I ended up making another Christmas light ball for My Mother this week. While creating the ball I remember seeing somewhere, (no Pintrest back then) a spider made from half a Christmas light ball. So I took this idea and ran with it. Now this was a work and wait project because I had to figure out each step as I went. If one thing didn’t work, then, I would stop and think and try something else. This also means that everything I ended up using did not make it on the supply list photo. Sorry about that. Finally I got it done and hanging on the side gate. I think it turned out pretty good.

Step 1:

Supplies:
25 9 oz. clear Solo cups (they need to be very bell shaped, $4 a package of 40)
+/- 75 1 inch brass fasteners (we use to call them brads, $4 a package of 100)
6 - 1 ½ inch brass fasteners (same as above)
Lid from a 5 gallon bucket (found on the floor of my store room)
String of 50 orange Halloween lights (+/- $4 a string)
1 -5.5 inch Tap light with batteries (+/- $2.00 each)
5 wire coat hangers (free from the people who clean my Hubby’s work clothes)
Duct tape ($4 a roll)
2 – 10 foot long pieces grey foam pipe wraps (+/- $2 each)
Box knife
Scissors
Soldering iron with ½ inch tip (have had it a long time)
Pliers
Awl
E6000 glue
8 clamps

Marker

Step 2:

This is the type of cup we need to make the body of the spider.

Step 3:

I heated up the soldering iron and used it to melt a half inch hole into the bottom of each of the 25 cups. I used the soldering iron to kind of ream out the hole. I let them cool then I used a box knife to chip away some of the excess plastic left from the melting process.

Step 4:

Using the awl, poke a hole in the side of one cup. Poke a hole in the side of another cup and use a 1 inch brad to connect the two cups together. Poke a hole in the next cup and poke a hole in a previously attached up (try to make it level) and use another brad to connect the new cup to previous two cups. Keep up this process, until you have 12 cups connected into a circle. That is the 1st row of cups

Step 5:

For the 2nd row, connect 9 cups into a circle. They will not lie flat, until you lay them onto the first row. Our goal is to create half a sphere, and once you lay the 2nd row on top of the 1st row, you can see where the 2nd row almost completes half a sphere.

Step 6:

Use the awl to poke holes where two cups touch between the 1st and 2nd rows. Each cup in the 2nd row should be attached to at least one cup in the 1st row, and every cup in the 1st row should be attached to a cup in the 2nd row. This means that several cups in the 2nd row will be attached to more than one cup in the 1st row.

Step 7:

This will make a stable ball. If you pick you the almost complete body, it will feel solid.

Step 8:

Now for the 3rd row, you only have 4 cups left, attach them so that they form a square. Then, put them in the empty space on the top of the semi sphere. See where the 3rd row cups touch cups in the 2nd row, and use the awl to poke holes and use brads to attach the 3rd row to the 2nd row. This time you will not have very cup in the 2nd row attached to a cup in the 3rd row.

Step 9:

If you try to attach every cup in the 2nd row to a cup in the 3rd row you will have a warped shape. It will not be round. You want round.

Step 10:

How get out the string of orange lights. Start with the one furthest from the male outlet

Step 11:

and stick the 1st and 2nd light through one of the 4 cups in the 3rd row. Put 2 lights into each of the other 3 cups in that row. Now move up to the closest cup in row 2 and start putting 2 lights into each of the 9 cups in row 2. Watch that you don’t skip any lights as you fill the cups. Taking the lights out and then redoing them can be a pain. When you get back to where you started in row 2, move up to row 1 and then work your way around. You have 25 cups and 50 lights so you should come out even. The spider’s body is done.

Step 12:

Attach it to the base: The 5 gallon bucket lid will make a great water proof base. Lay the body on top of the lid. Make with a mark where every other cup touches the base.

Step 13:

Use the awl to poke holes in the cup and through the lid. This is where you use the 1.5 inch brads to attach the half-light ball to the lid.

Step 14:

Yeah that works.

Step 15:

Now for the legs, take 4 of the 5 wire hangers and cut the wire (I used crimp and wiggle back and forth until it breaks method) in the center at the bottom and along the sides where the shoulders meet. This will make wires that will allow the legs to bend. Use the pliers to bend one end of the wire into a loop.

Step 16:

Cut 15 inch pieces from the foam pipe wraps. Glue the cut side, of the pipe wrap, closed and then put a wire into the center of the each foam piece. Have the unbend end stick out one end, where you add some glue to the opening and use a clap to hold it closed. Let it dry for more than 1 hour.

Step 17:

Add glue to the top surface of the closed end of the foam legs. Stick 4 legs on each side of the spider body, gluing them to the underside of the 1st row of cups. You should be aware of where the light cord is coming out when you do this, so you can have it come out of the top or bottom of the spider. Use your hand to put a bend in the legs of the spider. Yeah that works.

Step 18:

Now for the head and a hook for hanging the spider: Take the last coat hanger and cut it in half, so that you have the hook and two long legs. Use the awl, to poke two more holes in the rim of the lid (where you have determined is the top). Make an L shaped bend in the end of the long legs and stick each one into one of the holes. Pull them through even more and clamp the ends into a tight circle.

Step 19:

The head: The tap light is the head, all you have to do is, using duct tape, tape the tap light to the legs of the hook, just above the body. By this point I was DONE and I couldn’t come up with a different/better way to do it. If you can come up with a better idea, leave it in the comments below. Well the spider is done.