Simple Instructions to Twist your Own LadyBug Ballon

Purchase a bag of 260's wholesale balloons for twisting and a hand pump.  Take a red balloon and pump air into it until you inflate it half way. Tie a knot. Starting from the knot, twist a 2-3 cms. bubble and attach the knot to the other side of the bubble. That would be the head. Now make 4 more bubbles more or less the same size as the head. Twist the last bubble with the head. You will have a longer balloon sticking out of behind the head. Take that part and twist it to the same lenght as the 2 bubbles. Make it go thru the opening between the four bubbles. That is the back of the Ladybird. Now you have another bubble left and the long uninflated part of the balloon. Holding firmly the balloon at the "butt" of the ladybug, make an incision with the scisors at the end of the tail and let the air go out. Tie a knot right away to avoid the whole balloon to deflate. Use that long elastic to connect the tail with the head  with another knot, This is to secure it in your wrist or in your pony tail.

Now take a black balloon, inflate it just a tiny bit, enough to make two bubbles (Antennas). Tie a knot. Push the air to one extreme of the balloon to make a bubble there and then holding it firmly, push more air towards the other extreme. The goal is to have a bubble of air in both extremes of the balloon. Once you successfully  achieve this, measure that both antennas are at of the same lenght and make a knot at the intersection, leaving a loop that can go over the head of the ladybird. Place the antenna loop over the head and around the neck. Adjust the whole balloon so that everything looks good. Now with your permanent marker, make a thick black line longitudinal to the body (dividing the wings). In each side, draw three little black circles and fill them up.   Now draw a smily face and 2 eyes,  and  your ladybird is ready to fly to the hands of a lucky child.

The LadyBird Balloon

Lady Birds have inspired many artist to portray them in canvas, pottery, dishes and cups, countless books ilustrations, toys, etc.  Its bright red or orange colors and their black dots, have made them famous and recognizable by even the youngest children.
This is why --as a balloon artist for my fundraiser-- I had to come up with some semblance of the famous bug, as the children kept asking me to make one.
I did some research, i practiced a bit and finally came out with something quite easy to do and that looked very nice. I can tell you how to make one.

Named After the Virgin Mary

In ancient days, people thought Lady birds were a blessing from Heaven, as they did help the farmers by eating the aphids and mites out of the produce.  In many european countries they called it after Mary, Jesus's mother.
In Spanish they still call them "Mariquitas". When Spanish children have a ladybug land on them, they stay still and sing to it: "Mariquita de Dios, levanta las alas y vete con Dios" (God's little Mary, open up your wings and go back to God)
Children from all around the world sing to these amazing little insects. Numerous cultures have composed traditional songs for this creature.  Many believe that when a ladybird lands on you, if you make a wish and the insect flies away, it will come true. This is one of the reasons people sing to them, to give them time to fly away and fulfill their wishes.

The Ladybug

A ladybug is a symbol of innocence, beauty, usefulness, humility and freedom.  Children of all ages love to see ladybugs in the plants. When one enters the house and lands on the furniture, there is always a kid saying: Mommy, mommy, look..a ladybug!  In many cultures they are considered good luck.  And with good reasons, because these small bright red beetles feed on aphids and are a blessing to farmers and gardeners the world over.