How to Create and Present Elephants on the Spider's Web
How I used to create the spiderweb and how I create the spiderweb now are quite different. The first spiderweb that I create was on something like a poster board. The second one that I created was made out of the same fabric as the story apron. I used that for many years but eventually the three layers of the material were separating and no longer usable. So I purchased some material from a fabric store, call headliner, which is used to upholster cars. In the past this fabric has been my go-to fabric for the spiderwebs, because Velcro will attach to this fabric as well as it will to the Veltex fabric I use for the aprons. However, after making 20 spiderwebs, the time came to use the elephants on the fabric. Well, sadly, headliner no longer adheres to Velcro. Since I was unwilling to do over the 20 webs, I glued on the soft side of the Velcro (in black) in five locations for the elephants to adhere to the web. The audience will not notice them, and it really wouldn't matter if they did. I'm really the only one who will be mad about it.
So the moral of the story is, don't use headliner to make a Web.
That leaves poster board, or the Veltex fabric, which can be purchased online, but with a minimum purchase of one yard. For the silver lines of the web, I used a fabric paint, silver glitter, one of several I found in the stores. Follow the patterns I created and have attached as pictures with this description. Then you will need a silver cord of some kind, and the most recent one that I'm using now, I found in Michael's craft store near the embroidery thread. Again, use the pictures I have included as patterns, and you will notice that the top three threads are attached in the middle on the back but are loose on the top.at the end of the poem when the spiderweb "comes all on done" these three threads fall down. The bottom three threads are attached to the back individually across the bottom of the board. Then they are threaded around to the front and pushed through the center opening (try using the eraser on a pencil to get them through the small opening) and will fall down by pulling them back through the center opening.
You will need a spider in the upper corner, Velcro on the four corners of the back to attach it to the apron, and five elephants, made from the attached patterns out of fun foam. The song and the music for the song are also attached. It's very easy to sing and the children love this little apron story.
It's very difficult to describe how to make the spiders web and the elephants. Plus, there is material to purchase and other things that are not readily available. So I have made 20 kits with the spiderweb completely made for you, one elephant made for you to use as a pattern for the other four, which you will make yourself. I have also included the fun foam and the wiggle eyes necessary to complete the elephants. If you would like to purchase one of these kits, please visit my store. I do not intend to make any more kits, so if you are interested you should check quickly to see if I have any left. You may also email me at mary-elin@hotmail.com.
Now, for the presentation: you will be singing the song as you place one elephant after another on the spiders web. Place one gray elephant first, because the children will be expecting an elephant to be gray. Then place the second Gray elephant on the web, reinforcing the fact that elephants are gray. The next elephant will be one of the colored elephants, and you will get plenty of comments about that! The last two will also be colored elephants, and the children will enjoy commenting on those too. At the end the spiders web can no longer hold up five elephants, and it comes undone. You will have to sing the last few words very, very slowly, because getting the spiders web undone is not a fast proposition. After the children have enjoyed the web with all of the strands hanging all over the place, simply say "the end", take the entire thing off your apron, and begin another story.
Contact me for more information about the Kits for sale.
So the moral of the story is, don't use headliner to make a Web.
That leaves poster board, or the Veltex fabric, which can be purchased online, but with a minimum purchase of one yard. For the silver lines of the web, I used a fabric paint, silver glitter, one of several I found in the stores. Follow the patterns I created and have attached as pictures with this description. Then you will need a silver cord of some kind, and the most recent one that I'm using now, I found in Michael's craft store near the embroidery thread. Again, use the pictures I have included as patterns, and you will notice that the top three threads are attached in the middle on the back but are loose on the top.at the end of the poem when the spiderweb "comes all on done" these three threads fall down. The bottom three threads are attached to the back individually across the bottom of the board. Then they are threaded around to the front and pushed through the center opening (try using the eraser on a pencil to get them through the small opening) and will fall down by pulling them back through the center opening.
You will need a spider in the upper corner, Velcro on the four corners of the back to attach it to the apron, and five elephants, made from the attached patterns out of fun foam. The song and the music for the song are also attached. It's very easy to sing and the children love this little apron story.
It's very difficult to describe how to make the spiders web and the elephants. Plus, there is material to purchase and other things that are not readily available. So I have made 20 kits with the spiderweb completely made for you, one elephant made for you to use as a pattern for the other four, which you will make yourself. I have also included the fun foam and the wiggle eyes necessary to complete the elephants. If you would like to purchase one of these kits, please visit my store. I do not intend to make any more kits, so if you are interested you should check quickly to see if I have any left. You may also email me at mary-elin@hotmail.com.
Now, for the presentation: you will be singing the song as you place one elephant after another on the spiders web. Place one gray elephant first, because the children will be expecting an elephant to be gray. Then place the second Gray elephant on the web, reinforcing the fact that elephants are gray. The next elephant will be one of the colored elephants, and you will get plenty of comments about that! The last two will also be colored elephants, and the children will enjoy commenting on those too. At the end the spiders web can no longer hold up five elephants, and it comes undone. You will have to sing the last few words very, very slowly, because getting the spiders web undone is not a fast proposition. After the children have enjoyed the web with all of the strands hanging all over the place, simply say "the end", take the entire thing off your apron, and begin another story.
Contact me for more information about the Kits for sale.