How to Make Not-So-Scary Spiders
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Now that we’ve made some spider webs to hang around the house (see HERE), we need some spiders to go with them! You can makes them as cute or spooky as you want. These spiders are quick to make, and they use just a few supplies that you can find at a craft store or online.
To make these spiders, I used four things: wire, Model Magic, scissors, and a rubber band. I also used scissors to cut my wire, so you’ll need a pair those—or whatever it takes to cut your wire
My main objective in making the spiders was to make them light enough that they could hang on a web without making the whole thing droop too much. The materials I settled on worked perfectly for this.
I love Model Magic. I’ve been using it since I was in middle school for a wide variety of projects. I like that it’s lightweight, and also that it air dries. I bought black Model Magic from the craft store, but if white or some other color is easier to come by you can always paint it once it has dried.
For the legs I found the thickest wire I could (the lower the gauge the thicker the wire), which happened to be 12 gauge floral wire, but I think I could have gone a little thinner and it would have been fine. You just want something that is easily bendable but substantial enough to hold up the body.
Supplies:
Model Magic
thin rubber band
scissors/wire cutters
Optional:
paint/marker to decorate spider body
Step 1
Cut your wire down to size. You’ll need 4 pieces to make 8 legs. As I said earlier, I used scissors to cut my wire. If you can’t cut all the way through, cut part of the way and then bend the wire at the cut line until it comes apart. If you have wire cutters, this would be even easier.
Step 2
Bind the legs together in the middle. First I tried taking all 4 wires and twisting them in the middle. The wire I’m using is so thick that this was not easy to do. I wasn’t happy with the way it turned out, so I came up with plan B. I cut another piece of wire and wrapped it around the middle of the wire bundle. This definitely looks better, but it didn’t hold the legs together as securely as I’d like. Plan C is a rubber band. I used a thin one because I didn’t want a bunch of added bulk, and it worked very well!
Step 3
Fan out the legs so that it starts to look like a spider. This is important to do before the next step.
Step 4
Form your spider’s body around the center of the wire bundle. This part may require a little patience. For the most part I had the legs arranged the way I wanted them before I put the Model Magic on them. Once I’d made the body, any time I adjusted a leg I’d mess up the body. So I kept adjusting until I was happy with the way it looked and then left it alone.
Step 5
Nothing! I mean… wait for the spider’s body to dry. This takes about 24 hours.
Step 6
Decorate your spider. If you want eyes you can draw or paint them on. You could also decorate the body as a specific kind of spider. I just left mine black.
Step 7
Hang your spider on its web. If you bend the tops of the front legs (while holding onto the legs themselves and not the body), that will create the perfect hooks to hang on to the web. If the spider needs any additional support, you can adjust it around the web.
Now you have some unique Halloween decorations! Enjoy!
