Create an Adorable Love Bug Tabletop Photo Holder

Are you looking for a unique gift or sweet craft to do with your children this Valentine’s Day? Are you on a tight budget but want to something nice to a loved one? If you want a gift that your loved one will look at and think  of you, well you have come to the right place! Because in this post, you’ll learn how to make a unique Valentine gift that your recipient will surely love.

This adorable love bug tabletop photo holder is more than just a gift, it’s an upcycle craft. Y’all know how much I love to upcycle. It combines photos and simple materials, and here’s how to make it:

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Before you begin, gather all the materials needed for this tutorial:


a clean yogurt cup or clear 9 oz SOLO Cup
pink, red, and black construction paper
2 purple pipe cleaners
red acrylic paint
paint brush
a black Sharpie or any black permanent marker
3 red paper clips
1.5-cm in width pink grosgrain ribbon with heart design
an awl hole crafting tool
a pair of scissors
hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
• 3 small photos

Step 1:

Paint the yogurt cup or 9 oz clear cup with red acrylic paint. Let it dry for an hour. You can double coat or triple coat this if necessary.

Step 2:

Cut three medium-sized hearts from the red construction paper. This will be the bug’s wings.

Step 3:

Cut three medium-sized oblongs from the black construction paper. This should be proportionate to the heart since it will serve as the head of the bug.

Step 4:

Cut three medium sized pink circles. This is the abdomen of the bug.

Step 5:

Glue the head on the tip of the heart wings. Do this for the remaining two as well.

Step 6:

Glue the pink circle on the rear end of the bug’s wings.

Step 7:

Add some details on the face of the love bug. You can create some cut-outs from the pink construction paper for the eyes, lips, and dimples. Other details that can be made on the wings can be done using a permanent marker.

Step 8:

Cut six pieces that are 3 centimeters long of the purple pipe cleaners. These pieces will become the antennas of the love bugs.

Step 9:

Curl one end of the six pipe cleaners and glue a pair of antenna on the head of the bug from the back of the head.

Step 10:

Hot glue the red paper clip on top of the antenna at the back. This should be placed in between the two antennae.

Step 11:

Cut 3 pieces of purple pipe cleaner into 5-centimeters, 7-centimeters, and 9-centimeters, respectively. Glue the pipe cleaner on the gut of the bug at the back. This is the stem of the love bug photo holder.

Step 12:

Create three holes on the bottom part of the yogurt cup using the awl hole crafting tool. If you don’t have an awl hole crafting tool, you can poke a hole with the tip of a knife – don’t let kids do this part alone.

Step 13:

Insert the love bugs on the holes on the yogurt cup base. It may help to add a dab of hot glue to keep them from moving in the cup.

Step 14:

Create a bow from the pink grosgrain ribbon and glue it in front of the base cup, right in the middle of it.

Step 15:

You can now insert your photos through the clips at the back of the love bug.

Step 16:

Tada! Done and ready for display!

This adorable love bug tabletop photo holder is a perfect gift for your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Make it extra special by adding pics of memorable moments of you together. Isn’t it sweet? Have fun and spread the love!

Check out some of my other craft posts:

Air fresheners turned Halloween decorations? Indeed! I LOVE taking something that would ordinarily be garbage and transforming it into something super fun! Make your old candles new again by melting the remnants down, and pouring them into one upcycled candle.

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