I plan on making one bigger spider and a few little ones. Fondant/gumpaste. Black w/red eyes. Would you recommend using toothpick pieces to keep head and body together and perhaps floral wire in the legs? Open to suggestions. I need to make a mouse head too but I don't think that will be too bad....

I am going to try and use sugar (spun?) to make a web on a silicone mat (ok?) or ladle...

All this is going on a pumpkin cake roll that I will frost with whipped Pastry Pride and then try to airbrush with some brown to look like a tree. A rice krispy knot for the log and a little mouse head coming out of the knot with two paws holding a candy corn.... All new to me... LOL

Help...suggestions....please...

You know, you never know when things like that might get eaten, especially littly bitty decorations. I wouldn't add anything inedible, personally, unless the pieces are SO big as to be clearly inedible/a keepsake topper. You can try spaghetti (but that really only helps keep the pcs together while drying, as the pasta absorbs some of the moisture eventually and thus softens a bit, plus it's not like spaghetti is strong anyway right?!) or just make your gum glue nice and thick to get everything stuck on as needed.

My Remy <---- was all gum-glued. If you are very careful w/your pieces and also ready to repair any broken legs w/gum glue if needed...you should be fine. If you are adding the head, use the Aine2 method where you make a little neck on it, and a hole in the body to "receive" the neck...similarly poke leg-sized holes into the body so you can just insert them, they'll stick much better, you just coat the inside of the neck/leg-holes with your gum glue. The added surface area helps a lot. Best example I can give is that's how I did Remy's hands and feet to make sure the gray "fur" went over the hands/feet: they were inserted into the (already dry) arm/leg holes.

I love the spun sugar web idea, but I've read many posts about that stuff just kinda melting from moisture. Have you seen the thread about "gummy spider webs"? In place of RI...I know that is not nearly the effect you'd achieve w/spun sugar but...I'm just worried your sugar will liquify in the air. Then again you say you live in SoCal, it's pretty dry here lately! But you are also talking about using Pastry Pride...well that stuff will just dissolve your SS, right?

Anyway hope I've tossed out a least a bit of helpful info??!

Thank you so much.... I love getting your ideas and suggestions! Seriously! I think I would like to try the sugar web and maybe not apply it to the cake til the night it will be served. I think I can seal them up in a container. I read where you should put some dessicant in the container. Maybe two containers with larger one with dessicant and the smaller one with the web.... If it's easy enough to do, I can maybe just do before the gathering on Nov. 1. Your Remy looks blue on my monitor. I want to make a little mouse head peaking out of "knot" (rice krispy treats) in my pumpkin roll/log. I thought I could get away with just a head and neck on a skewer and poke it down in the "knot" I would like two little paws holding a candy corn to its mouth. Haven't figure out how to connect the paws..candy corn...etc. I am thinking a gray mouse with pink painted inside it's ears, black eyes and nose tip and maybe some of my pastry brush bristles as whiskers.

The gel spider web had marshmallows missing... I haven't checked back to see if it was updated correctly. It wasn't last night. I have to figure out the spider... May just use a candy one... You're right. A little kid might grab a spider and pop it in their mouth wires and all! Oye! Want to add some gumpaste/fondant Fall leaves around the cake too. My next hitch will be trying to airbrush the Pastry Pride... Never did that either. LOL!

Maybe I can lean the web against some of the gumpaste leaves...??

Have you used spun sugar before? It's basically cotton candy, right? Maybe you can just buy some LOL!!!

Really, I don't think gp spiders would be that hard at all. Do it do it do it!

For the mouse, if the arms are just poking out of the knot, you could just make them extra long and insert them straight into the knot. I'd go for straight gumpaste so they'll dry rock-hard. I just rolled the gp extra-extra thin to make Remy's whiskers--striaght gp of course. If you try that, be sure to poke little holes in the mouse's face, drop some glue in, and insert the whiskers in the holes. It CAN be totally edible!

I'd definitely make sure the web isn't on the icing (although, doesn't PP sort of create a "skin"?) but your bigger enemy is just going to be the air itself. Although it's dry during the day, the evenings usually get quite cool and there is a lot of moisture in the air. Still, it can't hurt to try! You might just want to try to have something else on hand just in case. I think she said she posted the fixed recipe, but I'm guessing it's a REpost, I don't think you can edit a recipe once you post it. Good luck, sounds neat!

seriously who would eat gumpaste stuff though...LOL! I know no accidents if it would happen but yucccck... LOL! I may just use cappelini pasta for the whiskers. I like sticking the arms down in. May have to glue the candy corn between the paws.... Thank you for talking rodent with me! LOL! Pat

You are nearer to Culver City right? I am north near Valencia... It's been super dry here. Right now meter is showing 20% which is higher than it has been. I may do the web with a thicker sugar than the spun kind. That stuff looks like thin thin fibers. Mine hopefully will be more like making a sugar basket only a web.... If you know what I mean. Jacques Torres does some in a tutorial.... Eh whatever... LOL!