I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a spider loving person. That being said, when it comes to Halloween, spiders are a great creepy addition to any display, haunt, and general Halloween atmosphere.
This super cheap and easy project for Halloween will add some new dimension and detail to any setup. They are larger and creepier than traditional plastic or fur covered spiders. I actually like these a little more because they have a Tim Burton quality to them.
Maybe you’re asking “why don’t I just use styrofoam balls to create these spiders and get similar results?”. Do it, you’re the boss. I wanted something using a different medium than just styrofoam. One of the other reasons l like using the lightbulbs is they have different sizes and shapes giving me a diverse groupings of spiders. Plus with styrofoam, you have to be careful how you paint them because some paints, specifically spray paints eat the styrofoam.
Now the disclaimer…..lightbulbs are glass and VERY fragile and can shatter. Well so are glass blown pumpkins and plaster/ceramic decorations but we still buy them. There is that chance that these will break, but using shatterproof LED bulbs can prevent that. How do I store them in the off season? Carefully. I suggest a sturdy box with packing peanuts.
I’ve distracted you long enough. Let’s make some spiders! I used some cheap lightbulbs from The Dollar Store including shatterproof LED bulbs and then large rounded bulbs and some black decorative wire.
- Different size lightbulbs (Dollar Store has a good selection of sizes including shatterproof)
- Ashland 12 gauge black decorative wire (Found in the plant section of Michaels)
- Matte black spray paint
First, spray paint the lightbulbs with a nice coat of black spray paint. I prefer a matte spray paint. If you decide on a gloss spray paint, I would use a hammered textured spray paint. Also, I put the bulbs on on old backing rack to help the drying process.
While they dry, I cut 4 pieces of wire per lightbulb. I cut four 20in for the larger round bulbs and four 15in wires for the standard lightbulb size.
Once cut and the bulbs have completely dried, I take the wire and wrap around the base of the lightbulb until it forms an X. Twist the ends tightly. Use pliers if needed to help. Then bend the legs to create the legs. Repeat for the other three legs. I used a little hot glue on the underside to help keep the legs in place.
Boom! Now you have spiders ready for creepy crawling. I use beef netting for spiderwebs and bend the spider legs to attach to surfaces.
Any questions? Please let me know!
