It’s Christmas time and that means there’s plenty of opportunity for crafting activities, either on your own or with the kids. We thought we’d pull together a merry collection of fun Christmas ornament ideas that let you create some adorable bugs to add to your holiday decor.
Why mix Christmas and insects? Maybe you have a child (or adult) who is bug crazy. Or perhaps you’re getting a little tired of making snowflake, reindeer and snowman crafts and simply want to do something a little different this time around!
CHRISTMAS LADYBUG
As insects go, ladybugs are a clear favorite for many people. Their colorful wing casing, called the elytra, certainly make them the most fashionable bug around and a perfect inspiration for crafters.
To make your own ladybug ornament, you will need some red and black foam paper, glue (hot glue gun preferred) and ribbon.
This ornament, adapted from a craft at Parents.com, brings a beautiful bug to your Christmas tree.
- Cut a large 4-inch circle of red foam. You can trace the lip of a cup for the pattern.
- Cut a second, matching circle with black foam. Leave a few strips to create antennas.
- Cut the red circle in half, then cut a small wedge off of each half.
- Create a loop of ribbon and glue it to black foam.
- Glue the large red pieces to the black circle, offsetting and opening them slightly to form the elytra.
- Cut out an even number of small black circles.
- Glue the circles on the elytra.
- Wait for it to dry and you have a ladybug Christmas ornament.
This ornament was adapted from a ladybug pin idea from Parents.com, where you can also find a bee design.
ANT ELVES
Regular elves get all the glory for making toys. Ant Elves, on the other hand, are responsible for making all the decorations. Okay, we just made that up, but these festive decorations will certainly add a touch of whimsy to any Christmas tree.
To make an Ant Elf Ornament, you will need three ping pong balls per ant, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, hot glue, a drill, black craft paint and other festive-colored craft paints.
- Prepare ahead of time by using hot glue to attach three ping pong balls together in a line. Give time for the glue to harden
- With a drill, create two sets of arm holes in the middle ping pong ball.
- Drill a set of leg holes in the bottom ping pong ball.
- Drill a set of antenna holes in the head.
- Paint the head black, attach googly eyes.
- Paint the chest and hips with festive designs.
- Run pipe cleaner through the holes to create antennas, legs and two sets of arms. Trim as needed.
- Attach your Ant Elf Ornament to your tree using their arms and legs.
Ant Elves were loosely adapted from the Ping Pong Ball Monster Craft on the Kids Activities Blog.
JINGLE BELL SPIDERS
OurPeacefulPlanet.com created these Jingle Bell Spiders and they make a fun addition to a Christmas Tree.
Even spiders can get into the Christmas spirit! Make a few dozen Jingle Bell Spiders, and you’ll have quite a unique Christmas tree!
To make a Jingle Bell Spider, you’ll need two different sized jingle bells (1/2-inch and 1/4-inch) of the same color, ribbon, thin craft wire and a festive-colored pipe cleaner. It will look best if your pipe cleaner color matches your jingle bells.
- Prepare ahead of time by using hot glue to attach three ping pong balls together in a line. Give time for the glue to harden.
- Cut pipe cleaner to make four 4-inch long leg pairs.
- Push the legs through the clasp of the large bell and fan them out.
- Push the craft wire through the clasp of the smaller bell.
- Join the two bells by tightly wrapping the wire around the legs.
- Tie a ribbon around the neck area with a neat bow.
- Add to your Christmas tree by wrapping the spider legs around a branch.
Want to know more about this craft? Check it out (and an accompanying poem) at ourpeacefulplanet.com.
YOUR INSECT ORNAMENTS
How did your insect ornaments turn out? Show us your handiwork by visiting us on Facebook and sharing photos of your new creations. If you have any questions about the process of building these ornaments, you can ask us in the comments.
Happy Holidays from the TERRO® team!
