Awesome Arachnid Art

Speedy Spiders

Do you love, or hate spiders? It doesn’t matter, because these three ideas are so quick and easy you will love to get making the little critters. Maybe this is a Halloween activity, or maybe you are learning about insects and creepy crawlies, or perhaps you just want to scare someone. 

Each of these ideas will only take 15 minutes, and use really basic equipment. 

Spider #1 – Toilet Roll Tarantula

Equipment: Toilet roll, scrap of white paper, black marker, scissors and glue

Let’s recycle a toilet roll for this little creepy crawly. Using a black pen, start by covering your cardboard roll in black hairy dashes. Cut around the edge of the roll some evenly spaced tabs, 10 in total. I would suggest cutting on opposite sides first, then divide each side up into 5 tabs. One on the front and one on the back will get cut off completely for the front and back leaving your eight spider legs. Each of these can get folded out and then down to create legs.  

Cut out some eyes for your spider and glue on to the front.

Spider #2 – Creepy Collage Spider

Equipment: White card A4 or A3, black tissue paper, scrap of white paper, gluestick

Tear up some of the black tissue paper, you will need two round-ish lumps to layer for the body, and a bunch of skinny bits for the legs.

Start with the body in the middle of the card, and then gradually add the legs on around the edges one section at a time. Hint: put the glue on the backing card not the tissue paper

Tear a bunch of little spider eyes out of the scrap white paper and dd those for a finishing touch.

Spider #3 – Spindly Spider Sculptures

Equipment: Brown or black card, scrap of white paper, 4 x brown or black pipe cleaners, holepunch, scissors, gluestick

This one uses the fuzzy pipe cleaners to replicate those hairy spider legs! Ewwww

For the body cut a circle from the card and holepunch 8 x holes around the edges for legs. I made the card into a dome-like shape for extra strength, you just need to cut a slit to midway and glue or staple it overlapped.

Thread the pipe cleaners through so they are poking through half each side to make 8 legs. The last pipe cleaner I looped around the others to keep it all in place. 

Bend the legs so the legs go in an upwards direction from the body, and then down to stand on the table, I also add a small foot. 

Now make some small eyes with the white card and glue them on top.

Which project do you like the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 

All of these ideas could also be used to make jellyfish or octopus!

Check out the creepy sculptures of famous Artist: Louise Bourgeoise

Three awesome quick, LOW BUDGET, no mess projects perfect for exploring art techniques, plus exploring arachnids. A great way to combine nature and art!

Yours in Art,

Tracy xx