A popular ladybug craft for younger children is the ladybug paper plate. This gives them a lot of practice cutting out the circles that fill the bug’s body. First have the child color the back of the paper plate red. Use black construction paper to cut out a large circle for the head and small circles for the back. Glue the circles to the back of the plate and then glue the large circle for the head. For the finishing touch, glue two squiggly eyes (found at craft stores) to the head.
Making a lovebug statuette is easy for very young children just learning how to use scissors. Give each child an empty bathroom tissue roll for the body of the lovebug. They may paint the roll or cover it with thin pink paper. Have each child cut two hearts from pastel colored construction paper for the wings and glue one on each side of the body. The children may use crayons or paint to draw the face of the lovebug at the top of its body. Give them each two pipe cleaners for the antennae. If the statuettes are for Valentine’s Day, they could write a Valentine message on the hearts before they glue them to the lovebug's body. Let them cut out small hearts or use glitter to decorate their lovebugs however they want.
The approach of Halloween is a good time to start on a ladybug costume. Dress the child in black leggings and a black turtleneck. Cut a red poster board into a wide oval for the ladybug shell and cut a narrow triangular shape at the bottom of the oval, maybe 5 inches, to give the impression of two wings. Glue black spots to the red poster board. To make the wings curve inward like a ladybug's wings, cut perpendicular lines in a few places on the outside edges. Place one edge of the cut over the other and glue it. Secure it with a clip until it dries. Use pipe cleaners hooked under a headband for the antennae. Some ladybug costume patterns offer ideas for the bug’s extra legs and stiff breastplate. You can also hook fishing line from the child’s wrists to the wings to simulate flight.
This craft doesn’t take any cutting, but it does take some gluing or tacking. Choose a beanie, visor or any kind of brimless hat that would be easy to decorate. A visor worn upside down makes a very cute love bug. Visit a craft store for a pair of squiggly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms and foam hearts (the backs peel off so they can be tacked on). Glue a pom-pom on each of the pipe cleaners for antennae and glue them onto the hat. Glue the squiggly eyes and stick the foam hearts on the hat to decorate it as you want.