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Cobwebs and Spiders for a Gothic Halloween Front Porch
- Goes in Draped over rails and corners
- Weather Thin in rain and wind
- Best for Cheapest effect
Cobwebs are the quickest way to make a place look abandoned. A few stretches of web over the porch corners, the railing and the shrubs read as years of neglect for a few dollars.
What you will need
- Stretch cobweb in a bag, about 2 to 3 bags
- Black plastic spiders of different sizes
- A few clothespins or small clips
- Optional: purple or green uplights
- A step stool and gloves
How to set it up
- Decide where the webs go: the corners of the porch ceiling, the gap between posts, the shrubs and the outer edge of the railing.
- Pull the web into thin, wispy strands. Thick clumps look like cotton.
- Drape it over the corner first, anchoring it to the post with a clothespin or a small clip, then stretch it outward.
- Add a few thicker strands along the railing's outer face and a pull across a shrub.
- Place spiders in the web, one large near the center and a few small along the edges.
- Add a purple or green light from below so the web catches the glow.
Where it goes
Placement. Keep webs away from the walking surface and from any handrail people hold, because sticky strands tangle hands and wheels. Do not wrap the stair rail itself and do not stretch it across the door.
Weather
Cobweb is thin and tears in wind and rain. Expect to repair it after a storm, and remove it all at the end, since it holds dirt and can trap birds and small animals.
Mistakes to avoid
- Wrapping the handrail, which makes it sticky and hard to grip.
- Webs stretched across steps or doorways.
- Leaving cobweb outside after Halloween, where it can harm birds.
Make it better
Add a large spider hanging from the porch ceiling on a thin black line, well above head height.
Where to buy
Amazon links; check the product page against the notes before you order.
- Stretch cobweb (check the bag size)
Safety for every piece
- Keep an accessible route from the sidewalk to the door at least 36 inches wide, and wider if you can. Nothing sticks out into it, no cords cross it and no stakes line it.
- Light every step edge. Fog, webs and costumes make edges hard to see.
- Use outdoor-rated lights and cords, plug them into a GFCI outlet and keep connections off wet ground.
- Keep decor off the handrail, the door, the house number and the doorbell.