FLOWER POT DECOR: FELTED LADY BUG STAKE
Show off your flowers and plants with some fun plant spikes decorated with felt ladybugs. This project uses two felting techniques: 1.) soap and water to create the body of the bug so that it is very compact and 2.) felting needles to add the details of the head and the characteristic spots of the ladybug. Using different techniques together will give you some surprising results and really attractive work.
Here's what you need:
- Towel
- Red and black Merino wool
- Scissors
- Cutting pliers
- Fabric glue
- Bar of mild soap
- Wooden stick about 12” long
- Spool of black 0.4-mm copper wire
- Wool needle
- Bowl with hot water
- Felting foam
- Individual felting needles
- Needle felting tool with a handle
Step 1
With the towel placed under your hands, make the red wool into a felt ball.
Step 2
Take the ball, which is approximately 1.5” in diameter, and slightly modify its shape by pressing with your fingers until it forms a body shape that is slightly flattened on the sides. Leave it to dry.
Step 3
Place the red felt ball base on the felting foam, add a small amount of black wool and attach it using the needle felting tool. This will form the underside of the ladybug.
Step 4
Next, go around the outline of this section using the individual felting needle.
Step 5
Use this technique to add the head of the ladybug. Next, make a strand of black felt
Step 6
Now, add this strand around the head, fixing it with the individual needle. This part will start to look like the head of a ladybug.
Step 7
Use another small strand of black wool to make the central line of the ladybug’s body, jabbing it into the back from the head all the way down the body.
Step 8
Attach the black spots of different sizes, which are so characteristic of ladybugs.
Step 9
Make a hole in the ladybug’s head with a wool needle in the place shown in the picture. Carefully thread a piece of wire right through the hole so that it is poking out on both sides then, shape it with your fingers.
Step 10
Use the scissors to make a cut in the shape of a cross in the stomach of the ladybug and push the sides of it inwards to make a hole.
Step 11
Insert the tip of the tube of fabric glue into the hole and apply a few drop of glue.
Step 12
Lastly, attach the wooden stick and leave to dry completely, as shown in the picture.
Step 13
This tutorial is excerpted with permission from Felting
by Elvira Lopez Del Prado Rivas and published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
