HCC 2022 Day 19 🎃 Spooky Spiderweb Dreamcatcher

Today’s project is this unusual spiderweb dream catcher design.

It’s got lots of layers of cardstock and lots of cute little Halloween characters hanging off the bottom.

It’s completely double-sided, so it looks really stunning when it’s hung up and spinning in the breeze!

Materials supply list

Here is a list of the materials that I used to make this project.

Please note that some of the links included in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.

• Cricut machine
• Light blue Cricut cutting mat
• Coloured Card (I use 160-240gsm weight of card)
• Collall All Purpose Glue
• Needle Tip Applicator Bottle
• 3D foam pads
• Embroidery thread
• Sticky tape / cellotape

Video tutorial

Watch the video below to see how to make this project. Keep scrolling for a written tutorial.

Note: When I recorded the video I hadn’t realised that the design would need to be “double sided” to allow for the dreamcatcher spinning around when hung up so both sides are visible.

I fixed the SVG for this tutorial, but in the video you will only see one side in the Design Space recordings.

Written tutorial (with photos!)

Here’s how to make your very own Halloween spiderweb dreamcatcher using a Cricut machine!

Step 1) Download the cutting file(s) & unzip the downloaded folder

Before you upload the SVG to Design Space, you need to unzip the download folder that it comes in.

• How to unzip a folder on Windows computer
• How to unzip a folder on a Mac
• How to unzip a folder on an iPad/iPhone
• How to unzip a folder on an Android device

Step 2) Upload the SVG file into Design Space

Open up Cricut Design Space and start a new Project.

Click “Upload” and then find your unzipped version of the downloaded files for this project.

Go into the “Cut Files” subfolder and then select the file called SVG_Halloween_Dreamcatcher_CraftWithSarah.svg

Make sure you upload the file which starts SVG_ in the filename!!

This is how it should look after you have uploaded the file:

After uploading, the design will show in your “Recently Uploaded Images”.

Click on it and then press “Add to Canvas” to put it onto your Project.

Click the design on your canvas and use the width/height boxes near the top of the screen to make it the size that you want to cut it.

TIP: Make sure the padlock icon above the width/height boxes is CLOSED before you resize. If it appears “open”, click it with your mouse to close it.

I cut my design at 7.75 inches wide. I don’t recommend going smaller than about 7 inches in width as some of the cuts in the spiderweb will get a little bit too tiny and hard to stick.

Step 3) Cut out all the layers

When you’re happy with how the project looking in Design Space, save the project and then click “Make It” and follow the instructions on-screen to cut out all the layers.

To change the paper size, go into the dropdowns over on the left side of the screen and choose the paper size that you want to use. You need to change it for every single colour.

To save space on your cardstock, you can move things around by clicking and dragging. Make sure when you’re moving things about that nothing overlaps because otherwise, it won’t cut out properly.

TIP: New to cutting cardstock with a Cricut? Check out this in-depth tutorial which goes through every step of the process, including tips for getting the best quality cuts from your Cricut.

Step 4) Glue the little pictures together

Glue the cutout pieces of each of the little pictures to their corresponding solid part.

Please note that you have TWO copies of each image – one for the front and one for the back of the dreamcatcher strings.

Do NOT stick the images to the black pieces at this point.

Step 5) Stick the spider web layers together

Use 3D foam pads and glue to stick the layers of the spiderweb together.

Use this guide to see the order to stick the layers together in.

A high-quality, un-watermarked printable version of this assembly guide is included in the folder when you download the cut file.

Note that at this point you are NOT sticking the layers to the very bottom of the spider web (the one with the circle holes in it).

You have TWO copies of the spiderweb to make. They are mirror images of each other and go together in the same way.

This is so that the front and the back of the dreamcatcher design will be covered.

My favourite glue to use on papercraft projects is Collall All Purpose Glue.

It’s SO good because it doesn’t “warp” or bend the cardstock like some glues do. You can use as much of it as you want and the card stays perfect – and it dries perfectly clear too!

To make it even easier to apply glue to layered card projects, I highly recommend getting some of these needle tip applicator bottles to put the glue into.

The nozzles are REALLY tiny which makes them perfect for putting glue in the pieces of cardstock that make up this design.

The foam pads that I use are from “Dot & Dab”, but any foam squares will work. If yours are big then you may need to cut them smaller with scissors to fit inside the edges of the layers.

When adding the foam pads to the larger layers, make sure you add some in the middle of the pieces of card so it give stability to the middles. If you don’t add any foam pads in the middles then it can “sag” under the weight of the other layers which doesn’t look as good.

Step 6) Thread the dreamcatcher

Loop some embroidery thread, ribbon or similar through the hole at the top of the main dreamcatcher piece.

Tie it into a knot.

Tie a longer piece of thread to the first hole along the bottom of the main dreamcatcher piece, then thread all the black pieces of the pictures on.

Use a piece of sticky tape on both sides to secure the black piece of card to the string, so it won’t move.

Keep going until all three strings are done.

Step 7) Stick on the pictures and cobweb

Glue the layered spider webs to each side of the main piece.

Glue the coloured pictures to each side of the black pieces of card.

Halloween spiderweb dreamcatcher papercraft

Your spooky spiderweb dreamcatcher project is now all ready to be hung up!

Taking the extra time to make it double-sided really helps add to the overall effect as it means that the dreamcatcher can blow around in the air of the room and it always looks beautiful because each side has the pictures on it.

Happy crafting,
Sarah x