Seasonal crafts are a great way to engage with your children, build lasting memories, and foster the growth of their developing minds. There are lots of ways arts & crafts help child development. If you’re considering inexpensive and meaningful holiday activities, DIY projects like this are a great choice! 

Since Halloween is right around the corner, we’re sharing how to make spooky Halloween spiders with pipe cleaners. Pipe cleaners are the perfect material for creating your arachnid art projects because they make this project doable for kids even as young as 3! 

You’ll also be pleased to hear that this craft can take just a few minutes or up to a couple of hours, depending on the ages of your children and the scope of your spooky scene. Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite Halloween crafts. And, I am going to show you how to make it! :) 

Here’s how to make pipe cleaner spiders:

HOW TO MAKE A SPIDER OUT OF PIPE CLEANERS

Materials 

• 5 pipe cleaners (could be any color, but black pipe cleaners are best)

• 2 googly eyes

• Clear wire

• Pom poms (optional) 

• Pony beads (optional)

• Glitter (optional)

• Additional pipe cleaners (optional)

• Craft glue (optional)

Instructions

• Step One: Grab 4 pipe cleaners of the same length and color and line them up.

• Step Two: Pinch the pipe cleaners together in the middle so they separate and bend outward. 

• Step Three: Fold the pipe cleaners in half to create a loop. 

• Step Four: Hook your thumb in the loop and use your other hand to twist the pipe cleaners together 3 times. This is the spider’s head! 

• Step Five: Separate each end to create 8 distinct legs. 

• Step Six: Now, take each leg and bend them into true spider legs. Start by adding one bend in the center of each of the 8 legs. Then, curl the very bottom of each of the legs to make feet. After this, your spider should stand up!

• Step Seven: Twist a pipe cleaner around your finger or a pencil to make a little spiral body for your spider. Then, attach that spiral pipe cleaner behind the “head” (the loop) of your spider. 

• Step Eight: Add googly eyes to the head to solidify its spider identity. 

• Step Nine: Decorate! Let your children’s imaginations run wild by adding embellishments to their spiders. They could add beads, pom poms, glitter, and additional pipe cleaners to make their spiders unique. (Use craft glue for the glitter and pom poms.) 

• Step Ten: Tie a clear wire to the center of the pipe cleaner spider and tie the other end into a slip knot. Now, you can hang your spider anywhere! 

Everyone in your home will enjoy this Halloween pipe cleaner craft! 

The holidays are a great reminder to spend some intentional time with your family. Crafts are the perfect way to do that! 

I hope this pipe cleaner spider craft helps bring your family together for the spooky season. If you’re in search of more sensory activity ideas and seasonal crafts, download the Mothercould in Your Pocket resource. It has the ultimate collection of all kid-friendly activities to foster healthy development! 

The blog also has lots of activities, parenting advice, and recipes. These are all written to help you level up playtime, grow stronger bonds with your children, and support their development! 

And, if you want another Halloween craft that’s taste-safe, try this Counting Mellow Monster recipe. This one won’t disappoint either!