It's easy to make a no-sew ladybug costume for yourself or your little one using things you may already have on hand. Create red ladybug wings with black spots from fabric or cardboard and make a simple antennae headband. When you're ready to dress up, just wear the wings over a black shirt and add some details, like a ladybug mask or polka dot makeup. Combine the costume with the antenna headband and have fun!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the wings
Step 1. Draw a large circle on felt or red cardboard
Decide how big you want the ladybug wings to be at their widest point. Next, place red felt fabric or a piece of cardboard on your work surface. Use chalk or a pen to draw the circle on the material you are using.
To make small ladybug wings for kids, it is best to make the circle between 16 and 20 inches (50-60 cm). For an adult, try drawing a 25 to 30 inch (65 to 75 cm) circle
Tip: Keep in mind that felt wings will be more flexible than cardboard ones. If you want sturdier fabric wings, consider gluing 2 layers of felt together before cutting the circle.
Step 2. Cut the circle and then cut it in half
Use sharp scissors to carefully cut out the fabric or cardboard circle. Then you can use a ruler to draw a straight line right in the middle of the circle. Cut the circle in half using the line as a guide.
You will now have 2 circle halves for the ladybug wings
Step 3. If you used cardboard, paint the wings red and let them dry
Dip a paintbrush or roller in red acrylic paint. Cover the cardboard wings so they are completely red. Then let them dry completely. It will take about 1 hour.
- If you used red fabric to make the wings, you can skip this step.
- To make the ladybug wings sparkle, sprinkle some red glitter over the red paint before it dries.
Step 4. Cut out circles from black fabric or cardboard
You can make the circles as big or small as you like for the ladybug polka dots. If you want to make perfectly round circles, place a glass on the material you are using and draw a line around it. Then cut it out and use it as a template to cut out the others.
Make as many circles as you want for the polka dots. You can even make them in different sizes
Step 5. Glue the black polka dots onto the red wings
If you're using fabric, put fabric glue on the black dots before gluing them. To glue black cardboard polka dots onto cardboard wings, use wood glue.
You can paint black polka dots on the wings instead of making them out of fabric or cardboard
Step 6. Glue the wingtips to the top
Smear some fabric or wood glue on the pointed end of 1 wing. Then, place the tip of the other wing over the glue so that they overlap at an angle of about 3 inches (10 cm). This will make them appear to be opening at the bottom. Remember to let them dry completely before putting together the rest of your ladybug costume.
To make the costume more stable, you can use hot silicone to attach the wings
Part 2 of 3: Create a Headband with Antennas
Step 1. Choose a black headband
For a simple look, choose a plain headband that is comfortable. You can also wear a black headband that has swirls or decorative details.
You should use a solid headband, not one made of flexible fabric. This will help the antennas stay in place
Step 2. Screw one end of 2 black pipe cleaners onto the top of the headband
Wrap the bottom 2 inches (5.1 cm) of a long black pipe cleaner around the headband. The rest of the pipe cleaner should stick out of the top of the headband. Do the same with the other pipe cleaner to make the other antenna.
It is recommended to allow 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) between each antenna
Step 3. Tape the pipe cleaners to the headband with black tape
Cut 2 pieces of black duct tape or duct tape and stick them on the pipe cleaners at the base of the headband. The tape will prevent the antennas from slipping.
You can use red ribbon to give the headband a little more color if you prefer
Step 4. Glue a red or black pom pom to the end of each antenna
Heat a glue gun and carefully put some glue on the pom pom. Next, glue the pom pom onto the end of a pipe cleaner to make the end of the antenna. Repeat for the other antenna.
- Be careful when handling the hot silicone as you could easily burn yourself.
- Use pompoms of any size, but be aware that too large they could cause the antennas to fall off.
- You could also use black pom poms if you want completely dark antennae.
Variation: To add a little sparkle to the headband, cover 2 small Styrofoam balls with school glue. Then roll them in red glitter and let them dry before placing them in the pipe cleaners.
Step 5. Twist each antenna to make a flourish if you want wavy antennae
To give the antennae a sense of movement, wrap each one tightly around your index finger to roll it up. Then, take your finger out and gently pull on the pipe cleaner to unwind it a bit.
You can also bend the antennas to make a zigzag pattern
Part 3 of 3: Putting the Costume Together
Step 1. Choose a black shirt and pants
To make the ladybug's red wings stand out quite a bit, it's best to find a black shirt with comfortable black pants or a long-sleeved black leotard with leggings.
- You can choose a red or black dress instead of the leotard or shirt.
- If you want, you can exchange any of the black pieces for something red. You could even cut red circles out of fabric to stick on black clothing.
Step 2. Glue the ladybug wings to the back of the shirt
You can use fabric or wood glue to glue the top 4-5 inches (10-15 cm) of the fabric or cardboard wings to the back of the shirt near the collar. This will let them hang freely. You should let the glue dry for at least 1 hour before wearing the costume.
- If you don't want to wait for the glue to dry, use safety pins to attach the fabric wings to the shirt.
- For a more durable costume, sew the fabric wings onto your shirt fabric.
Tip: If you don't want to make ladybug wings, you can buy them from a store. Tuck your arms through the straps and pull the wings toward your back.
Step 3. Apply moles to your face with makeup
To complete the ladybug look, use makeup or face paint to draw small black and red polka dots on your face. If you want to cover your face more with a design, draw red wings over your eyes and add black polka dots over them.
You can also powder your face with red blush before adding the black polka dots
Step 4. Add a tutu to make a toddler ladybug costume
Young children love the feeling of spinning while wearing tulle. Buy or make a red tutu that you can tie around your little one's waist.
You can make the tutu only red or glue circles of red or black fabric to it to look like polka dots
Step 5. Wear an eye mask covered in polka dots
Buy a simple red eye mask and glue small black dots made of foam rubber over the mask. They will look like ladybug polka dots. If you're short on time, draw the black polka dots with a permanent black marker.