Has Halloween snuck up on you this year? Here's a last-minute costume idea that's easy to put together using a few things from the dance wardrobe and the dollar store.

Ingredients

To create your spooky spider you’ll need;

• a black leotard (we’ve used our Cross Strap Mesh Back Leotard)
• a sparkly skirt or tutu (optional)
• enough feather boa to create the legs
• some black ribbon or twine
• 1 pair black stockings
• 1 pair black shoes
• 1 black headband
• 2 black pipe cleaners
• safety pins (or needle and thread if you have the time) 

Step 1: The legs

Measure the distance of your little Spider-to-be’s arms from fingertip to fingertip (have them stand in a ‘T’ shape and hold the boa in each hand) then cut the boa to match. You’ll need three of these lengths to create six legs of a spider. Your little dancer’s two legs make up the eight.

Lay the feather boas on a flat surface and space them to look like legs. We've cinched all of ours in the middle with a wider black ribbon to make them easy to attach to the leotard using a safety pin.

Using some lengths of ribbon tie a knot around the end of the first boa ‘leg’ on the left-hand side and run the ribbon down to the second boa 'leg' and tie a knot then down to the third boa 'leg', tie a knot and cut the ribbon.

Repeat tying the ribbon around the boa in the middle part of the 'legs' where your little spider's elbows will be. This will stop them from sagging in the middle.

Then proceed to do the same on the right-hand side. You should have something that looks like this:

Using the safety pins pin the centre of the legs to the back of the leotard. We pinned ours so they sit in between the shoulder blades.

Step 2: The Feelers

Take the black headband and your two pipe cleaners. Wrap the pipe cleaners around the headband, on the top of the head, and bend into shape to make your feelers.

Step 3: Assemble

Time to get ready? Get your little spider into their black tights, and carefully into the leotard with the boas. Add a skirt and shoes. 

To attach the 'legs' to their arms use ribbon (or for a more comfortable version - black elastic) to tie the top boa to their wrist and elbow on each side. Now all the legs will dance with their arms. 

Add the feelers and voila. One cute, spooky, dancing spider ready to trick or treat!

Optional extras

• If it's a chilly night use a long-sleeved black leotard or top for the first set of 'legs' and attach the boa ribbons to the sleeves of the top.
• For extra effect add some black spidery face paint – may be a widow's peak or some oversized black eyes.
• Use a black tutu instead of a skirt for an extra special dancing spider look.

 Happy trick or treating!