Have you seen any bumblebees this summer? They often look more round and furry than other bees. They visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, helping to pollinate plants as they go!
Learn more about bumblebees from Ed Turner in the video below, or scroll down to get started on your Crafty Creature:
Creating your bumblebee…
You will need:
- Cardboard
- Wool or string
(we’ve used yellow and black but your bee can be any colour!) - Scissors
- Paper
- Draw and cut out two cardboard ‘donut’ or ring shapes. We have created two different sizes here for two bees.
- Cut a small wedge out of the ring to make the next steps easier.
- Take your two cardboard rings and place them one on top of the other.
- Wrap the wool around the cardboard, alternating colours if you wish, until the whole ring is covered.
Tip: The more wool you put onto the ring, the fuller your bee will be.
- While holding the wool in place, use scissors to cut the wool along the edge of the ring.
- Tie everything into place using a separate piece of wool. This should be pulled between the two rings and tied together. The video may help to show this tricky step:
- Add paper wings using another piece of wool tied around the bee’s belly.
- Hang your bee up near to some flowers or inside as a decoration!
Learn more about bumblebees and solitary bees for World Bee Day
Create your own insect hotel with our guide: A warm welcome for minibeasts
Like bees but not wasps? Kate Howlett talks about why perceptions matter when it comes to wildlife conservation: Insects are animals too: why perceptions matter
Museum of Zoology Blog 
4 thoughts on “Create a Bumblebee”