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!
Video
Notes
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.