Scroll Saw Wooden Bee Tutorial
Create Flying & Shelf-Sitting Bees with Burlap Wings
Hey friends! In today’s tutorial, I’m going to walk you through making this adorable pair of wooden bees that you can use in your home decor. These little cuties were cut out on the scroll saw and are perfect for adding a cheerful touch to your tiered trays, shelves, or even seasonal wreaths.
Do you want to know the best part of this Scroll Saw Wooden Bee Tutorial? I’ve included a FREE PDF pattern with a scroll saw template, painting stencil SVG, and basic supplies and instructions to help you along the way.
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What You’ll Need:
- Scroll saw
- 1″ pine board (which is 3/4″ thick) Scraps will work.
- Burlap wired ribbon
- Scissors
- Sandpaper
- Drill and small bit (for antenna holes)
- Wire or floral stem wire (for antennae)
- Acrylic paint or chalk paint
- Paintbrushes or sponge daubers
- Stencil brush
- Vinyl or reusable stencil material
- Wood glue
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Clear sealer (optional)
- PDF Pattern and Guide
Step 1: Trace & Cut from Pine
Start with a 1″ pine board, which is actually 3/4″ thick (standard for dimensional lumber). This thickness gives your bees a chunky, dimensional look that’s perfect for sitting on a shelf or adding to decor pieces.
Print and cut out the bee shape from the PDF pattern. Trace it onto your wood using carbon paper. You can also use painters tape over the bee, the use spray adhesive to adhere the pattern.
Next, cut along the lines with your scroll saw, taking your time around the curves for smooth, clean cuts.
This is a very beginner friendly shape if you’re new to using the scroll saw.
Step 2: Drill Antenna Holes
Using the photo in the PDF as a guide, mark the placement for the antenna holes. I used scrap wire (from some old ballast wire I had on hand—probably around 18 gauge) to create the little curled antennae.
To give the antennae a more natural tilt, I held my drill at about a 45-degree angle to the wood when drilling. This helps the wire sit at a cute angle once inserted. Choose a drill bit that fits your wire snugly—tight enough to stay in place with just a dab of glue, but not so tight that the wire won’t go in easily.
Tip: Test your drill bit on a scrap piece of the same wood before drilling the final piece.
Step 3: Making the Flying Bee
Optional: Make a Flying Bee on a Stand
To give one of my bees the look of flying, I created a simple stand using a 3/8″ wooden dowel and a 2″ round wood base.
Here’s how I did it:
- Drill a 3/8″ hole in the bottom of the bee. I used a vise to hold the bee steady and drilled straight down with a drill press. Tip: If you don’t have a drill press, you can still do this with a hand drill—just take your time and try to keep the angle as straight as possible.
- Cut a 2″ circle from scrap wood using the scroll saw. You could also use a store-bought wood round if you prefer.
- Drill another 3/8″ hole in the center of the base circle to fit the other end of the dowel.
- Insert the 3/8″ dowel into the bee and base, adding a little wood glue in both holes for a secure hold. Let dry.
Now your bee looks like it’s flying above your shelf or tiered tray! You can even adjust the dowel length to vary the height.
Step 4: Sand the Edges
Give your bee and dowel stand a smooth finish using fine-grit sandpaper. This preps the surface for paint and makes the edges safe and clean.
Now we’re ready to paint!
Step 5: Paint and Personalize
Start by painting your bee black all over—this creates a great base coat, especially for the classic bee look.
Step 6: Add the Painted Details with a Stencil
Once the black paint is fully dry, use the included stencil from the pattern to add yellow stripes. Feel free to add any other details you’d like (like eyes, a cute little smile, or rosy cheeks).
For the painted stripes, I used a stencil made from HTVRont Blue Stencil Vinyl, which I cut with my Silhouette Cameo. The Matte Vinyl setting works great for this product. Be sure to perform a test cut as it is easy to cut this material too deep. (You’ll find the cut file in the same folder as the PDF pattern.)
This stencil film works great for one-time use and gives crisp paint lines. Just apply the stencil to your bee, dab on your paint with a sponge or stencil brush and carefully remove once dry. Don’t worry about perfection—hand-painted charm adds to the whimsy of this project!
Alternate option: You can also use a 5 mil mylar stencil film if you’d like to create a reusable stencil for multiple bees or other projects.
Let each layer dry completely before moving on, and feel free to distress lightly with sandpaper if you like a rustic finish.
Step 7: Add the Wings
For a textured, dimensional look, I used burlap wired ribbon for the bee’s wings instead of painting them. The natural texture of the burlap adds such a cute touch!
Here’s how to add the wings:
- Cut a length of burlap wired ribbon (the wired kind works best so you can shape the wings easily). I used approximately 5 1/4 inches of ribbon, but there really is no set dimensions here. The creativity is yours so feel free to be flexible.
- Round over the ends with a scissors.
- Shape the wings by folding your piece of wired ribbon in half. You’ll want to offset the halves to add some dimension. Next, you’ll sort of fan fold your wing, adding hot glue to keep the folds in place.
- Attach the wings to the bee with hot glue. I’ve indicated on the pattern where the wings are attached. Feel free to add your wings where you want them placed.
Once you’ve glued the wings, you can adjust the wired edges to give them a fluttery look!
Step 8: Creating a Shelf Sitting Bee
The process for making the shelf-sitting bee is almost the same as the flying bee—just with one simple change.
When cutting the bee shape with the scroll saw, place the dotted line from the pattern at the edge of the board. This will create a flat base for the bee to sit on, allowing it to rest securely on a shelf. The remaining steps (drilling holes for the antennae, adding burlap wings, and painting) are the same!
The Finished Wood Bees
In this tutorial, we’ve walked through creating two adorable wooden bees—a flying bee on a stand and a shelf-sitting bee—using your scroll saw and a few simple materials. You learned how to drill holes for antennae, paint the bees using a fun stencil, and add burlap ribbon wings for a touch of texture. With just a few extra touches, like adding the dowel stand for the flying bee, you now have two charming decor pieces that will brighten up any space!
Feel free to download the FREE PDF pattern for the scroll saw template, painting stencil, and more details to guide you through the process.
Happy crafting, and I can’t wait to see what you create!
Happy Crafting and we’ll see you soon!
