3D paper spider craft

Create a 3D paper spider craft sitting in her patterned web using our printable template.

The spider ‘pops’ out from the page with a 3D abdomen and bendy legs. It makes eye-catching wall art and is a fun way to support learning about spiders or minibeasts. It would also make a cool Halloween project.

Get the template here

Are you scared of spiders? I’d like to say I’m not, but that would be lying. But just because I’m scared of them (the big, hairy ones especially) doesn’t make them any less fascinating.

The spider in this template is blank so that you can design your spider to look like a particular species. Research a spider, print out a picture, and copy the pattern onto the three circular abdomens. When you fold and glue them together they take on a 3D effect. If your spider has patterned legs you can add those in too.

For our example spiders, I’ve based one on the UK garden spider (loosely, its abdomen is a different shape), and the other on an Aussie redback spider. When I was growing up we had lots of these in our backyard pool area.

You could also get creative and create an abstract doodle pattern, it’s up to you.

Let’s get started on the paper spider craft …

How to make a 3D paper spider craft

You will need:

The spider template – also available in our TPT store
White card stock plus two sheets of
different colored card stock
Felt-tip markers
Glue stick
Scissors

How to:

Print the spider template to white card stock, and the web-starter template to a sheet of colored card stock.
Score the fold lines on your spider template by holding a ruler along them and running a scoring tool or blunt butter knife along the lines to create an indent. The scoring step is not essential, but it makes folding easier and more accurate later on.
Draw a symmetrical pattern in each of the circle shapes (the spider abdomens). You can find a picture of a real spider and copy its pattern, or design your own pattern.
Color in the head and legs. You can also create a pattern on the legs if it suits your spider.
Cut out the spider shapes.
Fold the abdomen pieces into half-circles and glue them together into a stack of three. Glue this piece onto the body shape of the spider.
Fold the eye tabs and bend them around a marker so they keep a rounded shape, then glue the tab. Put the eyes aside to glue on last of all.
Fold the legs into shape, then glue each one on.
Complete the spider web on the web-starter page by connecting the lines marked with intersecting web lines.
Trim the border away from the web.
Glue to a sheet of paper that has a contrasting color.
Glue the spider onto the center of the web. Place a
dab of glue under each foot and glue to the web.
Glue the eyes into place.