I find this felt ladybug quite irresistible. She is easy to make, once you've sourced the materials required. This project involves needle felting, which sounds tricky but is really just stabbing wool. However, the "stabbing" should only be done by older children under supervision (or mainly done by the adults). Younger children will spend hours playing with your creation, but cannot participate in the making of it.
Ladybug
The felting needle can be purchased at any craft, wool or fabric store. It has barbs which allow the wool fibres to felt together and is essential for this project. The "roving" (loose sheep's wool) can also be found in most craft, wool or fabric stores.
Time: 15 minutes
Age: Over 10's
Level: Medium
Red roving, felting needle and sponge
1 handful of red "roving" (loose sheep's wool)
Black embroidery thread (or black roving)
Roll your red roving into a fist sized ball.
form the roving into a ball
Place the ball on the sponge and begin poking the felting needle into the ball. The fibres will begin to felt together and it will hold tight after only a few minutes.
Needle felt the black onto the red
When you are happy with the size of your ladybug and satisfied that it will maintain it's shape, take the black embroidery thread and coil it into a tiny spiral, to make spots. Place this onto the red roving and begin poking into the black with your felting needle.
Needle felt the ladybug's spots on
Continue with however many spots you desire, and do the same for the head area.
