Learn how to make cute love bug pom-pom crafts (with DIY or ready-made pom-poms) for Valentine’s Day with the easy step-by-step instructions and video tutorial below.
Learn how to make Valentine’s day stickers with these adorable pom pom love bug craft tutorials for kids and adults. There are two different ways to make a love bug pom pom craft; either make a homemade pom-pom with yarn and a fork or use pre-made craft poms to make these cute little love bugs for Valentine’s Day! Scroll down for the step-by-step instructions, complete with a video tutorial, for both types of love bug craft ideas. You may also enjoy making fingerprint love bug cards and the other love bug crafts on THIS list.
Love Bug Pom Pom Craft Ideas
Instead of passing out Valentine’s day cards, my daughter gave each kindergarten classmate a pom-pom love bug craft with a personalized fabric gift tag. They were a huge hit. Just look at how cute her love bugs turned out in the photographs for this craft tutorial.
As mentioned above, there are two easy ways to make love bug pompom crafts. One method uses pre-made craft poms, while the other uses homemade poms made with yarn and a fork. First, we share how to make pom-pom love bug stickers with pre-made craft poms. Next, we describe how to make DIY pom-pom love bug crafts with a fork and yarn.
Both types of love bug pom-pom craft ideas are pictured in this post. After making a total of 48 love bugs, my daughter and I have a lot of tips to share! We even included a video tutorial to make it easier to make lots of love bugs for Valentine’s Day. You might also enjoy this list of Valentine’s Day crafts kids can make or Valentine’s Day art projects.
What is a pom pom?
A pom-pom is a tuft of fibrous material that comes in various colors and sizes. Store-bought craft poms are most often made out of acrylic or poly material. However, wool pom-poms can also be needle felted. And pre-made wool pom-poms are also available for purchase.
Homemade DIY poms can be made in various ways with almost any kind of yarn. We like to make pompoms with cotton or wool, but acrylic yarn also works great. In this Valentine’s Day craft tutorial, we share how to use a fork to make homemade craft poms, but you can choose several other methods.
Love Bug Craft Supplies
- Pre-made craft poms or make them with a fork and yarn (cotton, wool, acrylic, or a blend). Instructions for each method are written below and shown in the video tutorial.
- Scissors
- Pipe cleaners
- Foam heart stickers (we used THESE, or try THESE), or you can use regular foam hearts, but the love bug crafts won’t be stickers.
- Black and white or colored googly eyes
- Glue gun with glue sticks, white craft glue
- Personalized fabric gift tag (optional)
How to Make Love Bug Stickers with Pre-made Craft Poms
Here’s a love bug Valentine craft tutorial for preschoolers and up that shares how to make a love bug pom-pom craft with pre-made craft poms, as shown in the photograph below. Encourage children (or adults) to make love bugs in different colors, shapes, and sizes for even more fun! Read through the instructions before making love bug crafts, so you know the steps involved and what to expect. Or scroll down to see how to make lovebugs with homemade poms.
1. Glue a pom-pom to the top of a foam heart sticker.
- Craft poms and foam heart stickers come in a variety of sizes. Mix and match the colors and sizes of pom-poms in any way that works to make love bug crafts.
- Use a glue gun with glue sticks, craft glue, or glue dots to attach a pom-pom to the top of a foam heart sticker. Glue guns are hot and dangerous tools, while craft glue needs time to dry. Choose the best glue for your needs.
- Optional: Attach a personalized fabric gift tag underneath the pom-pom when you glue it to the foam heart sticker. Gift tags make it easy to hand out love bugs to classmates and friends without needing a card to go with it. (Please note: This step is not shown in the love bug video tutorial.)
2. Cut, bend, and glue a section of pipe cleaner to the top of the pom-pom.
- First, cut a section of pipe cleaner and bend it into a “V” shape.
- Next, use fingers to gently separate the fibers on the top of the craft pom to make room for the pipe cleaner to sit, as shown in the video.
- Then, use a glue gun with glue sticks, craft glue, or mini glue dots to attach the pipe cleaner to the top of the pom-pom.
3. Glue googly eyes onto the Valentine’s Day love bug craft.
- Glue black and white or colored googly eyes onto the face of each love bug pom-pom craft.
