Styrofoam Tray Spider Web

Last updated on March 8th, 2018 at 11:32 pm

Save those black styrofoam food trays for Halloween decorating; in this case, for making a styrofoam tray spider web.

This project gives younger children some Halloween decorating fun, while also helping develop fine motor skills and spatial recognition.

You Need:

» styrofoam food trays – preferably black, but other colors work would also workPin

» six feet of yarn

» one or two fake spiders

» scissors

» white glue

» optional:  glitter and newspaper

Project Instructions:

An adult should prepare the tray by using the scissors to snip small cuts around the rim of the tray, as shown.

Place the cuts about 1 inch apart all around the perimeter.

Tie a knot at one end of the yarn then slip this end  into one of the corner cuts with the knot at the back.Pin

Give the tray to child and show them how the yarn can be strung across the top of the tray and then held in place by sliding it down into one of the cuts.

The end of the yarn will now be at the back.  The child should bring the yarn back up through another cut, not far from the one they are already using.  The process then begins again, until all the yarn is used up.

Every spider web will be different, which is part of the charm of this craft project.

To add the spiders, put a small blob of glue on a plate and dip the ends of a spiders eight feet into the glue.  Set the spider onto the spider web and let it dry in place.

More Ideas:

If you want to add some sparkle, place the styrofoam tray on a piece of newspaper then run a little bit of glue over the spider web strings before adding the spider.  Sprinkle with glitter, which will fall into the tray.  Turn the tray over and shake it a bit so the extra glitter falls onto the newspaper.  If you are careful, you should be able to crease the newspaper and let the unused glitter fall back into the glitter container to be used again in another craft.

If you don’t happen to have styrofoam trays ready for reusing, why not try the same method with a styrofoam plate?  Paper plate may also work if the rim is thick enough to snip and hold the yarn.