Beaded Spider
“Spider” and “beautiful” is not a combination of words I thought I would ever say, but these beaded spiders truly are beautiful! And they’re very easy to make! They make perfect Halloween decorations, but you can also make them into a Christmas spider ornament (more on that below). You can tie fishing line through the little loop by the head and hang them, or you could even glue a magnet onto the body and display it on the fridge. I love the patterns and colour combinations you can make simply by adding different colours and types of beads! This is a really simple beading project, great for beginners. The small beads are a bit fiddly, but it’s so worth the effort!
Check out our Beaded Spider video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins Indian Corn Beaded Pipe Cleaners Glow in the Dark Melted Bead Suncatchers
Here’s what you’ll need:
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Ruler Jewelry wire Wire cutter Needle nose pliers Large bead (for body) Medium bead (for head) Variety of smaller beads (for legs)
What kind of beads do I need to make a beaded spider?
We used a large “gumball” bead (20 mm) for the spider’s body and 10 mm beads for the head. For the legs we used perler beads, seed beads, and faceted plastic beads ranging from 3 to 5 mm in size. You could also use bugle beads for the spider’s legs and studded “disco ball” beads for the spider’s body.
What gauge of wire is needed for this beaded spider craft?
24 gauge wire is the best for making these beaded spiders. You want a wire that is thin enough for the small beads to fit on, but sturdy enough that the spider will stand and hold the weight of the body and head. You could also use 20 gauge, depending on the size of beads you’re using. We used a thin craft wire from the dollar store and it worked pretty well. If you’re using inexpensive wire, make sure it doesn’t have a coating on it, because the coating will peel off as you’re working with it and cause a lot of frustration (…not that I speak from experience or anything).
What is a Christmas spider?
Spiders are seen as good luck in many cultures around the world, but in Eastern Europe (specifically Ukraine) spiders have a special connection to Christmas. There are many variations of the tale, but the story goes that a family of spiders investigated the tree at Christmas time and left webs all over it. When sunlight hit the webs the next morning they turned into gold and silver strands – giving us the origin of tinsel on Christmas trees! Today, to honour that folktale, beautiful beaded spiders decorate Christmas trees in Ukraine and all over the world! You can easily make these beaded spiders into Christmas spider ornaments, simply by tying fishing line or ornament hangers through the wire loop by the head.
We love the look of these beaded spiders! They look so pretty shining in the sunlight, making a not-so-spooky decoration for Halloween. You could also use these wire bead spiders as a gift topper or party favour!
Here’s even more beaded craft ideas:
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins
Indian Corn Beaded Pipe Cleaners
Glow in the Dark Melted Bead Suncatchers
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
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