Adorable Embroidered Ladybug Tutorial

I was out for a walk the other day and a ladybug landed on me! In folklore, this delightful creature is a symbol of good fortune, so in that moment, I felt a sense of wonder and anticipation of what was to come. That vibrant red shell and those cute, distinctive black spots are so intriguing to look at but even more fun to stitch!

In this post, we’re diving into how to create an embroidered ladybug. It’s not just about stitching – it’s about capturing luck and joy with every thread. Whether you’re looking to stitch one on your clothes or include it in an embroidery design, this little embroidery is sure to be a fun time.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase an item.

Supplies Needed

• A small embroidery hoop
• Embroidery Needle
• DMC Embroidery Thread Colors
  • 310
  • 413
  • 608
  • 817
  • 3866
• Embroidery Scissors
• Water soluble or heat erasable pen
• Linen or cotton fabric – these are my favorite hand dyed fabrics

How To Embroider A Ladybug

Trace and Transfer The Design

Grab the downloadable ladybug embroidery design here.

You can use whatever your favorite transfer method is. I traced the design onto the fabric using a Frixion heat erasable pen.

Ladybug Embroidery Tutorial

• This design uses 2 strands of floss throughout unless otherwise noted. Using black floss, make horizontal satin stitches across the ladybug’s head.
• Begin filling in the spots with satin stitches using black thread. To keep the stitches even, you can start by making straight stitches evenly spaced out along each spot.
• Fill in all of the black spots.
• Begin filling in the right wing with horizontal long and short stitches using red thread.
• Continue working your way around the spots, making a row of the long and short stitches. This will fill in half of the wing.
• Then make another row of these stitches to fill in the rest of the wing. The edge of the stitches should neatly end on the middle line that marks the seam of the two wings.

• Fill in the left wing the same way, making horizontal long and short stitches.
• The edge of these stitches should meet along the center line but not overlap into the right wing.
• Fill in the eyes using horizontal satin stitches of off white.
• Add a few satin stitches at the base of the head/top of each wing using the off white thread.
• Using grey thread, add a few long and short stitches in the center of the head.
• Add 2 straight stitches for the antennae.

• Using 1 strand of floss, stitch legs. Each leg is stitched in a “v” shape using the back stitch.
• Along the edge of each wing, add some long and short stitches using orange thread. This will add some depth to the wings, making the embroidery even more vibrant!

More Tutorials

You may also enjoy these insect embroidery patterns or these mini tutorials to embroider a bee and a butterfly. Happy stitching!