Step-by-Step Beaded Spider Tutorial for Halloween

This beaded spider is SO PRETTY and it’s really easy to make! Simply twist wire together and slide beads on it to make this spider craft for Halloween or any time of year.

Beaded Spider

“Spider” and “beautiful” is not a combination of words I thought I would ever say, but these beaded spiders truly are beautiful! And they’re very easy to make!

They make perfect Halloween decorations, but you can also make them into a Christmas spider ornament (more on that below). You can tie fishing line through the little loop by the head and hang them, or you could even glue a magnet onto the body and display it on the fridge.

I love the patterns and colour combinations you can make simply by adding different colours and types of beads! This is a really simple beading project, great for beginners. The small beads are a bit fiddly, but it’s so worth the effort!

Check out our Beaded Spider video tutorial:

*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.

Looking for more crafts made with beads? Here’s some of our favourites:

Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins

Indian Corn Beaded Pipe Cleaners

Glow in the Dark Melted Bead Suncatchers

Here’s what you’ll need:

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The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon and Target that are similar to the supplies we used:

What kind of beads do I need to make a beaded spider?

We used a large “gumball” bead (20 mm) for the spider’s body and 10 mm beads for the head. For the legs we used perler beads, seed beads, and faceted plastic beads ranging from 3 to 5 mm in size.

You could also use bugle beads for the spider’s legs and studded “disco ball” beads for the spider’s body.

What gauge of wire is needed for this beaded spider craft?

24 gauge wire is the best for making these beaded spiders. You want a wire that is thin enough for the small beads to fit on, but sturdy enough that the spider will stand and hold the weight of the body and head. You could also use 20 gauge, depending on the size of beads you’re using.

We used a thin craft wire from the dollar store and it worked pretty well. If you’re using inexpensive wire, make sure it doesn’t have a coating on it, because the coating will peel off as you’re working with it and cause a lot of frustration (…not that I speak from experience or anything).

What is a Christmas spider?

Spiders are seen as good luck in many cultures around the world, but in Eastern Europe (specifically Ukraine) spiders have a special connection to Christmas.

There are many variations of the tale, but the story goes that a family of spiders investigated the tree at Christmas time and left webs all over it. When sunlight hit the webs the next morning they turned into gold and silver strands – giving us the origin of tinsel on Christmas trees!

Today, to honour that folktale, beautiful beaded spiders decorate Christmas trees in Ukraine and all over the world! You can easily make these beaded spiders into Christmas spider ornaments, simply by tying fishing line or ornament hangers through the wire loop by the head.

How to Make a Beaded Spider

This beaded spider is easy to make and it’s surprisingly pretty for a spider! This simple tutorial is great for Halloween or any time of year!

Materials:

25inchesJewelry wire(24 gauge)
Large bead(20 mm, for body)
Medium bead(10 mm, for head)
~100Small beads(2-5 mm, for legs)

Equipment:

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut wires

Cut 5 lengths of wire that are each 5 inches long.

Step 2: Attach body bead

Take one piece of wire and use needle nose pliers to bend the end of it into a tight spiral.
Continue bending the wire into a tight coil that is large enough to cover the hole in the largest bead (used for the spider’s body). Our coil was about 5 mm in size.
Now take the other end of the wire and feed it through the center of the coil.
Pull the end of the wire completely through. This secures the coil and ensures that the hole of the large bead will sit in the center of the coil.
Now slide the largest bead (the body) onto the wire until it’s resting against the coil.

Step 3: Connect legs

Grab one of the other four wires and bend it roughly in half in a “U” shape to find the middle.
Slide the folded wire around the first wire, so it’s sitting against the body bead.
Cross the folded wire around itself.
Pull the wire down on each side, securing it into place.You’ve just added the first two spider legs!
Repeat these steps with the next three wires and pinch the legs in place with your pliers.Don’t worry about the legs intertwining – it only makes the spider more sturdy.

Step 4: Attach and secure head bead

You can now slide the medium sized head bead onto the center wire and press it tightly against the legs.
Cut off any excess wire, leaving at least 2 cm (or 3/4 inch).
Use the pliers to twist and push the end of the wire back into the head bead, creating a small loop to secure it.

Step 5: Bead legs

Bend and separate the 8 legs into their positions.
Begin beading the first leg. It’s best to start with a small seed bead so it will rest right up against the spider’s body.Use a mix of beads in a variety of sizes. We used 12 beads per leg, but the number will depend on the exact size of your beads.
Make sure to leave 5 – 10 mm at the end of the wire to finish off the leg. Use the needle nose pliers to create a small loop, just large enough to ensure the beads won’t slide off.
Bead the other 7 legs, and your spider is almost ready!

Step 7: Arrange legs

Bend each of the 8 legs, somewhere around the middle of the leg, to create the leg joint.Flip the spider over and adjust the legs so they all touch the table and are evenly spaced out.
Your beaded spider is complete!

Helpful Tip:

If you’re having trouble finding large gumball beads, check the children’s jewelry section at the dollar store, Walmart, or at a children’s toy store. We dismantled one of the kids old necklaces and repurposed its gumball beads for these spiders.

We love the look of these beaded spiders! They look so pretty shining in the sunlight, making a not-so-spooky decoration for Halloween. You could also use these wire bead spiders as a gift topper or party favour!

Here’s even more beaded craft ideas: