Creating new and creepy decorations for Halloween is half the fun of getting ready to celebrate the holiday. This Halloween, whether you're hosting a party or welcoming neighborhood trick-or-treaters, a string of spider lights adds just the right illumination for your Halloween festivities.
TECHNIQUE
Making Spider Lights
Materials:
- Compass
- White construction paper or other heavy paper, such as oak tag
- Ruler
- Pencil
- 8 1/2-by-11-inch orange vellum paper
- Spider template (see image below)
- White pencil
- Black construction paper
- Glue stick
- String of indoor or outdoor Christmas lights that burn cool
- Double-sided tape
Directions:
- You'll need to create a template to make the shades for the lights. Adjust your compass to 3 inches, and draw a 6-inch circle on a piece of white construction paper or oak tag. Using a ruler and pencil, divide the circle into fourths. Draw a line through the center of the circle; draw another line perpendicular to the first. Cut out one quarter-circle piece. The remaining three quarters of the circle is your template.
- Trace the template onto vellum paper. You should be able to fit two circles onto one 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of vellum paper. Cut out the circles.
- Trace the spider template (see instructions below for printing the image) onto a piece of oak tag. Use the oak tag template to trace spiders onto black construction paper with the white pencil; cut out the spiders (you will need one spider for each light on the string). Place two of the spider's legs against the bottom edge of the light socket, and glue the legs in place to the socket. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Wrap the vellum paper around the base of the light socket into a cone shape; secure with double-sided tape.
Spider Template
We offer the above file as an accompanying article image in order to make the details clear and printable. To view and print the file, click on the image in the box below the article. The image will open in a separate window. To print the image, press CONTROL + P on your keyboard.
Pipe Cleaner Spiders
The only materials you'll need to make an army of creepy spiders are black pom-poms and black pipe cleaners. Position three pipe cleaners under a pom-pom. Wrap a fourth pipe cleaner over the top of the pom-pom; twist to fasten the pipe cleaners to the pom-pom, leaving enough of the ends to form legs. Bend remaining pipe cleaner ends underneath the pom-pom in opposite directions to form legs. Fan out and bend legs to allow the spiders to stand upright on their own.
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