Itsy-Bitsy Spider Shadow Box

Each Halloween I’m on the hunt for easy, low-cost craft projects to compliment my existing holiday decorations. This adorable arachnid shadow box fits the bill.

My first Quick Trick this season is a super simple art project using some items you may already have on hand. Plus. it earns bonus points because its a breeze for young crafters as well (with some parental assistance required).

Post Halloween 2020, I picked up few sale items for craft projects including a small bag of plastic spider rings. The rings are most often used as Halloween party favors, but I’ve repurposed them for this spooky spider shadow box.

Supplies needed:

• Bag of colored plastic spider rings

• A can of black matte spray paint

• E6000® adhesive (or glue that works on plastic)

• A piece of card stock

• One 8×10 black shadow box

• One 8×10 mat with a 5×7 opening

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Small binder clip

Instructions:

I used an 8×10 inch shadow box, which requires six spiders for the finished project. Select the spiders, including at least one orange creepy-crawly, and cut off the ring loops. Next, spray paint the front and back of the spiders, excluding the orange one. Repeat this step, if necessary, and allow to dry.

Remove the backing from the shadow box and the mat. Cut the card stock to fit the frame. Place the mat on the card stock and secure with a binder clip. Using the pencil, lightly mark the four corners of the mat on the card stock.

Arrange the spiders on the card stock vertically and horizontally. Make sure they don’t extend past the pencil marks that show where the mat will be. You could use a ruler, but I found it easier to eyeball this step. Make a mark at the center point for each spider in pencil. Again, align the dots until they are in straight lines, adjusting the pencil marks as needed.

To attach the spiders, I tried a variety of glue and glue dots, but they never held. Eventually, a friend recommended E6000® adhesive and it worked well with the plastic spiders. Please note: E6000® is a “high performance Industrial” adhesive that I would not recommend for children’s use. This is where the parental assistance is required.

Place a small drop of glue on each pencil mark. Attach the spiders, placing the orange one on the end of a row. The glue may not appear to adhere immediately, but it will permanently setup in a few hours. Lay flat to dry.

The final step is to erase any visible pencil marks and reassemble the shadow box. There you have it. – a cool collection of itsy-bitsy spiders to adorn your walls this Halloween.