These little hanging spiders are cheap, simple, and a great rainy-day project. The kids shape the dough, paint the spiders, and help with the googly eyes. They look adorable dangling in a window or from a doorway, and the bodies only need three pantry ingredients.
Time: About 30 minutes of hands-on work, plus overnight drying Makes: 6 to 8 spiders Best for: Ages 3 and up, with an adult helping with the needle and hot glue
Materials
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 125 g)
- 1/2 cup fine salt (about 150 g)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
- Black acrylic paint
- Black pipe cleaners (2 per spider)
- Googly eyes
- White yarn
Tools
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- Yarn needle
- Hot glue gun
- Baking sheet (if using an oven)
- Paintbrushes
Instructions
1. Make the dough
Mix the flour, salt, and water in a bowl until it comes together into a smooth, firm dough. Knead it for a minute or two. If it's sticky, add a little flour. If it's crumbly, add a splash of water.
2. Shape the bodies
Roll the dough into balls about 0.8 inches (2 cm) across. Try to keep them all roughly the same size so they dry at the same rate. This is a great job for little hands.
The photo below shows the size next to a toy building block, along with the yarn needle you'll use in step 4.
3. Start drying
Place the balls in a low oven at 122°F (50°C) or on a dehydrator if you have one. Dry them overnight, or until completely hard.
4. Thread the yarn (the important step)
After about 3 hours of drying, take the spiders out and thread them. Pass a length of white yarn through each ball using a yarn needle, then tie it off so you can hang the spider later.
The timing matters here. If you try too early, the dough is too soft and will squash. If you wait too long, it's so hard the needle can't get through and the ball may crack. Around the 3-hour mark, the dough is firm enough to handle but still soft enough for the needle. Once threaded, put them back to finish drying.
5. Paint
Once the spiders are completely dry and hard, it's time for the best part. Give each body a coat or two of black acrylic paint and let it dry.
6. Add legs and eyes
Each spider needs two pipe cleaners. Cut them in half to get four pieces, then fold each piece in the middle. Every folded piece gives you two legs, so two pipe cleaners make all eight.
Because each piece is folded in the middle, it holds well when glued to the body. Use a hot glue gun to stick the folded middle of each piece to the spider, with two pieces on each side, then glue on two googly eyes. Spread the legs out once the glue sets. An adult should handle the glue gun.
7. Hang them up
Hang your spiders from a window, doorway, or shelf, or let them dangle from a pumpkin.
Tips
- About the color: I tried adding black food coloring to the dough, but it only turned the dough light grey, even with a lot of coloring. Skip it and paint the bodies instead. Acrylic paint gives you a much deeper black.
- Oven method: No dehydrator? Dry the spiders on a baking sheet in an oven at its lowest setting (usually around 175°F / 80°C) with the door slightly open. Check them regularly and thread the yarn once they're firm but not hard. Drying time will vary with size and oven, so expect a few hours.
- Hang them at different lengths: Varying the string lengths makes the spiders look like they're climbing and dropping.
- Make extras: The kids will want to make more once they see them, and a few always crack.
Ideas for Using Your Spiders
- Hang them across a window for a spooky-cute display
- Use them as party decorations
- Attach them to gift bags as Halloween party favors
- Hang them on a branch for a Halloween tree