuzzy, sparkly Halloween goodness.
Add the Inside Elements to the Spider Spinner Card
The simplest part of this card, is the layered funky rectangle that goes on the inside of the card base. I cut these pieces out of yellow and purple card stock.
Use glue or another adhesive to layer the yellow funky rectangle on top of the purple one, leaving an even purple border all the way around the yellow.
Then, adhere the layered rectangles into the inside panel of the card base, centering it as best you can. You want to leave an even amount of card base showing around all the sides so the greeting drawn on the yellow piece won’t show through the opening in the card front.
Glue the Web Design to the Front of the Spider Spinner Card
Next, you’ll want to adhere the overall web design to the front of the card base. This is the trickiest piece to place correctly so as mentioned above, using a glue that will allow you a bit of wiggle room is the best choice.
If you don’t want to try getting the thin frame of the web piece lined up along all of the edges of the card front, you can trim off the bottom part of the frame right along the bottom edges of the web and just adhere the webbed top part to the card front.
Either way, full frame vs. top frame only, you’ll need to add small dots of glue all over the back of the web and along the frame sides.
Then adhere in place on the front of the card base. The web overlaps the oval opening cut in the front on one side just slightly and the straight frame sides should line up along the card front edges.
Lining up the thin frame edges with the card sides is a bit tricky so do your best. But if a bit sticks out along a side or two, don’t worry about it. It’s a handmade card after all! Set aside to dry.
Event Preview
Quick head’s up that I will be presenting a really fun holiday card with removable ornament project during the Holiday Crafts 4 Cricut Makers event that runs October 12 – 15, 2022!
The event is FREE and is being hosted by Bette Daost of Bettes Makes
Over four days, more than 15 crafty Cricut experts will present fun holiday project tutorials that can be made with a Cricut. The classes are pre-recorded but will feature chats during the class showings as well as live Facebook chats afterwards with the presenters, including me!
The classes are available for FREE viewing for 24 hours after they are shown during the event OR you can purchase the VIP All Access Pass that will give you access to all of the classes right away AND some great bonuses from the presenters. This SPIDER SPINNER HALLOWEEN CARD will be a part of the VIP All Access Pass Bonus that I am providing along with two other Halloween cards and three Christmas card kits.
MORE DETAILS ARE COMING SOON!
Create the Spider Spinner Mechanism on the Halloween Card
Cut a piece of clear fishing line that is a couple of inches longer than the vertical length of the oval opening cut in the card front.
Add a small piece of double stick tape to the back of one of the flocked spiders and press in place. If using the front of the spider (piece with eye holes) and the small eye-fill oval, glue the small eye-fill oval to the back of the spider first.
Then press the fishing line down on to the tape making sure to get the spider in the middle of the fishing line . The fishing line also needs to run vertically up the middle of the spider.
Add small dots of glue to the spider layers and over the back of the tape. Press the other flocked spider down on to the glue covered spider back. Do your best to line the spiders up with each other so the silhouettes match up and then press the legs and bodies together to fully sandwich the fishing line in between the two spider layers.
Set aside to dry. Once dry, proceed to the next step.
Add the Spider Spinner to the Halloween Card Base
Cut two small pieces of double stick tape that are thinner than the oval frame that you cut to cover the inside of the oval opening on the card base. Place one piece at the vertical top of the oval opening on the inside of the card base. Place the second piece at the bottom of the vertical oval opening.
Holding the fishing line with the spider on it as taught as possible and centering the spider in the oval opening in the card base, press the fishing line down on to the pieces of double sided tape. You want the fishing line to run right across the vertical middle of the oval opening in the card with the spider seeming to hang in the center.
Cut two more small pieces of double sided tape. Layer them over the first two pieces, sandwiching the fishing line between them. Trim off any excess fishing line that runs beyond the top and bottom edges of the tape.
Now add glue to the back of the oval frame cardstock piece (I used pattern paper for this piece). Glue in place around the oval opening on the inside of the card, covering up the tape and fishing line ends.
Put Finishing Touches on the Front of the Spider Spinner Halloween Card
While the inside oval frame is drying, you can add some finishing touches to the front of the card (and the spider) if you like.
If you didn’t use the small eye-fill oval shape to fill in the spider eyes, now is the time to add gems, Nuvo drops or other elements to fill in the eye holes. I used Ripened Pumpkin Nuvo Drops.
While the eyes dried, I added some small extra drops of orange to the black space below the web and oval cutout. Then I set the card aside to let the Nuvo drops completely dry.
Once the dots were dry, I added purple and yellow sequins in between the orange dots on the front below the web and cutout and glued them in place.
Finally, I added small dots of a glitter pen to fill in any odd spaces left in the black area. I also used it to connect the fishing line to the white web design on the card front.
Try Out The Spider Spinner Action on the Halloween Card
Now it’s time to try out the spinner! Gently twist the spider around and around on the fishing line until you begin to feel some resistance, like the fishing line doesn’t want to be twisted much anymore.
Carefully hold the spider on the twisted fishing line in place while you close the card.
Now, open the card and watch the spider spin as the twisted fishing line uncurls. Yay! You’ve made an adorable Spider Spinner Halloween card!
To mail it, repeat the twisting action with the spider on the fishing line. Hold the twisted spider in place while you close the card and tuck it into its envelope. You want to mail it with the fishing line already twisted so the recipient will see the spinning spider action as soon as they pull the card from the envelope. Enjoy!
Questions or Comments?
If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below and I will get back to you soon. Want to just tell me how much you loved this tutorial? Please leave me a comment below too – lol!
Suggestions?
I would also appreciate any ideas you may have for topics to cover related to the software for Cricut (Design Space), Silhouette (Studio) or Brother ScanNCut machines (Canvas Workspace) and any suggestions you may have on projects to create with the Cricut Maker, Cricut Joy, Silhouette Cameo 4 or the Brother Scan N Cut DX. Please leave any requests you have in the comments. I appreciate you taking the time to visit and read my blog.
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Spider Spinner Digital Halloween Card Kit SVG, PNG, EPS, DXF & Studio3 Files available for purchase here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackSheep303
Use Coupon Code SPIDER303 to receive 50% off the design through October 9, 2022
