When it comes to Halloween crafts, you can’t go wrong with a creepy crawly spider! And if you’ve got a stash of pipe cleaners lying around (like we always seem to), this pipe cleaner spider craft is the perfect way to turn them into something spooky, fun, and totally kid-friendly.
We made these pipe cleaner spiders last October, and my kids immediately wanted to fill the house with them—on windowsills, dangling from the mantel, and even hiding inside their toy bins to “scare” each other. If you want a quick, inexpensive Halloween craft that doubles as decoration, this one is it. This project is simple enough for preschoolers but still engaging for older kids who want to add their own creative touches.
Why You’ll Love This Pipe Cleaner Spider Craft
- Quick setup – Just three supplies (pipe cleaners, glue, googly eyes).
- Budget-friendly – All the materials are cheap and easy to find at craft stores or the dollar store.
- Perfect for Halloween – These little spiders are the ideal spooky decoration.
- Customizable – Add more eyes, glitter, or even tiny fangs if you want extra creepy vibes.
- Great for fine motor skills – Twisting and shaping pipe cleaners is excellent hand-strength practice for kids.
Materials You’ll Need
- 9 black pipe cleaners
- Glue (tacky glue or hot glue for older kids with supervision)
- Googly eyes (the more, the spookier!)
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Spider
Step 1 – Form the Legs
Line up 4 pipe cleaners evenly. Use another pipe cleaner to secure them together in the middle with a tight twist. Spread them out so you have eight “legs” sticking out from the center.
Step 2 – Make the Body
Take another pipe cleaner, slide it onto the middle section, and start spiraling it around in a tight coil to form a circle. This will be the spider’s body. To bulk it up, add two more pipe cleaners to the end and continue wrapping them around until the circle is the size you like.
Step 3 – Add the Head
Wrap another pipe cleaner into a tight circle. Slide one end near the top and secure it to the b body of the spider. Now you’ve got a two-part body: a larger circular body and a smaller head.
Step 4 – Glue on the Eyes
Grab your googly eyes and glue them onto the head. You can go classic with two small eyes, or get extra spooky and glue on a whole bunch. My kids always vote for as many eyes as possible.
Step 5 – Bend the Legs
To make your spider stand, bend each leg at the middle and then again at the ends. Adjust until your spider balances on all eight legs
Step 6 – Display Your Spider
Once the glue dries, your pipe cleaner spider is ready to spook! Set it on the windowsill, add it to your Halloween centerpiece, or even hang it from a string so it dangles down.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
