March 31, 2017
‘How To Make Your Own Adorable Ladybug House!’ We clearly needed it (we had yucky aphids!) and we finally did find a “Ladybug House”, I am happy to share the end result! There are all kinds of ways to personalize and make these from so many different things.
On a shopping trip to the local craft store, I found this little house! I had been looking for a birdhouse that was built so that I could pry the front off of the house and use the remainder for a ladybug house.
Well, in the end, it wasn’t necessary but you can clearly see how you could easily make your own ladybug house by doing just that! You would have to find a birdhouse constructed so you could remove the face of it, or if you are handy, make your own.
Consider The Style For Your Ladybug House
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If your home is more modern, you might even choose a more graphic or geometric item to use for your Ladybug house. A circular metal ring with bamboo sticks cut to fit and glued inside of it would accomplish the same thing. Just adding a bunch of bamboo pieces to a myriad of items would create a cozy home for the little bugs. They just need pieces of bamboo or pine cones to make inviting homes.
A homeowner with a beach or cottage home might consider an entirely different look for their garden. Our home is really neither of those, it’s a bit more traditional. Although I can appreciate each of those styles, ultimately I chose to decorate this little ladybug house so it blends into nature.
At first, I considered painting this one with vibrant colors. Loving the works of Mary Engelbreit and MacKenzie-Childs, the thought of painting black and white geometric patterns with brightly painted flowers came to mind. However, after considering where it was going to be placed, I decided something a little more understated would be more pleasing to my eye.
Steps For A One of a Kind Ladybug House
So, wanting to leave this outside and ensuring it would last for a few years, the first step was painting it with an outdoor primer. That meant removing the screen from the front and removing the pine cones. The little hook was also removed from the door.
In our collection of spray paint, there was no spray primer for wood but there was a can of automobile primer. I googled whether or not that would work for my project. Score! No need to run to the store.
Since the bamboo is glued in place, I just masked it off with paper and tape. A few light coats of paint and the whole thing is primed in a light gray color.
Adding Pebbles To The Ladybug House
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After that dried, I began to add the pea gravel to the front of the house using waterproof wood glue, Titebond III. 
I tried to keep the pebbles relatively straight along the edges and took into consideration that the door needs to open and close.
Yes, the door should open, so I opened and shut it over and over, as the pebbles were glued in place, making sure none of the pebbles are in the way.
Gluing Trick
Did you know that you can actually make little patches of pebbles that can then be glued onto your project? Applying the wood glue to a sheet of plastic wrap and arranging the pebbles on top of it, you can create a little ’tile’ of pebbles.
You can make these little tiles and allow them to dry for a few minutes. Then the plastic wrap can be gently pulled away.
Apply a little glue to the house and lay the ’tile’ on it. This was really handy when applying the pebbles up under the eaves. It would have been much more tedious!
Using the tiles along the edges, made it easier, too. Using a straight edge, the pebbles were pushed gently into a straight line and allowed to dry a little. Then the tile was glued neatly along the edge of the little house. Isn’t this looking great?
After gluing pebbles to both sides and around three sides of the door, paint any area that I thought might not be covered with pebbles or pine cone petals. (Remember, the screen needs to be stapled back. Later, glue more pebbles around that area.)
I was really like the dove gray color of the primer and I decide to duplicate that color with some blue chalk paint mixed with a little black.
Allow the chalk paint to dry and then paint a couple of coats of outdoor polyurethane on those areas. (A little poly on the staples should keep them from rusting, too.)
After the polyurethane is dry, place the pine cones back in the house and staple the metal screen back in place. Then, glue tiny pebbles all around the screen. At this point, I’m thinking I will leave rocks off of the door. What do you think? I like that little pop of gray…
Add Pinecone Petals
Then, glue pine cone petals along the front edge of the roof and allow the glue to dry. It is necessary for this to be done with the house back laying flat on the table. The petals gently slide down in the glue when it is upright.
Starting at the bottom edge, glue the pine cone petals to the roof. Isn’t this adorable?
Although this is a ‘ladybug house’, it would be easy to decorate a birdhouse or a fairy house using this same technique. Has this inspired you?
Amazon has a lot of ladybug houses at different price points. Some are featured below. (This link is an affiliate link. This means that we may earn a small percentage of any sales generated from these links at no cost to you. This helps to support this website.)
You Can Buy Ladybugs For Your Ladybug House!
Did you know that you can actually order ladybugs? My plan is to order some ladybugs from here shortly. The reviews were very good. They also tell how to release them for the best results. (This link is an affiliate link. This means that we may earn a small percentage of any sales generated from these links at no cost to you. This helps to support this website.)
American Ladybugs For Your Ladybug House
In the answered questions for this seller, it addresses whether these are Asian beetles. (That is also something I want to know!) There are other sellers you can investigate and choose, too.
Their answer is that these ladybugs are not Asian beetles. They are a common North American species, Hippodamia convergens. The Asian beetles actually kill our native beneficial insects, including the ladybug.
Hope this inspires you to create or decorate your own little ladybug house! For more gardening ideas, ◄click here.
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