How to Make a Wire Scorpion

Many view wire as a functional but unimaginative medium, used for connecting and fastening, but not much more. The reality is much different. Using only wire, some snips and a bit of imagination, you can create a myriad of creatures and projects entirely of twisted wire. With many gauges, colors and varieties, the options are endless, starting with this bold and striking wire scorpion.

Things You'll Need

• Wire
• Wire snips

Instructions

Prepare the Wire

1. Cut 14 pieces of wire of the same length. The needed length depends on your gauge and type of wire and you may need to experiment before you find the best length. It's better to err on the side of too long, as you can always snip away the extra when you're finished.

2. Divide the wire into two groups. The first group should have 6 wires, which becomes the head and tail of the scorpion. The second group has 8 wires and becomes the body and legs of the scorpion.

3. Ready the wires for shaping. Make a loop in the middle of each of the 8 wires. Make sure you twist all the loops in the same direction and that the loop ends up in the middle of the wire. Thread the bundle of 6 wires through the 8 loops you just formed. Tighten each of the 8 loops over the bundle of 6 wires, making sure that the loops are close together in the center of the bundle.

Shape the Scorpion

1. Start with the top looped wire, and cross the wire on the left side over the top of the bundle to the bottom of the looped wires on the right side. Wrap it around to the back of the bundle clockwise, so that it is now the bottom left wire. Repeat this process with the top right wire, crossing it over to the left side and wrapping it behind the bundle counter-clockwise.

2. Repeat Step 1 for each side of the remaining 7 looped wires. The crossed wires should resemble a braid on the top side of the body and a series of loops on the belly side of the body.

3. Flip the body so that it is belly side up and form the legs. Separate the looped wires into groups of two. You should have a total of 8 groups of two-with 4 on each side of the body. Tightly twist the two wires until you reach the end. Do this for each group of two, until you have formed 8 legs.

4. Create the tail. Start behind the body and legs and separate one wire from the group of 6. Wrap that wire around the other 5. Once the first is fully twisted, separate another from the bundle and twist it around the remaining 4 wires. Continue in this fashion until only two wires remain in the bundle. Wrap the second wire around half of the remaining wire. Make a bend at the end of the twisted wire and hook it around the last wired to form a triangle for the stinger.

5. Construct the mandibles and pinchers. Divide the remaining end of the bundle of 6 wires into three groups of 2. Twist the right and left group of two to form the arms and leave it partially untwisted to form the pinchers. Leave the remaining two wires untwisted.

6. Cut the legs to the desired length and bend them away from the top of the body. Bend the tail around the top of the body and trim any wire beyond the stinger. Cut the two untwisted wires short and bend them to form the mandibles. Trim the pincers to desired bend and shape the pincers and arms.