How to make a Paper Mache Ladybug

Creating crafts with children is a creative and enjoyable experience that will teach children fun things and help friends and family bond together. Nature crafts had a lot of fun for children and will help get them away from video games and other electronics. A great project to create with the whole family is a paper mache ladybug.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Water
• Flour
• Balloon
• Red, white, and black paint
• Paint brush
• Tape
• Pipe cleaners
• Knife
• Old clothes and rags
• Pencil

Instructions

Making the body

1. Mix together a bowl of flour and water with two times the amount of water than the flour for the paper mache mix.

2. Cut up newspapers so that you have strips that are around an inch wide and about ten inches long. One whole weekly newspaper should provide enough for two lady bugs, but have extra newspaper ready just in case.

3. Blow up a balloon until it is the roundest that it can be. For a more accurate ladybug, you will want a round balloon instead of an oval one.

4. Tie the balloon and set it gently on the table to avoid popping.

5. Dip the strips of newspaper into the paper mache mix. Make sure that the whole strip is coated and you may want to wear old clothes to prevent any messes on yourself.

6. Start covering the balloon with the strips of paper.

7. Layer the balloon three times with the newspaper.

8. Leave the balloon overnight so that everything will dry and nothing remains moist. Keep it in a spot where the balloon cannot roll off or become damaged.

Decorating your bug

1. Cut the balloon in half the next day. Each half will represent a ladybug and will be semi-hard.

2. Use a dark leaded pencil to draw the outline of what you want to paint on the ladybug. Write numbers for different colors and remember that the head is black with white spots and the body is red with black spots.

3. Paint the red base on first. Do not worry if you paint over spots where you want to paint the ladybug’s spots. These can be easily painted over with black.

4. Paint a black line down the middle of the lady bug to represent the bug’s wings.

5. Paint the end of the ladybug with a pure black to represent the head. After the paint has dried, add in white eyes and a couple of other white spots.

6. Paint on a variety of black spots. Four to five to each side is a good amount to have them evenly spread.

7. Tape on three pipe cleaners to each side of the ladybug to represent their legs. Bend the pipe cleaners in the middle to showcase the flexibility and angle of the ladybug’s leg.

8. Once the paint has dried, you can wear it has a hat, play with it, or even use the ladybug as a nice garden decoration.