Bug and Insect Crafts for Kids

How to make Bug and Insect Crafts

Bug House Craft for Kids

Bugs have to live somewhere. Why not make them their own house to live in. These are great for children who are interested in studying bugs. After leaving them outside for a season, they can take them apart to see how many bugs have taken up residence in their houses.

What you will need: Paper mache or wooden craft boxes, low temp. hot melt glue gun, acrylic paint, natural items that bugs would like.

Some items we used: a gourd cut in half, pinecones, reeds, curled up bark, dried apple slices, dried moss, pine needles, Sycamore tree ball, dried berries, and acorn caps.

How to make:

1. Collect the materials you think bugs might like to live in. Bugs like to hide in holes so find things that have lots of holes or can be arranged so that they create cozy spaces.

2. If you would like to make a roof for your house, cut the lid of the box in half and glue it together to make the roof of the house. You don't have to make a roof. You can glue several boxes together to make a condo or apartment building.

3. If you live in a wet area, you may want to paint the box and then cover it with a clear acrylic paint so that it won't fall apart when it rains. Or you can place it in a dry place where it won't get wet.

4. Arrange the materials you have collected in the box. Group similar objects and shapes. Use low temp. glue to secure the objects in place. For a more pleasing arrangement try not to place everything in the same direction, vary the sizes and shapes or your objects, and group similar objects together. Use different colors of objects if you have them.

5. After your house has sat out side for a season, carefully take it apart and see how many different inhabitants there are, or watch to see how many insects or spiders exit and enter it.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

Styrofoam Ant Craft

What you will need:  2 - 2 1/2" Styrofoam eggs, 1 1/2"" Styrofoam ball, 4 pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, black or red acrylic paint, and toothpicks (the large type)
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make:

1. Poke two toothpicks halfway into the big end of both egg shapes. Press the ball onto one egg shape and then press the other egg shape onto the other end of the ball shape.

2. Paint the ant with black or red acrylic paint.

3. When the paint is dry cut the pipe cleaners in half, save two halves for the antennae. Fold the other halves in half and twist the ends around each other. Insert the folded pipe cleaners (pointy ends into the Styrofoam) into the middle of the body for legs. Fold them to look like ant legs. Insert the reserved half pipe cleaners into the head and glue on eyes.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

Learn more about ants at About.com Guide to Family Crafts - You'll find links to sites that tell you how to make an ant hill, ant recipes, ant activities, educational pictures, coloring sheets, more ant crafts and directions on how to make your own ant farm.

©2007, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Bee Crafts

Go to the Bee Crafts and Activities Page

Dragon Fly Bug Craft for Kids

What you will need: Jumbo craft sticks, 2" oval wooden piece, 1 1/2" oval wooden piece, 1/2" or 3/4" round wooden pieces for the eyes (fun foam shapes can be substituted), paint, glitter paint, clear packaging tape or clear contact paper, black permanent marker, glue.
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make:

1. Paint all the wooden pieces and set them aside to dry.

2. Print out the dragon fly wing pattern.(Printing Problems?)Put two pieces of tape or contact paper sticky sides together.  Place the tape on top of the wing pattern and trace them onto the tape.  Make two of each pattern. Cut the wings out. When your paint is dry glue the wings to the top of the jumbo craft stick with the larger wings on top as shown.

3. Glue the large oval over the wings. 

4. Glue the eyes on each side of the small oval and then glue that piece onto underside of the large oval.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Dung Beetle Refrigerator Magnet Craft 

What you will need: Black pipe cleaners, foam eggs, small black pompoms, tiny beads, computer paper, black Sharpy markers or black acrylic paint, and tacky glue.
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

1. Cut pipe cleaners into 2 1/2" pieces and cut the foam egg in half lengthwise.

2. Give each child half a foam egg, six pipe cleaner pieces, and a black pompom.

3. Have them stick the pipe cleaners into the bottom of the foam egg and bend them up for the legs, and then glue the black pompom on one end of the egg for the head, and glue beads on for eyes.

4. To finish, paint the beetle with black paint or use black Sharpy markers.

Learn more about Dung Beetle with the Bug Buddies Study on Dung Beetles - Go to the Bug Buddies Study Page.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Grasshopper - Locust Crafts for Kids

1. Grasshopper, Cricket, or Locust Craft - Print out the pattern, color and cut out to make this cute 3-D grasshopper. This craft was designed to go along with the Bible lesson "Grasshoppers and Giants' about the spies going into Canaan. (Available to members only.)

2. Grasshopper Pompom Craft for Kids

What you will need: two green pompoms, one slightly smaller than the other, green or black pipe cleaners, glue, and tiny googly eyes.

