Set a Spooky Table

Materials and Tools:

wooden candlesticks
wooden napkin rings
primer paint
black or purple base coat paint
crackle medium
orange top color paint
clear coat spray finish
epoxy
round tablecloth
orange fabric dye
rubber gloves
black and white polymer clay
paper template for bat
clay cutting tool
baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil
two part tie tacks
extruder - optional

Steps:

1. Following the manufacturer's directions dye a round tablecloth orange. Rinse and dry in the dryer.

2. Locate inexpensive wooden candlesticks and napkin rings. Tip: Irregulars are perfect.

3. Coat the candlestick surface with primer paint

4. Once primer paint is dry, apply a dark purple or black base coat. The base coat will be the color of the cracks and crackles in the paint. Let the base coat dry completely.

5. Brush a generous amount of crackle medium over the entire base coat and let dry.

6. When the crackle medium is dry to the touch, apply a generous amount of orange paint. Tip: Work quickly as it is difficult to go back over the topcoat to fill in thin spots. As the paint starts to dry, crackles begin to form. Let dry.

7. Apply a triple thick clear topcoat spray to finish.

Polymer clay spiders and bats

8. Roll black polymer clay into a ball for the spider's body. The size of the ball will be determined by the size of the candlestick or napkin ring.

9. For the spider's legs, roll four snakes of black clay, or use an extruder, about 5 inches long. Line them up and pinch them together in the center for a total of eight legs.

10. Press the leg group into the underside of the round body, and then separate and bend the legs into the desired position. Slightly flatten the top of the spider's body.

11. To make the bats, roll black polymer clay through a pasta machine a few times and cut out a bat silhouette using a paper bat template.

12. For the eyes roll little round balls of white polymer clay and flatten. Roll small black balls of polymer clay, flatten and press onto the white clay.

13. Bake the eyes first according to the manufacturer's directions on the clay.

14. Once eyes are cooled, position them on the spider or bat.

15. Bake the spiders and bats according to manufacturer's directions on the clay. Let cool.

16. Spray them with triple thick clear coat for a deep shine.

17. Glue the spiders or bats to the candlesticks or napkin rings with epoxy and let dry. Epoxy the sharp portion of the tie tack to the back of the bats, push it through the tablecloth and fasten with the clutch back.