Create these cute ladybugs for your yard! This DIY Ladybug Garden Art tutorial uses outdoor paint, beads and plastic bowls to create a unique addition to your garden!
Looking for cute garden art you can make for your yard? These ladybug garden ornaments are a unique craft you can make! I love creating DIY yard art for our garden and these ladybugs add so much color and whimsy to our garden beds.
Each ladybug is made from a plastic bowl! They were sold as a four pack in the summer patio section of our local grocery store last year. Each bowl was less than $1! I used my favorite outdoor paint, Patio Paint by DecoArt, and beads from my daughter’s bead kit! She was nice enough to share 😉
Update: This will be the fourth summer of displaying my ladybugs outside and much to my delight they are still going strong! Before setting them out this summer I gave them a paint touch up – the color of the green and blue bowls faded a bit so I ended up painting those areas. One ladybug lost a leg so I fixed that up too.
The ladybugs are in a garden bed that gets direct sunlight and is not sheltered from the rain. I bring them inside when we have high wind warnings but otherwise I leave them out all summer long.
Below is the tutorial for creating your own cute ladybug yard art. They are a great project to do outside if you have an outdoor table or space to sit. If you are interested in making other garden art projects for your yard, check out some of my other DIY garden projects!
Ladybirds, also called ladybugs are familiar and beloved insects that brighten up spring and summer days. Their round bright red bodies dotted with black spots make them so recognizable. Ladybirds are fun to spot crawling on leaves and flowers in the garden. Their unique appearance also makes them a popular subject for kids’ crafts and activities.
Making a simple ladybird craft is a great rainy day project to do with your children. With just a few common household supplies, you can create a cute ladybird that really looks like the real thing. This easy kid craft project helps build creativity and fine motor skills. Keep reading for a complete step-by-step tutorial on how to make an adorable paper ladybird that your kids will love playing with.
Supplies Needed
To make a cute ladybird craft, you will need:
- Red construction paper or cardstock
- Black construction paper or cardstock
- Googly eyes or black circles cut from paper
- Glue (white school glue or craft glue)
- Scissors
- Black marker
Optional:
- Wiggly eyes
- Pipe cleaners
- Glitter
The key supplies are just paper, scissors, glue and googly eyes or paper circles. But feel free to get creative with additional decorations! Gather all your materials together before starting the project.
Step 1: Cut Out the Body From Red Paper
Take a sheet of red construction paper or cardstock. Cut out a large oval shape that will form the ladybird’s body. Make your oval about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide, but the size can vary depending on the final size you want for your ladybird. Cut carefully along the outline.
Set the red oval aside when finished cutting it out This will be the base for your ladybird,
Step 2: Cut Out Spots From Black Paper
Now take a sheet of black construction paper or cardstock, Cut out circles of different sizes to represent the spots on the ladybird Aim for circles between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch across Cut out 6 to 10 spots total, Make some bigger and some smaller for variety,
Cut carefully around each circle. Set aside the finished black spots when done.
Step 3: Arrange the Spots on the Ladybird’s Body
Take the red oval ladybird body and arrange the black spots on top in a ladybird pattern. Space the spots out evenly over the body. Vary the sizes and turn some so they look like ovals rather than circles.
When you have the spots arranged how you want them, carefully lift them off and set them aside for gluing in the next step.
Step 4: Glue the Spots in Place
Working with one spot at a time, add a dot of glue to the back and press it gently onto the red oval body in the desired position. Continue gluing on each of the black spots, using just a small amount of glue. Take care when pressing them on so they remain circles and don’t get distorted.
If the spots slide around, let the glue dry a bit before moving on. Apply very light pressure as you add the spots.
Step 5: Add the Face
To make the ladybird’s head, you’ll need two googly eyes or circles cut from black paper. Glue them on the narrower top portion of the red oval, spaced close together.
You can also draw on a face with a black marker instead of using googly eyes. Make two oval eyes connected with a curved line to form a sweet ladybird smile.
For antennas, take two small strips of black paper and glue or tape them on, pointing up from the head area. Or use short pieces of pipe cleaner for curly antennas.
Step 6: Finish Decorating (Optional)
Here are some ideas for optional decorative touches to finish your ladybird:
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Add white glue designs on the back wings for details. Let dry completely.
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Sprinkle glitter over the wet glue before drying for a sparkly effect.
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Glue on wiggly eyes instead of flat paper circles for fun texture.
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Use a marker to draw lines on the back to divide the wings.
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Attach a string or pipe cleaner loop to hang your ladybird up.
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Give your ladybird a name! Write it on the back or underneath with marker.
Use your creativity to add any other decorations you think would look cool. Then set the ladybird aside and allow the glue to dry fully before playing.
Ladybird Craft Variations
Once you get the basics down, you can try these fun variations on the ladybird craft:
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Make a giant poster-sized ladybird by tracing around a plate on red paper for the body.
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Craft it from red foam or felt instead of paper for a textured effect.
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For a zig-zag edge, cut the wings out with patterned scissors.
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Stick on pom poms for textured spots instead of paper circles.
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Create a fuzzy ladybird using felt or fuzzy fabric for the body.
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Make a folded ladybird with cardstock and only decorate the top wing.
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Use printable ladybird templates or stencils for perfect circular bodies.
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Stack two body ovals and glue together for a 3D effect.
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Punch holes around the edges and add a yarn antennae.
The options are endless for putting your own spin on the classic paper ladybird! Craft multiples in different sizes and colors.
