Love Bugs

Hello there =)

While looking for Valentine’s crafts to make this year I came across this sweet pin for love bugs. I knew I needed these little guys in my life.  I can just picture them taking over all the nooks and crannies in my house.  An infestation of cuteness!

If you follow my crafts because of the 30 minute nature of them, let me tell you this.  Depending on how fast you make pom poms and cut hearts, you could make a couple of these in 30 minutes.  OR… you could spend a half hour prepping then another 30 minutes making an army of them =)  You decide. But I must warn you, once you make one, you’ll want a million.

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Supplies & Tools

• Yarn
• Chenille Stems
• Felt
• Wiggle Eyes
• Pom Pom maker – I used the small Clover pom pom maker
• Hot Glue Gun or Super glue
• Wire cutters or sharp scissors

Get as creative or as colorful as you want with these.  I stuck with red, pink, white and purple; warm and Valentine-y.  Note on the glue: I used both super glue and hot glue for this project.  I started with super glue until I ran out then switched to hot glue.  All bugs are holding up regardless of type of glue used.Let’s make some love bugs!

The instructions (and bug part sizes) will be based on the size love bugs I made, roughly 1 1/2 inches.  Adjust your measurements to the size of your pom poms =)

• Using your pom pom maker, whip up a bunch of puff balls.  I used the smallest Clover pom pom maker, yielding a ball about 1 1/2 inches.  No pom pom making tool?  Check out 4 other ways you can make pom poms.
• Cut some chenille stems into approximately 2 inch pieces.  Bend the top of the stem.
• Cut out a bunch of felt hearts.  If you need a template, the 1 3/4 heart from my Heart Felt Wreath template might work.

Just like most of my craft projects, there will be no in action glue shots.  My boyfriend yelled at me, said he would have been the gluing hand model while I took pictures if he had known.  So next time you’re checking out one of my crafts and you see hairy hands… you’ll know what’s going on =)

Back to the love bugs!

We’re just three glue-ings away from the most adorable Valentine ever!

• Apply glue to the pointed half of your felt heart (about half of the heart) and press to the bottom of your pom pom.
• Part your bugs “hair” on the top for a place to stick the antennae.
• Dab glue on the ends of your chenille stems, stick into the pom pom (if possible) and secure by pressing the surrounding yarn around the glue.
• Add your eyes.  I found that these tweezers are a HUGE help.

I will say, the antennae and eyes took a little bit of practice… I do have a few odd looking bugs…  I experimented with tiny black pom poms for eyes too.  By themselves, ok.  In combination with wiggle eyes, pretty scary!

But all in all, adorable right??  They’re like potato chips, you can’t have just one!  Now for the fun part… love bug glamour shots!

Pardon the hot glue strings.  Some of the bugs wouldn’t hold still long enough to let me get them cleaned up before the photo shoot began.

Anyone a Kirby fan?  Far right on the picture right above… see the resemblance? =)

These would be perfect for the kids to give their friends for Valentines, pass out to co-workers or just leave littered all over your kitchen table.

If you make a little love bug, or an army of them, I’d love to see them!  Leave a link to them in the comments.  Your blog, Instagram, Twitter, FB, where ever you share it, share it here too!

---

This post was featured on…