Wiggly
fun!
Aunt Annie's Crafts
Creepy Crawly
Spider Bracelets
What you will make -
Follow these instructions to make a creepy, crawly spider that can wiggle and twist about with a few movements of the wrist. Traced fingers are the basis for this animated spider toy and a paper fastener allows it to swivel around.
This is a fun and easy Halloween project that is especially good for mixed-age groups of children. The older children can help the younger ones make the creepy crawly spiders and everyone will have fun playing with them.
Here's what you need -
- Black construction paper
- Paper fastener
- Scissors
- Glue
- Black marker
- Optional: Wiggly eyes, stapler
- Scraps of white and yellow paper
(for eyes and fangs) - Tape
- White crayon
- Pencil
This project is rated VERY EASY to do.
How To Make Creepy Crawly Spider Bracelets
Read all of the steps before starting.
- Step 1: Project Preparation
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Read through the project and gather the materials needed for creating the spider bracelets. If you are doing this craft with a group, precutting the black construction paper will make the craft go faster.
- Step 2: Cut Paper
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Cut the black construction paper in half (or quarters) to create 6-inch by 9-inch rectangles. Cut a 1-inch strip off the longer edge to use as the bracelet.
Tip: If your group includes children with larger hands or adults, be sure to have some 9-inch by 12-inch sheets of paper available for them to use.
- Step 3: Trace Fingers
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Fold the black construction paper in half. Lay the child's hand, palm down, across the folded edge about midway through palm. Trace around the fingers with white crayon.
- Step 4: Cut Spider Legs
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Cut on the traced outline and unfold to reveal a complete set of eight spider legs.
- Step 5: Curl Legs
Turn the spider legs over and, with the pencil, roll the legs around the pencil. This makes the legs curl under and gives a more creepy, crawly effect.
- Step 6: Make Bracelet
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Take the 1-inch wide strip and form it into a ring that fits the child's wrist. Be sure the ring can easily slip over the child's hand. Tape or staple the ends together to complete the bracelet.
- Step 7: Assemble Spider
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Center the bracelet on the underside of the spider legs and join using the paper fastener. Push the paper fastener through the top of the spider legs into the bracelet then spread the fastener tabs.
- Step 8: Add Eyes and Fangs
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Cut or punch two ½-inch (1 cm) circles from white paper or cardstock for the eyes then draw pupils using the black marker. Cut two fangs from yellow paper or cardstock, being sure to add extra at the top for a glue tab.
Glue the eyes to the top of the spider near the front edge. Fold the glue tab back on the fangs then glue the tab to the underside of the front edge so that the fangs hang down.
Tip: Use wiggly eyes in place of the cutout eyes. They are easier for younger children than cutting out circles.
Make the spider go: Put fingers or wrist through the bracelet and rock the spider back and forth, creep and crawl around. The paper fastener allows the spider to twist about, too!
Before you start -
- Make a place to work.
- Read all the directions.
- Get everything you need to do the project.
- Think about the project. Imagine how it will look and what you will do with it.
Are you ready?
Okay, get started!!!
Thanks to...
Thanks to Deana M. for sharing this project idea in Aunt Annie's Craft Exchange in 1997.
Deanna commented, "This is a fun and easy Halloween project that I did with a small group of 2 - 5 year-olds. They love tracing their hands and fingers whenever they are playing with crayons or markers, so this is simply a "twist" on an old favorite. We also talked about the number 8 that day, so on the backside of the spiders' legs, I wrote the numbers 1-8 in white crayon while each child counted with me."
"This project took only a short while to complete, but the kids played for hours with their spiders, "letting their fingers do the walking", and were proud to show them off later. "
Tip: Cut the fangs so that they have extra at the top for gluing to the underside of the spider. Fold the fangs before or after gluing to make the pointy tips hang down.