4. Twist each love bug’s antennae to position it.
- Grab the tip of each pipe cleaner and twist it down to create the antenna for the love bug crafts.
Pom-Pom Love Bug Craft Step-By-Step Video Tutorial
Watch the video to see two ways to make pom-pom love bug crafts with a store-bought pom-pom as described above or with DIY pom-pom crafts. Instructions for love bugs with homemade craft poms are posted below the video tutorial.
Related: Valentine’s Day Crafts and Gifts Kids Can Make
How to Make DIY Pom-Pom Love Bug Crafts with Homemade Poms
The next step-by-step love bug Valentine craft tutorial shares how to make pom poms with a fork and yarn. I like making love bugs with homemade poms the best because DIY craft poms make it easy to attach the antenna of the love bugs without any glue. Use the love bug pom-pom craft tutorial below to learn how to make adorable little love bug stickers with DIY pompoms.
1. Start by Making a DIY pom-pom with a fork and yarn.
- Homemade love bug pom-pom crafts can be made in various ways with almost any kind of yarn.
- Use multiple strands of yarn, or variegated yarn, to make love bugs with multiple colors.
- Follow the step-by-step directions below to make homemade pom-poms.
How to make a pom-pom love bug craft with an attached antenna:
- Cut a strand of yarn and place it between the 2nd and 3rd tine of a fork. (This step is shown in the love bug video tutorial above.)
- Gather the tip of one or two strands of yarn still attached to a yarn ball in one hand.
- Place the strands of yarn on top of and across the fork tines.
- Wrap the strand(s) of yarn around the fork over and over and over again until you have a nice thick pad of yarn.
- Set the fork wrapped with yarn onto a table or work surface and snip off the excess yarn.
- Cut a 2-5 inch section of pipe cleaner and fold it into a “V” shape.
- Place the tip of the “V” shaped pipe cleaner into the yarn to sit deep in between the wrapped yarn. (shown in the video tutorial)
- Grab the yarn section between the tines of the fork and wrap it around the pad of yarn.
- Next, tie the yarn tightly together while ensuring that the two pipe cleaner antennae sections are on either side.
- Carefully slide the pad of yarn off the fork’s tines and turn it over.
- Then make another knot to secure the yarn in place.
- Use scissors to cut the loops of yarn into a pom-pom.
- Give the pom-pom a haircut. Trim it with scissors so that the yarn is all approximately the same length.
- Wiggle the yarn around as you work to make it into a nice fluffy ball of yarn with a cute pair of love bug antennas sticking out of the top.
- Twist the pipe cleaner to look like a bug’s antenna.
2. Glue each homemade yarn pom-pom to the top of a foam heart sticker.
- Use a glue gun with glue sticks or craft glue to attach the handmade pom-pom to the top of the foam heart stickers.
- Optional: Attach a personalized fabric gift tag underneath the pom-pom when you glue it to the foam heart sticker. (A fabric tag attached makes it easy to hand out love bug crafts to family and friends for Valentine’s Day.)
3. Glue googly eyes onto the face of each pom-pom love bug craft.
- Glue black and white or colored googly eyes onto the face of each love bug pom-pom craft.
- Aren’t the love bugs we made cute?!
Pom-Pom Love Bug Valentine Craft
This adorable pom-pom love bug craft idea makes a great gift idea for Valentine’s Day! Instead of passing out Valentine’s Day cards last year, my daughter gave each classmate a pom-pom love bug sticker with a personalized fabric gift tag.
The Valentine’s Day gift tag read, “Handmade with love by___________. Happy Valentine’s Day!” Of course, her name was in the black space; substitute your own! We hope you enjoy making and giving love bugs as much as we do!
More Love Bug Craft Ideas
More Valentine’s Day Crafts and Gift Ideas
- Thumbprint Heart Magnets
- Valentine’s Day Crafts and Gift Ideas Kids Can Make
- Heart Art Projects
- Watercolor Surprise Heart Art
- Hanging Heart Prism Suncatcher
- Heart Art Salt Painting
- Thumbprint Heart Necklaces
- Best Valentine’s Day Art Projects
- Hearts Falling in Love Sensory Bottle
- Thumbprint Heart Keychain and Backpack Charms
- Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Him or Her
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