With spring coming on March 21st, we are busy making the house beautiful with butterflies. These little pollinators are one of our favorite things to make. Maybe we love making them because each one comes out so unique and beautiful. This week we are using finger prints, foot prints, coffee filters and so much more, to make these projects.

This is a great time to teach your little artist how butterflies help feed us. Just like bees, butterflies help to pollinate and grow our food. Kids love learning how things work. It is important to learn how even the littlest thing can make a big difference, just as your little artist can in helping you.

In our first project we are gathering coffee filters and clothespins to make these butterflies. Your little artist will have fun learning the basics of tie-dye in our first project. 

Coffee Filter Butterfly

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Supplies:

1. Coffee filter
2. Markers ( Markers only. No crayons)
3. Spray bottle
4. Water
5. Newspaper
6. Peg clothespin
7. Tape
8. Pipe cleaner

Directions:

1. Tape coffee filter to table. This helps it from sliding while your artist draws.
2. Color coffee filter.
3. Place the colorful coffee filter onto paper and mist with water.
4. Allow to dry completely.
5. Have the child slide the coffee filter into peg clothes pin.
6. Twist pipe cleaner onto peg to form antenna.

Next, let’s roll up our sleeves and use our fingerprints to decorate our butterfly.

Finger Print Butterfly

Supplies:

1. Copy of butterfly
2. Multicolor ink pad
3. Diaper wipes

Directions:

1. Print copy of butterfly.
2. Use fingers to add spots to butterfly.
3. Use diaper wipes to clean off hands.

Let’s kick off our shoes and use our footprints to make our next butterfly. This one is fun for the whole family! You can make all different sizes. It is fun to watch your little artist compare foot sizes. You could make one every year to see how much he or she has grown.

Footprint Butterfly Craft Project

Supplies:

1. Construction paper
2. Pencil
3. Scissors
4. Glue stick

Directions:

1. Trace and cut child’s footprints.
2. Cut out strip of black paper to place in between footprints.
3. Cross footprints and glue the pieces together to make butterfly.

We have saved the biggest for last. Our last project is designed after the Blue Morpho Butterfly. While in real life they are about eight inches, we decided to make them almost two feet.

Amazon Butterfly Craft Project

Supplies:

1. Copy of wings
2. Blue glitter bingo dauber
3. Scissors
4. Black construction paper
5. Glue stick

Directions:

1. Print two of each side of the butterfly wings.
2. Use bingo dauber to paint wings.
3. Let dry and cut out.
4. Cut a strip of paper out of construction paper, rounding each end.
5. Glue the butterfly pieces together.

If you made one of these projects, you have a butterfly. But, if you made all of them, you have made what is called a kaleidoscope. I’m sure your home looks beautiful with all your butterflies. You’ll look around and tell your little artist, “You’re so creative!”