How to make:

1. Glue the two pompoms together.

2. Cut the pipe cleaner in to 6, one-inch lengths and bend them to form the legs. Glue them to the large pompom as shown in the picture.

3. Cut another piece of pipe cleaner two inches long, fold it in half, and glue it to the head for the antennae.

4. To finish glue two tiny eyes to the head.

This craft was designed to go along with the Bible lesson "Grasshoppers and Giants' about the spies going into Canaan. Children throw the grasshoppers onto a game board and answer Bible lesson review questions.

Walking Stick Bug Craft for Kids

What you will need: Sticks, brown or tan pipe cleaners, eyes.
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make: 

1. Fold 3 pipe cleaners in half.  Place a pipe cleaner on the stick at the fold. Wind the pipe cleaners around the stick by bringing the ends of the pipe cleaners around each other and twisting.  Bend the legs so that one joint comes up over the stick.  Make two more bends in the pipe cleaner.  Do this for the other two sets of legs.

2. To make the antennae fold a pipe cleaner in half.  Put it over the head end of your bug.  Wind the pipe cleaner around the tip of the stick to make the head.

3. Glue on eyes.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

"All About Walking Stick Bugs" Book Craft

This craft and learning activity is great to use in lap books. Children glue sticks on the cover of the book to make a walking stick bug and then write about walking sticks inside.

This craft is available in the "Bug Buddies Study" - Christian Home School Materials about God's Amazing Little Creatures".

This set of lessons introduces children to amazing insects. Each lesson emphasizes a Biblical concept relating it to a specific bug, and encourages children to learn more about bugs.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

 

Sticks and Things Bug Craft

Collect dried leaves, flowers, sticks, stones, seeds, shells, acorns, etc. that you can use to make bugs. Glue the pieces together on a piece of 5" x 5" card stock. Aleene's Tacky glue works very well for this project.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Bug Buddies Studies

Bug Buddies Studies is a Christian-based set of studies that introduces children to a variety of amazing insects.

Praying Mantis Insect Craft for Kids

What you will need: Card stock, markers or crayons, tape and glue, scissors
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make:

1. Print out the body pattern for the praying mantis and the feet and wing pattern. (Printing Problems?)

2. Color the patterns and then cut them out.

3. Fold the mantis' head down away from you at the straight dotted line B and then unfold.  Fold the Mantis' neck up at the dotted line D and then unfold.  Fold the mantis body  in half lengthwise.

4. With the Mantis folded in half long ways. Fold line A towards you and then away from you and then unfold. Unfold the Mantis about half way.  While pressing in on line B press down on the Mantis nose so that line A goes up over line B. With the Mantis folded in half length ways.  Fold line C and line D back and then forward and then unfold. Unfold the Mantis part way lengthwise.  While folding line B up again press line D up to line C and press the Mantis together lengthwise. 

5. Glue the Mantis' legs onto the body as shown in the picture. For extra stability you can cut extra legs and glue them together to make them stronger. Fold the Mantis wing in half and glue it to the top of the Mantis' body. Cut out antennae and glue them to the head.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Ladybug Crafts

Ladybug Crafts for Kids - Go to the Ladybug Crafts Page for craft and Activities

You will find a ladybug rock craft, ladybugs with moveable wings craft, and crafts and activities to go with Eric Carle's book, The Grouchy Ladybug,

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

 

3D Paper Goliath Beetle Craft

This beetle is fairly simple to make using only 6 parts - a circle for the thorax, two wing patterns, the under part of the beetle and its legs, and then two forelegs. It is made from card stock (Heavy paper) and construction paper. After assembling the bug children can paint it to look like a Goliath Beetle, and add pompom eyes. This craft is available to members only.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Changing Colors Golden Tortoise Beetle Paper Craft

What you will need: Computer paper, glue, gold and red crayons, scissors, and black paper
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make:

1. Draw a large circle on a piece of paper and add eyes, head, and wings to make a beetle (see picture above). Make an exact copy. Color one beetle red and the other gold. Draw another circle the same size onto white computer paper. (Printable patterns for this craft are available to members.)

2. Cut the beetles and the white circle out.

3. Fold the colored beetle patterns in half so that the right side is inside, then glue the patterns back-to-back, wrong sides together, the right side of yellow beetle to the back of the left side of the red beetle.

4. Cut out antennae and legs and glue them onto the white circle. Glue the left side of the yellow pattern and the right side of the red pattern onto the bottom pattern. When you flip over one side of the beetle it will turn a different color.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Mosquito Craft for Kids

What you will need: Black poster board, card stock paper, pipe cleaner, milky pens, paper clasps, hole punch
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

How to make:

1. Print out the free pattern (Printing Problems?)onto card stock. Cut out the body and head from black poster board. Glue the head onto the body. Cut the wings out and punch a hole where indicated.  Punch holes in the body where the x's are.

