Creative Ways Kids Can Craft a Butterfly

Paper Plate Butterfly

How-To:

• Use a paper plate as the base for the butterfly’s wings.
• Cut the paper plate in half and paint or color each half in bright colors.
• Then, attach a pipe cleaner or a straw to the center of the plate to act as the butterfly’s body.

Creative Twist:

• Add glitter, stickers, or foam shapes to the wings for extra flair.
• For an added 3D effect, fold the wings upward to make them pop!

Tissue Paper Butterfly

How-To:

• Cut two wing shapes from a sturdy piece of construction paper.
• Then, cut or tear colorful tissue paper into small squares.
• Glue the tissue paper onto the wings, creating a patchwork or collage effect.

Creative Twist:

• Use different textures for the wings—like adding fabric or textured paper for an extra sensory experience.
• You can also add sequins, buttons, or beads to the tissue paper for a sparkly look.

Symmetry Butterfly with Folded Paper

How-To:

• Fold a piece of construction paper in half.
• Cut out half of the butterfly’s wings along the folded edge, then open the paper to reveal a perfectly symmetrical butterfly shape.
• Let kids decorate each side with markers, crayons, or stickers.

Creative Twist:

• Encourage kids to add patterns or use paintbrushes to create gradient colors that spread across the wings for a beautiful, symmetrical design.

3D Butterfly with Pipe Cleaners

How-To:

• Make the butterfly’s wings by cutting two large ovals from construction paper.
• For a 3D effect, glue or tape the center of each wing slightly above the paper, allowing the edges to curl outwards.
• Attach a pipe cleaner down the middle of the wings as the body.

Creative Twist:

• Twist the pipe cleaner into a spiral at the top to create the butterfly’s antennas.
• You can also use pom-poms or cotton balls for a soft, fluffy body.

Coffee Filter Butterfly

How-To:

• Flatten a coffee filter and fold it into a fan shape.
• Use markers to color the edges of the filter in bright colors, then spray the filter with water (or use a paintbrush to add a bit of water).
• The colors will blend and create a beautiful watercolor effect.
• Once dry, attach a pipe cleaner or straw for the body.

Creative Twist:

• After coloring and wetting, fold the filter slightly for a more defined wing shape.
• Add googly eyes to the butterfly’s body for an extra touch of fun.

Pom-Pom Butterfly

How-To:

• Use pom-poms for the body and wings of the butterfly.
• Attach large pom-poms to form the wings and smaller pom-poms in the center for the body.
• You can glue the pom-poms directly to the paper or even make a more textured, 3D effect by stacking them.

Creative Twist:

• Add googly eyes, sequins, and glitter to the pom-poms to give your butterfly an extra sparkle.
• You can also create a little scene around the butterfly by gluing flowers and grass at the bottom.

Button Butterfly

How-To:

• Create a butterfly body using a small button and attach it to the center of the butterfly’s wings (cut from construction paper).
• Arrange colorful buttons in the shape of butterfly wings.
• Glue the buttons securely to the paper and use small markers or crayons to add antennae.

Creative Twist:

• Use a variety of buttons in different sizes, colors, and patterns to make the butterfly’s wings more vibrant and fun.

Leaf Butterfly

How-To:

• Go outside and collect leaves of different shapes and sizes.
• Once you have your leaves, arrange them in the shape of butterfly wings on a piece of construction paper.
• You can use two smaller leaves for the top wings and two larger leaves for the bottom wings.
• Attach a twig or stick as the body.

Creative Twist:

• Decorate the leaves with colored markers or paint.
• This natural butterfly also introduces kids to the beauty of the environment and the different textures of leaves.

Clay Butterfly

How-To:

• Use modeling clay or playdough to form the butterfly’s wings.
• Flatten two oval pieces for the wings and mold a small body in the center.
• You can mix different colors of clay to create vibrant wings and a colorful body.

Creative Twist:

• Create small details like dots or lines on the wings with different colors of clay.
• For added fun, use googly eyes or tiny beads for decoration.

Salt Dough Butterfly

How-To:

• Make salt dough by mixing flour, salt, and water.
• Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters or freehand cutting to shape the butterfly’s wings.
• Once the dough is dry, paint the butterfly with bright colors.

Creative Twist:

• Use a combination of handprints and salt dough to create a “handprint butterfly,” where kids press their hands into the dough to form the wings and a small body in the middle.

Sticker Butterfly

How-To:

• Draw or cut out the basic shape of a butterfly’s wings on a large piece of construction paper.
• Use a variety of colorful stickers (e.g., circle stickers, star stickers, or flower stickers) to fill in the wings of the butterfly.

Creative Twist:

• Create a theme for the butterfly, such as a “garden butterfly” filled with flower stickers or a “starry butterfly” filled with star stickers.
• You can even combine this with a watercolor or crayon background.

Watercolor Butterfly

How-To:

• Draw the outline of a butterfly on a sheet of watercolor paper.
• Then, use watercolors to paint in the wings, allowing the colors to blend into each other for a beautiful effect.
• Once the paint is dry, outline the butterfly’s body with a black marker.

Creative Twist:

• Let kids experiment with gradients of color, such as transitioning from yellow to orange, or blue to purple, to mimic the natural beauty of butterfly wings.

Cereal Box Butterfly

How-To:

• Recycle a cereal box to make a sturdy butterfly craft.
• Cut out the wings from the cereal box and paint them with bright colors.
• You can also cover the wings with patterned wrapping paper or fabric for texture.

Creative Twist:

• Use small buttons, beads, or fabric scraps to decorate the wings, giving them a unique, textured look.
• This also teaches kids about reusing and recycling materials.

Shaving Cream Butterfly

How-To:

• Spread shaving cream onto a tray or paper.
• Drop a few different colors of liquid watercolor paint on top, then swirl the colors around with a spoon or stick.
• Press a piece of construction paper onto the shaving cream to transfer the colors, revealing a beautiful marbled butterfly pattern.

Creative Twist:

• Add glitter or small sequins to the shaving cream before pressing the paper to make the butterfly shimmer.