Make a foil Christmas Beetle craft based on the Australian insect. This is a fun bug craft that doubles as a Christmas craft! Make your bug’s wings realistic or pattern and colour them any way you like.
You could even turn this into a Christmas tree ornament by sticking a loop of ribbon to the completed beetle’s front.
Get the template here
In the past, I’ve mentioned that cicadas are my favourite insect. That was because I forgot about these guys… the super adorable Christmas beetles.
When I was a kid, I believed these creatures earned their names because of their colourful wings. It almost looks as if they’re wrapped in shiny foil paper. All they need is a bow.
While that sounds good, it’s not the reason. They’re called Christmas beetles because adult beetles appear around Christmas time and only stick around for a couple of months.
Where I live in the Blue Mountains, the beetles are brown with wings that sparkle and change colour in the light. There are 36 species of Christmas beetle though, and some of them look a little bit different.
If you’re wondering what a real one looks like, here’s a cutie I rescued from the footpath on a walk this week. He was trapped upside down on his back, about to become ant food. I put him on a safe patch of grass the right way up and he bumbled on his way to whatever it is beetles do.
Eat, probably.
Like their famous Aussie friends, the koalas, a Christmas beetle’s favourite food is eucalyptus leaves.
Whether you live in Australia or not, kids will love making and learning about these, clumsy, awkward creatures that glitter so brightly throughout the festive season.
This craft is easy to make. I’ve gone for semi-realistic-looking beetles, but with foil wings as the canvas and a rainbow of Sharpie markers on hand, kids can go crazy and get creative with the decorating part. It is Christmas, after all.
This activity is recommended for kids aged 7+.
How to make a Christmas Beetle Foil Craft
You will need
- Card stock—a real Christmas beetle has brown legs, but you can use any colour or print to white and colour your own
- Coloured Sharpie markers
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Foil
- The Christmas Beetle template, available from our printables store and TPT store
How to
Print the beetle body to the colour you want your legs to be. Print the eyes and top shapes to white. Alternatively, use the all-in-one template and colour the legs in before cutting out.
Cut the shapes out.
Glue the semi-circle front shape to the non-shiny side of a piece of foil and wrap the edges around.
Fold the back shape and side tabs, then glue to foil.
Cut slits into the corner where the tab meets the side to make wrapping the foil easier. Wrap the edges of the foil around the shape.
Turn both shapes over and colour them in with sharpie markers. For a realistic beetle look, use a darker colour at the edge and graduate to a lighter colour in the centre of the shapes. Alternatively, colour and decorate the wings however you like. Do this step over a sheet of paper to protect your table surface from permanent marker stains.
Glue the semi-circle onto the head portion of the beetle’s back.
Fold the tabs under the back and use them to glue the back to the beetle so it has a slightly raised look.
Glue the eyes on.
Colour the claw ends in so your beetle has feet. Alternatively, colour the feet before you cut the beetle out.
All that’s left to do is give your beetle a name. This one’s Krissy.
She’s going to need some friends so they can all have a Christmas beetle party! Aren’t they pretty?
More Australian Animal Crafts
- Make a Frill-necked lizard using a paper roll and our printable template
- Here’s a set of paper plate Australian animals. There are 12 animals to make!
- Turn an egg carton into a super cute sugar glider
- Here’s a set of printable paper pythons based on species found in the Daintree rainforest
Check out more of our Insect themed printables
