Halloween Howl-To

Halloween Decoration: How to Build a Giant Spider (page 1 of 2)

Try this beginner woodworking project to turn your front yard into a haunted graveyard.

By Chris HillMore in Decorating

Step-by-Step Instructions:

This project uses a mix of wood and PVC pipe. Because this project won't remain outdoors for long, it's not necessary to use exterior-rated wood. We've used a mixture of spray paint and brush-on paint for the wood body parts and wrapped the pipe in electrical tape. There are many different colors of electrical tape available, so feel free to make up your own color scheme for this creature.

Project Cut List

Body Segments – four 15-inch edge-glued round panel
Base – one at 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 24"
Head – one at 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 8"
Spacers – six at 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 2"
PVC Legs – twenty at 1-1/2"* x 24"
Eight 90-degree PVC elbows
Sixteen 45-degree PVC elbows
*interior pipe circumference

This project uses pocket hole joinery.

Create the Legs

Cut 20 legs from PVC pipes per the project parts list using either a miter saw or a hack saw. Wrap the 90-degree elbows and 45-degree elbows with red electrical tape (image 1).

Insert one end of each leg in a 45-degree elbow and mark the position of the part on the leg. Repeat on the other end of four legs. Insert the other end of the remaining 16 legs in a 90-degree elbow and mark the position of the part. These marks designate where to start and finish wrapping the legs with electrical tape.

Wrap each leg with black electrical tape, beginning and ending at the marks (image 2). Use the configuration (image 3) as a guide for creating eight leg assemblies. The last four legs will be used in the final assembly.