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You'd never guess this charming little ladybug was once a boring brown paper grocery bag! Make one yourself to give to a friend or to hang in your entryway to welcome spring!

You will need

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in dark red, antique white, and black
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
large black and cream gingham button
8-10 small to medium sized black buttons
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue (Tacky glue)
craft wire
pencil
raffia
hot glue gun
black graphite transfer paper

If you make this project we'd love to see it! Just send your photos and comments to the editor and it may get published on this page!

What you do

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then trace the pattern onto the bags using the black graphite transfer paper. Cut it out with the pinking shears.

Beginning at the bottom of the ladybug, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the ladybug as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until ladybug is completely closed.

When the glue is dry, paint the ladybug red, leaving the decorative edges plain as seen in the photo. When the red paint is dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the antique white paint. Test your splattering ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your ladybug. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to splatter spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and splatter some antique white paint on your ladybug.

When the antique white paint is dry, paint the head and center of the ladybug black. Use the fine tip craft pen or marker to draw on "stitches" around the ladybug as seen in the photo.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your ladybug. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the ladybug as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Thread the gingham button with a piece of raffia, thread through both holes. Tie raffia into a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Using white craft glue, position black buttons onto your ladybug as its spots.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the ladybug, though you may if you like.

About the Author
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Subscribe to her free crafting newsletter, Creativity Corner, by sending any email message to crafts-on@mail-list.com or by filling out the form on the left side of this article.