This plastic spoon bug craft is SO CUTE! Re-purpose plastic spoons from your recycling to make these adorable plastic spoon bugs. Who knew that painted spoons and other dollar store supplies could turn into such a whimsical and charming craft?!
We’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of making a plastic spoon ladybug, or you can read on to learn how to make a bumblebee! This bug craft looks super cute on display (try setting them in a plant pot!), but they’re also perfect for an insect lesson at school, or for storytime and pretend play. Let’s get buzz-y!
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How to Make Plastic Spoon Bugs
Materials:
Equipment:
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Cut and paint the spoons
- Cut the handles off of 3 plastic spoons. Recycle the handles and keep the rounded spoon parts.(Read below the tutorial if you need help cutting the spoons.)
- Paint the back of one of your spoons with black paint. This will be the body of the ladybug.
- Paint the other 2 spoons red. Allow to dry.
- Use a small paintbrush (or the end of a paintbrush handle) to add small black dots to the red spoons. These will be the ladybug’s wings.Allow to dry.
Step 3: Connect the ladybug pieces
- Add a generous amount of hot glue to the cut end of the black spoon on one side.
- Place one of the wings into the glue, angling it out away from the body a bit.Make sure your spoons are all facing the same direction (the cut ends on the same side).
- Add more glue, partially on top of the first wing. Set the second wing in place so that it slightly overlaps the first and goes out at the opposite angle.
Step 4: Attach the ladybug’s face
- Cut a small black pom pom in half.
- Add a generous amount of hot glue to the flat side of the pom pom.
- Place the glued pom pom at the front of the ladybug, on top of the wings, covering where the handles were cut off.
- Add hot glue to the googly eyes and press them onto the front of the pom pom head.
- Your plastic spoon bug is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Once you cut a pom pom it can fall apart easily, so make sure you cover the whole cut surface with glue.
- Use one of our leaf templates to create a home for your spoon bug! You can trace the template onto green construction paper or felt.
What’s the best way to cut the spoons to make this plastic spoon bug craft?
You should be able to easily cut cheaper, thinner spoons (most white ones) with sharp scissors. But better quality spoons (especially clear ones) probably won’t cut as easily. To remove the handle from more sturdy spoons, you either need to use a handsaw or heat the plastic to make it more malleable.
To heat the spoon, hold a heat gun or blow dryer several inches away from it. Do this for 10 to 20 seconds at a time and then try to cut the spoon. You’ll need to test the amount of heat needed to cut the spoon cleanly. Be sure to have extra spoons on hand, since they can occasionally crack and cut unevenly.
How can I make a bumblebee plastic spoon bug?
The bee spoon bug is made in mostly the same way as the ladybug. To make the bee, use 1 white plastic spoon and 2 clear spoons.
Paint the white spoon yellow and then add black stripes after the yellow paint has dried. Glue on the clear wings next to each other without overlapping them. Then follow the rest of the ladybug tutorial to attach the bee’s head and eyes.
What paint is best for making this plastic spoon bug craft?
We used multi-surface acrylic paint to paint our plastic spoons. It has better coverage than regular acrylic, meaning you should only need 1 coat of paint.
But regular acrylic paint or tempera will also work. You just might need to paint 2 or 3 coats to fully cover your spoon.
Searching for an easy craft that’s as cute as a bug? Look no further than this plastic spoon bug craft! Have fun making a whole swarm of these colourful and cute critters made with recycled materials.
Here’s even more bug craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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