Super simple paper plate ladybug

A jolly, painty craft for little ones, and oh so simple to make.

This paper plate ladybug craft is fun for very young children and makes a great activity as part of a bug or insect theme.

It’s crazy simple to make and uses only a few supplies, most importantly two paper plates.

We used small paper plates for our ladybug, but you could use big ones or in fact a mixture of sizes and have a whole family or ladybugs, big and small.

This one is a painty craft so make sure your child doesn’t embark on it wearing their best clothes (red and black paint are not the easiest colours to get out of fabric – eek!).

Wondering how make this one? Look no further than the step by step instructions below.

What you will need

• 2 x paper plate

• black and red paint

• scissors

• googly eyes x 2

• glue dots (or alternatively glue or tape)

How to make a simple paper plate ladybug

Step 1

Begin by painting both paper plates – one with red paint and one with black.

We used acrylic paint for the plates as it covers well and dries quickly. Of course, whatever paint you use make sure it is non toxic and child-friendly.

Put the paper plates aside to dry.

Step 2

Once dry, cut the red paper plate in half like so:

Young children will need a bit of help here to ensure that their two wings are roughly the same size.

Step 3

Next, cut the top portion of each wing off, like so:

Step 4

Add some dots onto the ladybug’s wings.

For this we used black paint which we applied with a little sponge.

You could also use a black marker, or you could cut out small black circles from paper and glue these on to the wings.

Step 5

Next, it’s time to secure the ladybug’s wings.

For this you only need to attach the wings in one spot, at the top near to the ladybug’s head.

We used glue dots – one dot on each wing. (Glue dots are fast becoming one of my most favourite things. They stick so well and are not messy like glue – we love them!).

Step 6

To finish, add some eyes to your paper plate ladybug.

We went for two googly eyes from our craft box, but two circles of white paper with black pupils drawn on would work just as well.

And that’s it for our super simple paper plate ladybug.

Great for young kids and especially for children who enjoy painty crafts.

If you want to save this paper plate ladybug craft for later, why not pin it?

And if your child likes insects, we also have a snail craft, as well as a bee, and a paper plate spider and web!