Halloween Fun

Paper Plate Web w/ Bead Bugs

You and your child can have weaving fun creating spiderwebs using sturdy paper plates and colorful yarn. Add a bit of whimsy by offering large beads to string on the yarn as they weave.
Turn the beads into little spiders or whacky bugs by adding bits of chenille stems as legs. Top the beads off with googly eyes and really bring the bugs to life!

The Web:

• Start by cutting half inch slits all the way around the edge of a paper plate, spaced about two inches apart. Next cut a manageable piece of yarn for your child to use for threading across and around the plate.
• Put a knot in one end of the yarn.
• Slide the knotted end into one of the slits and have your child stretch the yarn across the plate to any of the other slits creating a line.
• Slide the yarn into the slit and again have your child stretch the yarn across the opposite side of the plate to any of the other slits. You will be flipping the plate back and forth creating a two sided web.
• Now let your child have fun with it! They can tangle the yarn as much as they want, wrapping it around other sections of yarn as they stretch it from one slit to another.
• When the thread runs out, tie a knot and have them begin again with a new length of yarn. You can trim off the extra yarn or let it dangle.
• String beads as you go to embellish as bead bugs.
• To make use of the dangling yarn add a bead to the end.

The Bugs:

• Its as simple as sliding sections of chenille stems through the hole of the bead so that there is an even length on either side. 
• Hook the chenille stem around the yarn to secure it to the web (these hooks could look like feet). 
• Bend the chenille stem to look like bends in the legs.
• Add the googly eyes for a finishing touch.

Materials:
Sturdy paper plate
Yarn
Scissors
Tape
Pony Beads
Large beads
Chenille stems
Googly eyes (Optional)

If your child is having trouble stringing the yarn through the beads, try wrapping the end of the yarn with a piece of tape.

There are a million and one ways to create little critters and webs with these simple supplies. This is just one idea. Encourage ingenuity and creativity in your child. Offer suggestions and allow them to explore the materials in their own unique way.