Bed bugs are taking over the universe!

Well not really. My kids have been bugging me for a few months now about getting them pillow pets. Rather than fork out more cash for yet another fad, I made a big deal about how fun it would be to come up with our own and make them ourselves. They bought it! And then they kept reminding me I came up with such a plan.

So, last night we sat down, came up with some design ideas and off to work I went creating what we like to call Bed Bugs. They’re pillow critters created to resemble some kind of bug… that yes, we invented. Imaginations tend to run wild over here sometimes.

Bed bugs by Jen Goode
Bed bugs by Jen Goode

First off is the cupcake ladybug. Her wings are covered in scrumptious cupcakes and little pink poka-dots and double as a big pocket to store those bedtime treasures. She’s got cute button eyes, little rosy cheeks and a soft purple belly just asking for a longer nap time. (We decided to forgo the feet.. they were just asking to be chewed on and pulled off.)

Ladybug Bed Bug by Jen Goode
Ladybug Bed Bug by Jen Goode

Then we have the less sweet and probably more fattening spider beetle bug, complete in super hero colors – to trick the good guys into thinking he’s friendly. My son mentioned something about “pillow pets have pockets” so I had to make sure this bug did too. Every wing is it’s own individual pocket (there are 4) , perfect for storing Hot Wheels, Bakugan and small tid-bits one finds as they sneak through Dad’s office drawers. This guy was lucky enough to gain a few extra eyes, deviating from the original plan – was already a rebel, even without a head.

Beetle Bed Bug by Jen Goode
Beetle Bed Bug by Jen Goode

Both critters are made of super soft fleece and filled with standard polyfil. I used buttons for eyes and felt and embroidery thread for the other facial accents. Each also has a velcro strap underneath to complete the closure.

I want to send special thanks to Elizabeth at TwelveCrafts who posted a tutorial how to make pillow buddies. I had the body figured out and thought I had the head and then failed miserably… her info helped me re-think and come up with the cute heads we ended up with.

FaveCrafts blog hop
This project is included in this months bloghop at FaveCrafts. Check out what the other designers have created!