Ladybird Craft Projects and Activities
Once your ladybird is complete, here are some fun ideas for using it:
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Act out story adventures with your ladybirds
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Make a ladybird habitat from sticks, leaves, rocks in a shoebox
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Play ladybird counting games
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Use them for sorting activities by size, color, etc.
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Create printed fact cards and sort which ladybird matches each bug fact
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Set up a ladybird picnic or tea party with favorite toys
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Make an observation journal to record ladybird sightings outside
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Read books and sing songs about ladybirds for storytime
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Help teach kids to be gentle and care for their paper pets
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Create a ladybird finger puppet with a clip on the back
Ladybirds lend themselves to all sorts of imaginary play and learning activities for toddlers and young children. Those bright colors and cute spots appeal to kids of all ages, so they make perfect playtime companions.
Ways to Take Your Ladybird Craft Outdoors
Here are some ways to use your finished ladybird crafts for outdoor play and learning:
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Tie yarn to ladybirds and take them for walks around the yard and garden. Watch where they crawl!
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Make leaf or stick pens to keep your ladybirds in outside. Search for real ladybirds to join them.
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Place them on flower petals or leaves. Photograph them interacting with nature.
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Hide them around the yard and hold a ladybird hunt, giving clues where to search next.
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Use magnifying glasses to compare paper ladybirds with live ones found in your garden.
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Look under leaf litter and rocks to find places ladybirds might hide in nature.
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Dig up some dirt and pretend your ladybirds are exploring. Talk about what real bugs need to live.
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Observe how ladybirds move. Do your paper ones walk the same way?
Let those imaginations soar outdoors as you observe real ladybirds in nature!
Ladybird Science Lessons
Making and playing with paper ladybirds provides lots of learning opportunities about these special insects:
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Read about the ladybird life cycle and make models of each stage. Act it out!
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Learn about what ladybirds eat like aphids. Make pretend aphid snacks from play dough.
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Study the different body parts of a ladybird like head, thorax, wings, legs, antennae.
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Find out why spots and red color help protect ladybirds in nature.
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Conduct sink or float tests with your ladybirds to explore density.
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Observe how wings open and close. Fold paper models to demonstrate.
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Learn how ladybirds help gardens by eating harmful pests without damaging plants.
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Research different ladybird species and the variety of spots, like nine spots or thirteen spots.
The hands-on learning possibilities with your homemade ladybird friends are nearly endless! The simple process of creating them helps build fine motor, counting, spatial, and creativity skills too.
Top Ladybird Craft Tips
Follow these tips for making the best paper ladybirds:
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Use bright, vivid red paper for an eye-catching ladybird. Construction paper works better than thinner paper.
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Cut black spots from textured black craft foam instead of plain paper for a more dimensional effect.
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Start with bigger oval bodies for younger kids’ first ladybirds to make decorating easier.
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Draw on antennae and faces with marker instead of gluing for less messy projects.
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Laminate finished ladybirds between contact paper to make them reusable and wipeable.
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Remind kids to cut carefully and only do steps requiring scissors with adult help.
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Start with just 3-5 spots for younger preschoolers. Older kids can handle up to 10 spots more easily.
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Allow plenty of time for the glue to dry fully before playing with the finished ladybird.
Following these tips will ensure you end up with cute ladybirds that your kids will treasure. The best part is displaying their finished creations to show pride in their work!
With just a bit of red paper, some black spots, and googly eyes, you can make darling ladybird friends! Keep those imaginations and ladybirds soaring as you explore the wonderful world of these beloved backyard bugs.
DIY Ladybug Garden Art
Step One: Drill holes and paint the bowls! Drill 9 holes into each bowl. 6 for the legs, 2 for the antennae and 1 on the top for hanging. Mark the holes with a Sharpie first. For the legs, drill 3 holes on either side of the bowl that are spaced about 1″ apart. You can wait to add the holes for the antenna until after you have painted the face if that helps with placement.
I purchased a four pack of plastic bowls that came with blue, teal, yellow-green and white bowls. Since I wanted to make a red and black ladybug, I decided to paint the white bowl red using red outdoor acrylic paint. It helped to use a sealer first so the paint adhered to the bowl. It took several coats of paint to get an opaque color. I used the blue and yellow-green bowl in colors they came!
*Four years later and the color of the blue and green bowls faded whereas the areas I painted still look good. I painted over the faded areas with green and blue Patio Paint and they look good as new!
Paint a large half-circle in black paint for the face of each beetle.
Once the face is painted, add a line down the center of the bowl to separate the beetle’s wings.
Next, add spots and then finally paint eyes and a smile for the face.
How To Draw A Cartoon Ladybug
FAQ
How to make a ladybird easy?
- Using a hole punch, punch a hole at the top of both wings and in the black paper plate in the middle of the neck. …
- Use a split pin to attach the wings to the ladybird’s body, and glue on a pair of googley eyes. to the head.
How to make a ladybug a home?
Comments Section Look up which flowers and plants the ladybugs like and put several pots with those plant inside your home. Best idea would be to plant ladybug plants outside on your property or balcony and put all ladybugs you find in your home back outside. There no food, water, shelter in your house for ladybugs.
What turns into a ladybird?
Ladybirds lay eggs on plants, usually near aphids or similar infestations. Baby ladybirds are called larvae – they hatch from eggs after 3-4 days. Larvae turn into adult ladybirds after about 3 weeks. Ladybird habitats provide refuge all year round.