2. Feed one pipe cleaner through the top left hole from front to back and then into the top right hole from the back to front.  Pull the pipe cleaner half way through so that the legs are even. Fold the legs as shown in the picture.  Do the same thing with the next to set of holes.  Attach the wings where indicted with two paper clasps so that the wings will move.

3. Draw the eyes.

4. Fold half a pipe cleaner in half to form the antennae and tape them to the back of the head. Punch a hole for the proboscis and feed a pipe cleaner through the hole wind it around itself and cut it to the length you would like.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2008, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Inchworm Crafts for Kids

Go to the Butterfly Craft Page for lots of Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Inchworm crafts .

©2007, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Paper Chain Butterfly Craft for Kids

A fun project that even very small children can help with. My child's response to seeing her first paper chain was "Wow!" © Carolyn Warvel

What you will need: Paper (any type colored paper or plain paper) We used standard typing paper, Scissors (a good pair since you will be cutting at least  4 layers at once), Paint, markers, crayons etc. (optional) and tape.
Shop for Craft Supplies at S&S Worldwide

 How to make:

1. Paint the paper with finger paints by putting dabs of color on the paper and folding over the  paper to make a pretty pattern. (Small children as young as one year old will have fun with this step. Let the paper dry. Or use crayons or markers to decorate the paper.

2. Fold the paper in half from the long end. Unfold. Use the fold as a guide to fold the paper in a fan pattern with 4 equal sections.

3. Print out the free butterfly (pattern) (Printing Problems?)and use tracing paper to copy it to the folded paper. (The pattern should fit on 3 times).

4. Cut out the butterflies remembering to leave the tip of the wings attached. Tape the 3 chains together to make one long chain.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2004, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

Butterfly Magnet with a Dry Erase Board for the Refrigerator

This craft is available through Oriental Trading Company. All the supplies are precut and packaged into separate projects. Type in 48/2539 in the search box to find this craft. It costs $6.00 to make 12 butterflies. about 50 cents each. I provided other foam pieces so the children could make theirs different if they wanted to.

Bug Feelers and Bug Eyes Head Band

What you will need: Construction paper, pipe cleaners, tape, stapler, pompoms with holes in them, paper, markers or crayons, scissors, and glue.

How to make:

To make the headband cut a piece of construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold each piece in half lengthwise.  Unfold the pieces and fold the sides in to meet the center fold.  Unfold the halves and tape them together to make a long band.  Fold them back up. Fit the bands to each child's head and staple them. You may have to add another piece for older children. Cover the staples with tape so that the staple don't scratch the children's head.  Show the children how to wind a pipe cleaner around a pencil to make it into a spring shape.  Let the children pick out two pompom balls. Place a small amount of glue at the end of the pipe cleaner and push it through the pompoms. Staple the feelers inside the band.  Let the children draw eyes on a piece of paper and cut them out and then tape them to the band.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

©2004, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information

 

More Bug Crafts on The Resource Room

The Resource Room is designed for Sunday School teachers and home school parents.  All of the crafts on The Resource Room are biblically based .  Most of the crafts go along with one of the Bible lessons found on The Resource Room.  All the crafts were designed for preschool and elementary age children. All the crafts are original and inexpensive which are great for home school use and large groups such as Sunday school classes and vacation Bible school.

 

 Bee Crafts

Plaster of Paris Bee Magnet craft - made from pompom, wooden pieces and plastic spoon as a mold to make the body.

 

 

Bee made from craft spoon and wooden hearts.

 

Bee and Flower Mobile.

 

Caterpillar to Butterfly Folder Paper Craft

This picture looks like a picture of a caterpillar when you look at it from one direction and a butterfly when you look at it from another direction.

"Everything God has Made is Good" Spider and Spider Web - This little spider is holding the Bible verse "And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good." to remind children that even spiders and other slimy, scary animals are good.

Bug Crafts on other Pages:

Spider Bag Puppet Craft

Milk Jug Spider Craft

Ladybug Candy Holder Craft

Lady Bug Plant Stake Craft

 

Insect Crafts on Other Sites

Create a Bug Mask on TrustTerminix.com. Print out the mask pieces, color and glue together. You will also find interactive games such as Create-a-bug and Swarmer Slider Puzzle, coloring sheets, an ant maze, and bug word searches.

Praying Mantis Printout from Enchanted Learning.

Insects Made from Leaves, Sticks and other Natural Items from the University of Kentucky Entomology Web Site.

Caterpillar Turns into a Butterfly - Cut and fold paper craft.

Eric Carle Web Site - There are lots of craft and activity ideas here that go along with his books such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar, "The Grouch Ladybug", "The Very Busy Spider", "The Very Lonely Caterpillar, and"The Very Quiet Cricket".