Make Paper Love Bug Valentine's Day Lollipop Covers

This cute project combines paper crafting with Valentine's Day gift giving! You'll need a few supplies, some lollipops, and a class list. Have your child help with this project for a fun craft project on a rainy afternoon.

Note: This project uses a Cricut electronic cutting machine and cartridges, but you can easily adapt it to hand cut the shapes using scissors.

Supply List

• Red scrapbook paper
• Black or black/white patterned scrapbook paper
• Pink scrapbook paper
• Black pen
• Heart shaped brads
• Heart shaped rhinestones
• Red ribbon
• Glue
• Sewing machine and black thread or needle and thread
• Scissors
• Flat, heart shaped lollipops (Target)
• Black and pink ink pads
  
• Optional: Cricut electronic cutting machine, Doodlecharms cartridge, Create a Critter cartridge

Step-by-Step Directions to Make Paper Love bug Valentine's Lollipop Covers

1. Measure your heart shaped lollipop. These directions use a lollipop that is approximately 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. If your lollipop is larger, you will need to make all the paper pieces larger as well.
2. Cut 2 scalloped edge heart pieces from red paper using the Doodlecharms cartridge at 3.5 inches. If cutting by hand, cut the heart 3.5 inches tall by 4 inches wide.
3. Apply glue along the scalloped edges of the top 1/3 of one of the heart pieces. The heart needs to have an opening at the bottom for the lollipop.
   
4. Place the other heart piece on top of the glue and press firmly.
5. Allow to dry.
6. Stitch around the top 2/3 of the combined heart unit using black thread and a sewing machine or needle. This step gives added strength to the paper heart cover.
7. Cut 1 ladybug using the Create a Critter cartridge, all pieces at 2.5 inches. Use and cut the body from the black/white paper. Use Layer 1 and cut the face and wing under-layment from pink paper. Use Layer 2 and cut the wings and heart from red paper. If using scissors, it may helpful to draw a little pattern on white paper and then trace it to the scrapbook paper.
8. Glue the face, wings, and heart to the black/white ladybug body and allow to dry.
9. Optional: Apply black ink along the outside edges of the complete ladybug for dimension.
10. Use the black pen to draw in the eyes and mouth.
11. Dab your finger in the pink ink and apply to either side of the ladybug mouth to add cheeks.
12. Glue the red heart shaped rhinestone over the red paper heart.
13. Use the black pen to write names on the upper portions of the red heart.
14. Add 2 heart shaped brads, one on either side of the red heart.
15. Glue the completed ladybug unit to the bottom portion of the red heart, making sure any writing is still visible.
16. Allow to dry.
17. Insert the lollipop very carefully. You may need to wiggle it in just a bit.
18. Cut a small length of the red ribbon and tie it around the lollipop stick, just underneath the ladybug.
19. Use a dot of glue to hold it in place.
20. Make one paper love bug lollipop cover for each person in your child's class.

Have fun with this project and experiment with different paper colors and embellishments!