How to Crochet a Spider Web (Halloween Decor)

You need a ball of cotton or worsted yarn, a 3.5mm crochet hook (size E), a small tapestry needle, and a pair of scissors. The video uses white 100% cotton 8/4 because the stiffer fiber holds the open web shape after a quick block. For the spookiest Halloween look, swap in a black worsted weight like Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Black.

One 50g ball is enough for a decoration-sized web. You will also want three or four command hooks ready for hanging once you are done.

Start with a magic ring - the adjustable loop that becomes the dead center of the web. Wrap the yarn twice around your index and middle fingers, slide the loop off, and pinch the crossing point so the loops do not unravel.

Insert your hook into the ring, yarn over with the working yarn, and pull a loop through. You now have one loop sitting on the hook with the ring held loose in your other hand. That is your starting point for round 1. Do not cinch the ring shut yet - you need it open while you work the first round of stitches into it.

Round 1 makes the eight radial spokes. Chain 3 (this counts as your first double crochet), then chain 1 to start the gap between spokes. Now make a real double crochet into the ring: yarn over, insert the hook into the ring, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops.

Chain 1, then another double crochet in the ring. Keep going - dc, chain 1, dc, chain 1 - until you have eight dc spokes total with eight chain-1 gaps between them. Pull the magic ring tail gently to cinch the center closed, then slip stitch into the top of your first chain-3 to join the round into a circle.

Round 2 is what makes it look like a real web. Chain 5 (counts as one dc plus chain 2), then work double crochet, chain 2, double crochet, chain 2 around the round. Place each double crochet into a chain-1 space from round 1 - never into a stitch, always into the gap.

The chain-2 arcs between each spoke give the web that classic scalloped look. By the end of the round you should have 8 dc clusters with 8 chain-2 arcs between them. Slip stitch into the top of your starting chain-5 to close the round.

Each new round uses a longer chain count between the spokes so the web grows outward in evenly spaced rings. The chapter chart in the video walks through it: chain 8, then 11, then 14, then 17, then 20, then 23. So round 3 uses chain-8 arcs, round 4 uses chain-11 arcs, and so on.

The pattern stays the same the whole way - dc into the previous round's spoke, chain X to bridge the gap, dc into the next spoke. Eight clusters per round, joined with a slip stitch at the end. Most webs look great at four to six total rounds. Stop when the web is about the size you want for your wall or door.

Once the web is the size you want, fasten off. Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch tail, then yarn over and pull all the way through the loop on your hook to lock the last stitch in place.

Thread the tail onto your tapestry needle and weave it back and forth through several stitches along the outer ring so it disappears into the work. Do the same for the tail at the center of the magic ring. Trim both ends close to the fabric. Lay the web flat and smooth out any twisted spokes so the radial lines all run straight from the center outward.

For the crispest open look, block the web. Soak it in cool water for ten minutes, squeeze out the excess (do not wring), and pin it flat to a foam board or thick towel. Stretch each spoke evenly and pin the outer ring round. Let it dry overnight. Once dry the web holds its shape on its own.

To hang, stick three or four small command hooks on your wall in a circle and stretch the outer ring of the web across them. The web stays taut and lightweight. Take it down after Halloween, store it flat, and it is ready for next year.