Paper Plate Spider Web Craft: A Simple Halloween Watercolor Project

This paper plate spider web craft is the kind of Halloween project we love, nice and simple. A paper plate, a hot glue gun, and a watercolor set, and the kids handle the fun part completely on their own.

The trick is a spider web drawn on the plate with hot glue before the kids start to pain. Watercolor slides right off the glue, so as they paint the whole plate, the web appears like magic. Every kid we have done this with stops and says “whoa” at the exact same moment.

What You Will Need

• White paper plates. The plain uncoated kind soaks up watercolor the best.
• A hot glue gun for the grown up. A mini low-temp one is plenty.
• Crayola watercolor paints. This is the same classic tray we grew up with.
• Kid paintbrushes and a cup of water.
• Optional: a white crayon for a no-glue version kids can draw themselves.
• Optional: a plastic spider or a black pom-pom to sit in the finished web.

How to Make a Paper Plate Spider Web

1. Draw the web with hot glue. This is the grown up step. Start with a small dot in the center of the plate and draw six or eight straight lines out to the edge, like spokes on a wheel. Then connect the spokes with curved lines, working from the center out, sagging each one a little so it looks like a real web.
2. Let it set. Hot glue cools in about a minute. Run a finger over it to make sure nothing is still tacky before handing it to a kid.
3. Paint the whole plate. Hand over the watercolors and let them cover every inch, right over the glue. We went with greens, teals, and a little purple, but orange and a spooky black wash look amazing too. Wet the brush well so the color spreads.
4. Watch the web appear. As the paint goes on, the glue stays white and the web pops out of the color. There is no wrong way to do this, and the messier the painting, the better it looks.
5. Dry and decorate. Let the plate dry flat for about 30 minutes. Add a plastic spider or glue a pom-pom in the middle with two googly eyes. Punch a hole at the top and add a string if you want to hang it.

Try It With a White Crayon Too

If you have kids who want to draw their own web, or you would rather skip the hot glue, use a white crayon instead. Press hard and draw the same spokes and rings on the plate, then paint over it. The wax resists the watercolor the same way the glue does, so the web still shows through. The lines are a little softer, which honestly looks just as sweet. We usually do both: the little kids get a glue web and the bigger kids draw their own.

Why We Love This Craft

It is a two-minute setup for a grown up and then a totally independent craft for the kids, which is rare. Watercolor is about the least messy paint there is, so it works on a kitchen table with no drop cloth. And the reveal is the best part, because the kids feel like they made the web appear themselves. A stack of these taped to a window looks like a whole wall of spooky stained glass, and they are sturdy enough to bring back out next year.

Tips for the Best Spider Web Plate

• Uncoated paper plates work best. The shiny coated kind makes the watercolor bead up.
• Use plenty of water on the brush. Watercolor needs to be wet to slide off the glue and show the web.
• Let the paint dry before adding a second color on top, or the colors turn muddy.
• Save the crayon version for kids who want to draw their own. It is a great fine motor challenge.
• Make a few and hang them at different heights in a window with clear tape. Instant Halloween decor.

Looking for more easy Halloween crafts? Try our bubbling cauldron craft next, or make a DIY fabric ghost garland to hang beside your webs.