Walnut Shell Spider Craft

Halloween craft; walnut shell spider

Save those walnut shells to make Halloween spiders. You can make a whole collection of them along with some spider webs to decorate your home.

Idea: Just make the spiders and buy the stretchy webs from your local department store so you can stretch out one big web. Then just stick the spiders on the webs. The end of the pipe cleaners will grab onto the web.

Craft Supplies for the spider:

  • 1 Clean empty walnut shell
  • Two 5mm wiggle eyes
  • 2 Black pipe cleaners
  • 1 1/2" Styrofoam ball*
  • Black acrylic paint
  • Paint brush
  • Tacky glue

Craft Supplies for the web:

  • 3 Flat sticks
  • White crochet thread
  • Hot glue or tacky glue

*One Styrofoam ball makes two spiders.

  1. Cut the Styrofoam ball in half and place one half inside the walnut shell. If it doesn't fit well just squish it a little to make it fit. It should fit snuggly. Save the other half for another spider.
  2. Paint the outside of the shell black. Set aside to dry.
  3. Line the 3 sticks up so that they are all on top of each other.
  4. Leaving the crochet thread attached to the ball, tie the end in a knot around the center of the 3 sticks.
  5. Fan the sticks out so they are somewhat evenly spaced. Pass the thread three times over each spot where the sticks cross.
  6. Working counter clockwise *bring the thread across the front of two of the spokes then go behind the last spoke you went over - bring the thread back to the front and repeat from * around until the spider web is the size you want. Cut any excess flat stick off with a pair of scissors. Knot off the thread in the back. To keep the thread from sliding towards the center of the web, put a dot of glue on the sticks every few wraps and wrap the string right over the glue. When wrapping the thread it is easiest to keep turning the spider web as you wrap.
  7. To finish off the spider, cut eight 2" pieces from the black pipe cleaners. Stick one end of each piece into the Styrofoam on the underside of the shell. Bend each pipe cleaner as pictured above.
  8. Glue two wiggle eyes on top of the shell and place your spider on the web

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