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How to Make a Stuffed Ladybug

Stuffed ladybug toys are popular gifts for young children and insect enthusiasts. While stuffed ladybugs can be purchased at many toy stores, making your own allows you to personalize a gift or toy for your child. This is also a great craft project for older children who want to learn how to sew. Make a stuffed ladybug using felt, a sewing machine and a lot of creativity.

Things You'll Need

Red felt
Black felt
Fabric marker
Sewing machine
Thread
Black pipe cleaners
Fabric glue
Straight pins
Batting

Instructions

- 1
  Making a ladybug pattern on a piece of paper. Ladybugs have a large round body and a smaller head with six legs and two antennae. Make the two main portions of the ladybug separately and then sew them together. Make the legs and antennae from felt or black pipe cleaners and then attach them to the body and head. Draw and cut out all portions of the pattern.
- 2
  Stack two pieces of red felt, large enough to accommodate the body portion of your pattern, on top of each other with the wrong side of both pieces facing out. Trace the pattern onto the felt and then cut it out. Be sure to cut through both layers of felt.
- 3
  Stack two pieces of black felt, large enough to accommodate the head portion of your pattern, on top of each other with the wrong side of both pieces facing out. Trace the pattern onto the felt and then cut it out. Be sure to cut through both layers of felt. Do the same with the legs and antennae if you are making them from felt. Save the excess black felt to make the ladybug spots.
- 4
  Pin and sew a 1/4-inch seam around the edges of the body, head, legs and antennae, leaving an opening of about 1/2 inch at one end. Turn all pieces of the ladybug right side out.
- 5
  Cut a few small circles out of the remaining black felt. The circles should be the same size and be proportionate to the body of the ladybug. Cut out as few or as many black circles as you want on the ladybug. Sew these circles onto the body of the ladybug.
- 6
  Insert batting into the body and head of the ladybug until they are full. Use a pencil or small dowel rod to insert the batting into the smaller pieces, including the legs and antennae. Stitch all pieces of the ladybug closed.
- 7
  Attach the head to the body of the ladybug by sewing a small portion of it to the bottom front of the ladybug body. A quarter to 1/2-inch seam should be adequate to attach the head to the body.
- 8
  Attach the legs and antennae to the head and body. If you made the legs out of felt, sew them to the bottom of the ladybug in a row with three on each side. If you're making the legs out of pipe cleaners, attach three pipe cleaners on each side with fabric glue. Attach the antennae to the top of the head; sew them on if you made them out of felt or glue them on if they are made of pipe cleaners.

Plush Toys