造茧自缚

zào jiǎn zì fù

to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising

hoist with his own petard

造

zào

to make

茧

jiǎn

variant of 繭|茧[jian3]

自

zì

(bound form) self; oneself

缚

fù

to bind