Lovebug Costume

Hunting for cheap Halloween costumes online?  Look no further than this Lovebug Costume, new from Heather Mann.  This is a great costume for a baby and, best of all, you don't need a sewing machine...so this craft is not only cute, it's super fast to make!

Materials:

• 1 piece of red felt, measuring 18-inches by 18-inches
• 2 sheets of black craft felt
• 2 red or black pipe cleaners
• 1 piece of red or black ribbon, measuring 54-inches by ¾-inch
• Hot glue gun
• Chalk
• 1 roll red or black duct tape
• Scissors
• Black t-shirt
• Black pants
• 2 red or black pom-poms (optional)
• 1 headband (optional)
   

Instructions:

1. Make the Ladybug Wing Cape: To make the ladybug wing cape, fold the 18-inch by 18-inch piece of red felt in half. Draw a half-heart shape on the felt with chalk. Be sure the curved part of the heart is facing away from the fold on the fabric. Cut out the heart along the chalk line.
   
   
    
2. Open up the heart shape, and make sure the curves are at the bottom and the point is at the top. Cut the point off, making the top end flat.
   
   
    
3. Hot glue the center of your ribbon 1-inch from the flat top of the lady bug wing cape, then fold over top inch of felt and hot glue it to the ribbon, leaving both ends of the ribbon loose so they can be tied around your child's shoulders—always avoid tying this around your child's neck.
   
   
    
4. Cut several hearts out black felt. Turn cape over and glue black hearts to back in a ladybug spot formation.
   
   
    
5. Make the Antennae: There are several ways to create ladybug antennae for your costume. Create antennae by bending a pipe cleaner in the middle and duct taping the bent part to a headband.
   
   
    
6. Add hearts or pom-poms to ends of the pipe cleaners with hot glue.
   
   
    
7. Alternately, cut a band of felt 1-inch wide and long enough to wrap around your child's head with about 1-inch extra. Hot glue the felt into a headband, and attach a bent pipe cleaner with hot glue. Cover the bent part with a small felt heart. Curl the ends of the pipe cleaner around a pencil.
   
   
    
8. Or, if your child is wearing a hooded sweatshirt as part of her costume, attach two pipe cleaners to the front of the hood with duct tape. Curl pipe cleaners around a pencil, and hot glue hearts or pom-poms to the ends of the pipe cleaner with hot glue.
   
   
    
9. Put the Costume Together: Have your child wear a black, white, or red long-sleeved shirt or turtleneck and black white or red pants.
    
10. Put the antennae on your child's head.
     
11. Secure the cape on your child using the ribbon. It's best to avoid tying anything around your child's neck for safety reasons, so I take each ribbon end and lop it around my child's shoulders, going over his shoulders and then under his armpits so the ribbon ends come out dangling down his back. Then I tie both ends together at his back leaving them loose and giving him plenty of room.