While butterflies, dragon flies and lady bugs aren’t uncommon to see in people’s homes, insect decorations are unusual. But why? How come some insects are considered appropriate decor while other bugs are simply not art? The following artists hope to take the creepy out of the crawlies. They see the beauty of all insects and create art that will make you change your mind about them too!
Hist and Hark Stitches
Shannon Lewis likes to collect and display insects, but not the way you think. She believes that “No bug is too creepy to cross.” As you can see from the display on her wall, she really means it! Even if bugs are not your favorite creatures, it’s impossible to look at her colorful work and not be impressed. It is hard for me to pick my favorite from these insect decorations. They are all so unique and I love them as a set. Although the tiny insect made my heart hurt in a good way.
You can explore the gallery below to see more of her work. Better yet, follow her on Instagram!
ChitinAndChlorophyll
Spiders are among the most hated insects, even though they aren’t technically insects. But I’m not here to give you a science lesson… spiders seem creepy because of their many legs, sticky webs and simply the fact that they lurk in dark corners. Despite their shady appearance, most spiders are harmless and they help ward off other undesirable insects, such as mosquitos, from your home. That is where ChitinAndChlorophyll comes in with their wonderful spin on spiders that is neither creepy nor crawly.
Let me just fan girl over the store’s name first… I’m currently taking a mycology class so I know all about chitin. Chitin is a fibrous substance consisting of polysaccharides and forming the major constituent in the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi. Chlorophyll, as you may remember from science class, is the green pigment found in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. The store name perfectly reflects the art.
These are just a few of Katie Clark’s masterpieces. For more, check out her fantastic Etsy store!
Insect Mother – Insect Decorations
I have already written about Insect Mother before, but I couldn’t resist including her in this article too. Marinea Heindel plays with bugs and makes art out of dead things. She finds insects that have died from a natural cause and uses copper electroforming to turn them into jewelry and other insect decorations. She dabbles in butterflies, spiders, bees and other beetles as well as animal bones in her art. Check out her Etsy store here and make sure you read more about her in this article.
Iron Planet
The one art scene where insects are more commonly accepted is the world of Steampunk. Iron Planet is an amazing Etsy store that creates insect decorations out of metal bits and bobs. There are plenty of other impressive pieces on their website. Make sure to check it out and maybe buy a friend or two to decorate your home!
StmpnkrtDesigns – Insect Decorations
Similar to Iron Planet but with their own twist, StmpnkrtDesigns create insects out of metal – some even glow! These quirky creations take advantage of the creepy aspect of insects but turn them cute! You can have serious arachnophobia but you’ll still enjoy a little metal spider friend. Unfortunately, these won’t keep the real insects away! Check the the Etsy store for more buggy creations.
Vakanart – Insect Decorations
Some people like to make bugs out of metal, others like to put metal on real bugs. Then there’s Betül Ensari who prefers her insects woven! Her Etsy store, Vakanart, has many beautiful pieces of art for sale including these amazing insect decorations. Once again, insects portrayed through cool design and beautiful colors cannot be resisted. These cuties would look great on your wall and even your bug-hating friends would approve.
Penelopetom
Finally, I’d like to include an entirely different medium. Penelopetom is another great Etsy store that features various products including DIY insect decorations made of paper. These colorful and bright design are definitely not creepy. While these are aimed at children, I know plenty of entomologists who would cherish them too. It’s a bonus that you can assemble them yourself! I would totally consider inviting one to live atop my grand piano.
Everyfelt: Buggy Earrings
Shameless plug, but if you like insects then you’ll love some of the earrings in my store. Shop butterflies, snails and other insects as pendants that can be earrings or necklaces. Check out Everyfelt for some insect decorations for your ears!
Summary: Insect Decorations
Insect decorations come in all shapes, forms and materials. These are just some of the gems that I found searching for insect art on the internet. Bugs can be stitched, electroformed, weaved and constructed out of metal as well as paper. Whatever your art preferences are, I hope that these creepy crawly art pieces will brighten your day and help you feel more open-minded about our buggy friends.
Follow The Travel Bug Bite for more great content!
