Pipe Cleaner Spider in 10 easy steps – Easy Step by Step 1 Hour Project (for Beginners or Kids)

This pipe cleaner spider is an easy project that should take less than 1 hour. You will need around 6 red and 10 black pipe cleaners (chenille stems). A wire cutter is also necessary for this animal.

chenille stem spider — Completed pipe cleaner spider

Start by folding 4 red and 2 black pipe cleaners in half and cutting them in the middle, giving you 8 red and 4 black pipes.
Fold all 8 of the red pipes in half but do not crimp the end too firmly, leaving it with a soft curve at the end.
Bend the red pipes in half but do not crimp the end
Insert one black pipe inside two red pipes and twist each end until you have a firm spiral. These will be the legs (2 legs per stick).
Tie the legs together with a black pipe cleaner, keeping the legs in a row. Don’t tie it too tight, but make sure it is firm enough that the legs can’t break loose.
Fan the legs out evenly weave a black pipe cleaner over and under each leg around the center, keeping it as tightly to the center as possible. When you get back to the starting point, skip one leg so that you alternate one time over and one time under each leg.
Make a loop over the center of the legs with one black pipe, tied firmly to both sides. Repeat with another loop perpendicular to the first, tied additionally to the top of the loop. This is the outline for the body of the spider.
Start filling in the body by wrapping one black pipe cleaner around the body, starting at the body by the legs. Tie it to each of the 4 pipes making up outline of the body as you go around.
Before you get halfway up, stop wrapping the black color and grab a red pipe cleaner. Weave this red pipe back and forth between the body supports on one side to create a triangle shape, then continue through to the other side.
Fill in the remaining empty areas of the body by weaving back and forth a black pipe.
Bend each leg upwards to create the knees and then back down. Another small bend toward the end of the leg will create the feet.

That’s it. You now have a sturdy, colourful pipe cleaner spider (or tarantula). Pop on some googly eyes if you are so inclined and start scaring your friends.