Create Spooky Outdoor Halloween Decor With Two Pumpkins and Rebar

12 Materials
$30
3 Hours
Medium

I wanted to one up my neighbors Halloween decor this year and I think I found the perfect way with this project! Using just rebar and a few pumpkins, I created giant pumpkin spiders to rule my lawn on Halloween. This project involves quite a bit of welding so make sure you have all of the necessary protective equipment as well. One of the greatest things about these pumpkin spiders is that once Halloween is over, you simply remove the pumpkins, clean the metal, and store them to be reused the next year! Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how you can make your own!

DIY Pumpkin Spider Halloween Decor


Rebar

Tools and Materials

  • Craft paper
  • Pencil
  • Rebar
  • Manual rebar bender and cutter
  • Ball bearings
  • Disc sander
  • Tape measure
  • Speed square
  • Torch
  • Mallet
  • Welder’s gloves
  • 2 pumpkins
Create a Template
Create a Template



The first thing I did was create a template on some craft paper. Using several images from the internet as reference points, I built a spreadsheet to give me the correct sized spider parts to fit whatever sized pumpkin I ended up using, in essence creating a “Spider-Pumpkin Calculator”. I estimated the sizes of the pumpkins I was going to be using and created the shapes for the body accordingly. I also marked where the joints in the legs were. I would use these marks later to help me know what length to cut my rebar and where to weld them together. 

Bend the Rebar
Bend and Cut the Rebar



Working off of my template, I bent and cut the rebar accordingly. I used a manual rebar bender and cutter tool for this. It makes the work pretty quick and easy.

Cut the Rebar


Cut the Metal

I also used some other metal bars I had lying around. I cut these at equal lengths with a cut-off disc in a right angle grinder. I cut eight equal-length pieces to connect the legs to the body. As I went I lay the pieces out on the template I had drawn up. This would make it easier for me to quickly weld everything together later. 

Lay Out the Pieces


Make the Jaws
Make the Jaws


My random box of nails really came in handy here. I took a long nail and cut off the head. Then I sharpened each end using a disc sander. 

Bend

Then I heated and bent them to create what would later become the jaws of the spider. 

Cut

I cut off the ends which I would later weld onto two ball bearings. I love how organic I managed to make this metal look!

Weld
Weld, Weld, Weld



In my video you can see that I cut all of my pieces and then welded them together. I found that it was easier to cut all of the cutting out of the way, and then I was able to quickly weld everything together. Make sure to practice all safety precautions when using welding tools, gloves and a mask are an absolute must! 

Weld the Leg


Weld the Body

In order to weld the legs at an angle, I propped them up on a piece of rebar two-by-two and welded them in place. 

Weld the Head

I created the head by welding two ball bearings together. Then I welded each of the sharpened jaws I had made before to the front of the ball bearings. 

Put the Spider Together

To weld the legs to the body, I propped up the body on a piece of scrap metal. Then I stood the legs at the angle I wanted and welded them onto the body. In the video I only filmed myself tack welding them, though I did go back later and do a full weld on them as well.

Position the Legs


Add Two Spikes

Finally I welded two sharpened pieces of rebar in the middle. These were made to hold the larger pumpkin in place. 

Add the Pumpkins
Add the Pumpkins



With my metal frame complete, it was time to add the pumpkins! I specifically looked for some of the funkier looking pumpkins as they really add to the effect of the spider overall. I impaled the bigger pumpkin with the two spikes I had placed in the middle of the spider, and then wedged the small pumpkin underneath it.

DIY Outdoor Pumpkin Halloween Decor
DIY Outdoor Halloween Decor


Outdoor Halloween Decor


Voila! A spooky pumpkin spider sure to haunt even the most seasoned trick-or-treater! I made a few of these to decorate my lawn for Halloween and I love how they turned out!

Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 9 questions
  • Bettye Bettye on Jul 31, 2021

    Just a thought, why not spray paint the pumpkins black?

  • Eric York Eric York on Sep 09, 2021

    I have done something similar with rebar but for Xmas any tips to help make the rebar more symmetrical

  • Atrout Atrout on Sep 21, 2022

    That’s great but what if a person dosent weld or have rebar????

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