Tat tiny tatted spiders for decoration, jewelry or party favors. This instructable will show you how to make a simple basic spider as well as one with an encapsulated bead.

Once you have the basic design down you can use yarn and large needles, smaller needle, increase stitch counts or even stiffen the finish spider to stand on its own.

Step 1: What You'll Need

You will need:

For the Basic Spider
-Size 10 cotton thread about 40" per spider
-Size 5 tatting needle or shuttle if you prefer
-Scissors

For the Beaded Version

-bead (mine is about 9mm long)
-small steel crochet hook (it needs to fit the hole of the bead you're using)
-safety pin without coil or paper clip

You will also need basic tatting knowledge that can be acquired with my other beginning instructables.

Step 2: The Head

Start with the head:

You won't need much thread for the tail, about 10" would be fine

Ring: 4 double stitches(ds) 1 picot(p) 4ds close, tie.

Step 3: The Body

Next form the body ring.

Ring: 4ds 1 very long picot(vlp) 2ds 1vlp 8ds 1vlp 2ds 1vlp 4ds close, tie and hide ends

The very long picots will form the legs. I make my picots about 1.25" long. Hold the first half of the stitch with your finger while you finish the stitch as shown.

Step 4: Cut the Legs & Done

Simply Snip the picots in half to form the legs and you're done.

Step 5: Beaded Variation

Tat the head as before.

Place your bead on your crochet hook and grab your working thread with the hook.

Pull through the bead and place the safety pin or paper clip in the loop and pull the working thread tight. This will hold the bead in place until we join it to the body ring.

Step 6: The Beaded Body

Start tatting the first half of the body ring using the same pattern as the basic one except as a chain.

Chain(ch) 4ds 1vlp 2ds 1vlp 4ds, pull through stitches

Carefully remove the pin or paper clip holding onto the bead so the loop remains.

Run the needle through the loop and pull the stitches up to the loop.

Continue tatting the second half of the body

Ch 4ds 1vlp 2ds 1vlp 4ds

Run the needle through the space right above the needle and pull tight, tie and hide ends clipping off excess thread. Clip leg picots and done.