Easy Halloween Crafts

I've been working on some easy Halloween crafts with my Pre-K daughter.

It keeps her away from the television and it keeps me away from the computer--for a while anyway.

Today we made some pipe-cleaner spiders. It's a simple kid's craft that she was able to do without much interference from Dad. Here's what you'll need.

Black Pipe Cleaners
Black Thread (if you want to hang the spider up)
Glue
Scissors
Googly Eyes
Nerf Bullet (okay, not necessary, my daughter just wanted it in the picture.

Pipe Cleaner Spider Instructions

Take two black pipe cleaners and wrap them around your hand.

Squeeze them together to form the spider's body.

You can give them a bit of a twist too so they stay together better.

Bend one pipe cleaner in half and place it over the body, leaving room for the head.

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the body one time each.

This will be one of the spider's legs.

Do this three more times to make eight legs.

Create the legs by putting bends in the piping.

I experimented with different leg patterns and seemed to have the best luck bending the leg up, then down, then out for the foot.

Once the legs are bent, try standing it up. You may have to adjust the leg bends.

I had an easier time getting the spider to stand up when the first bend in the leg was closer to the body.

Now glue on some eyes.

Cut a piece of black thread and tie it around the spider's body so you can hang it. Multiply!!!

This is one of my kids' favorite Halloween crafts. I love it too. It's easy, there's almost no mess (sometimes our youngest gets crazy with the glue), and it's inexpensive.

We bought a bunch of pipe cleaners for a buck or two at the store and I think we purchased 100 googly eyes for less than a dollar.

It's one of those crafts that we look forward to doing each year.

Have fun and Happy Halloween!