Crystal Ball (Version One)

$16 - $20 (based on 2012 prices)

This was my first attempt at creating a crystal ball. I wanted to give the illusion of rolling fog beneath the ball’s glimmering surface. Cotton spider webs, in turn, proved the ideal means to achieve this without introducing the complicated machinery of a fog machine. Although I used green webbing with white lights, the possibilities are endless: black webbing with orange lights, orange webbing with purple lights, or white webbing with color-changing lights. Due to this factor, the prop can be customized to fit the specific color scheme of your haunt.

• One 4.23 oz. bag of stretchable spider web in green
• One 14” strand of white LED mini Christmas lights
• One 7½” clear glass globe with 4” fitter

1. Pull apart the webbing, working at the strands of cotton. The trick to this project rests in the cotton’s consistency. The fibers will naturally distribute the light from the LEDs. You want the webbing to be thin enough to allow this distribution, yet thick enough to mask the lights and not ruin the illusion.

2. Line the inside of the globe with the webbing. It helps to buy a fixture with a larger fitter to allow your hand entrance into the bowl and enough room to easily maneuver. Also, to help the cotton stick to the glass, try brushing a light coat of all-purpose tacky glue onto the surface prior to the application. You want the final product to look like clouds of fog.

3. Bundle the strand of lights together and place it inside the globe. Because traditional Christmas lights generate an excessive amount of heat, it is important to use LEDs for this project. These newer bulbs produce far less heat and greatly reduce the risk of fire, especially considering the globe is lined with cotton.

4. Feed the electrical cord out of the globe. You may want to secure the cord along the fitter’s rim with clear adhesive tape. You can also use a battery-operated timer and hide the pack inside the ball.