This project is so much fun. We’re making lady-bug buds on a bush. That’s kind of a tongue twister, but you get the idea. This project takes a bit of coordination so I’m planning on it being a 4th grade project, but you know your students best and you may want to do it with younger students. We use crayons, a brown marker and craft or poster paints to make this Lady Bud art. Although I used a variety of colors for the lady bugs in my sample, I think using just one color for all the lady bugs would make an outstanding piece.
Supplies 
- White construction paper
- Crayons
- Brown marker
- Craft or poster paint
- Plastic lid (paint pallet)
- Paper towel
- Cotton tips (Q-tips)
- Toothpicks
Directions:
- On the white paper, lightly color a sky background, stroking horizontally across the paper. On the bottom two inches of the paper, use green and brown for the ground.
- With a brown crayon, lightly draw five stems. These can meet at the base to make a bush, or they could be single stems. Draw a few branches, that reach upwards, from the stems.
- Choose the color or colors that your lady buds will be. Put a small amount of paint or paints on the plastic lid. Dip your thumb or a finger into one color of paint and paint a bud along or on the stem or branch. Re-dip for more paint to make more of the same color buds, or wipe your finger or thumb with the paper towel and change colors.
- When you have as many buds as you want to make, add a few drops of black and some of white paint to your plastic lid. Make the lady-bugs head by dipping a Q-tip in the black paint and paint along one side of the thumbprint. Change the side that you paint on the thumbprint so it appears that the lady-bugs are going in different directions.
- Use a toothpick dipped in black paint to make the spots on the lady-bugs backs.
- When all the heads and spots have been painted on the thumbprints, use a toothpick dipped in white paint to make eyes on the heads.
- Using a toothpick dipped in black paint, carefully dot inside the white eyes.
- With the brown marker, carefully trace over the brown colored stems and branches making sure you Don’t draw through your lady bugs.
- Admire your thumbprint lady-bug buds.
4th Grade Projects Gallery:
