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Home » Blog View » Butterfly

Published: Jun 14, 2021 · Modified: May 27, 2022 by Julie

Easy Butterfly Kids Crafts

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Fluttering about as they go from flower to flower, butterflies are one of the most loved insects.

Children of all ages enjoy watching and chasing them during the spring and summer months. Get ready to get creative with these beautiful butterfly crafts.

Perfect spring and summer crafts for you and your kids!

Simple and Easy Crafts

These fun crafts were inspired by a recent camping trip where yellow swallowtail butterflies filled the air.

Butterfly books, life cycle of a butterfly activities and worksheets, and butterfly printables are all great companions to these kids crafts!


butterfly on girl's hand as she makes a print with leaves and watercolor paint paint supplies on ground brushes and water dish

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.

Jump to:
  • Simple and Easy Crafts
  • List of Butterfly Crafts for Kids
  • Creating Beautiful Butterflies with Natural Elements
  • Different Types of Colorful Leaves
  • Simple Grass and Seedhead Butterflies
  • Paper Butterfly Crafts
  • Butterfly Lifecycle Art Project
  • Watercolor Butterflies
  • Butterfly Ring Craft
  • Stamped Butteflies with Paint
  • Beautiful Butterflies Made of Flowers
  • Back to Basics - Simple Butterflies
  • Nature Inspired Learning with Kids
  • Butterfly Themed Science Resources
  • Comments

Natural Elements

The first collection of simple butterfly crafts are made using only natural elements found outside.

No fancy supplies needed to create these cute little butterflies.

Sometimes keeping it simple when it comes to kids crafts makes you more likely to actually do them with your kids.

toddler hand with bare feet painting a rock with a paint brush outside craft project

Simple Art Supplies

On our trip, I did bring along watercolor paints, watercolor paper, and chalk. These are my go to camping art supplies.

I used those supplies along with common household items that we had in our camper including coffee filters, old newspapers, cloths pins, and scissors.

I also give you ideas for how to incorporate glue, magnets, and craft sticks if you are looking to create a more permanent creation.

List of Butterfly Crafts for Kids

Read on to find out how to make your own butterflies using these simple supplies.

Hopefully this list of easy butterfly crafts will inspire you and your kids to go outside and create your own!

little hands making spring craft with chalk rocks and water outside

Don't forget to share your ideas in the comments below. I love hearing about how you take ideas and add your own spin to them.

Creating Beautiful Butterflies with Natural Elements

When using natural elements, young children will enjoy collecting items as they walk around outside. As you go out exploring, gather supplies to create more than one type of butterfly.

Keep an eye out for any items that you can use for butterfly wings and antennae.

natural elements collected to make butterfly wings for a craft for kids

Even a small park or backyard provides many items that can be used for these craft projects. Don't feel that you need to go camping or explore a large wild habitat in order to do them.

Keep it Simple and Easy

Getting outside and exploring is always a fun way to experience nature no matter how big or small the space.

I love how all of these art projects can be completed outdoors. We are all craving a little bit of simplicity right now.

Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that keep it simple and easy.

River Rocks and Slate

River rocks including broken pieces of slate, make excellent butterfly wings. Going on a hunt with your little kids to find the perfect wings, is a great way to get kids outside exploring nature.

I was able to find slate that was iridescent and contained shades of blue, grey, silver, and orange.

simple butterfly craft made out of rocks in a woven basket

Rocks and stones are perfect for little hands to move around to create a butterfly's wings. Pick some greenery or use more rocks to create antennae. Try out a few different designs using materials that you collected.

Different Types of Colorful Leaves

Isn't it amazing that even in late spring, you can find leaves with different shades of green along with pops of red.

These camouflaged butterflies would be perfect to make while hiking. Collect two different types of leaves for the wings. To add a dramatic effect, try using the underside of the leaf where the leaf vein shows.

two butterflies on a rock created using two different types of leaves one backside of leaf with antennas

These leaves had bright colors even on the underside of the leaves. Think of leaves as nature's tissue paper.

Using colorful leaves creates a natural version of tissue paper butterflies. Get creative and find some different greenery for the antennae.

hand holding greenery used for butterfly craft antenna more natural elements placed in a woven basket

If you make them outside in a park or on a hiking trail, it would be fun to leave them behind for anther child to find.

These colorful butterfly projects have the ability to brighten a stranger's day.

butterfly made of baby vegetables carrot, dino kale, and khorabi leaves on a wooden board

For a different version, use foliage collected from a vegetable garden. A tiny baby carrot sprout along with dinosaur kale, and purple kohlrabi leaves together create a beautiful butterfly.

This one along with the watercolor leaf print one further down in the article might be my favorites.

Simple Grass and Seedhead Butterflies

Whimsical and fun these butterflies can be made using only one type of grass. These were made using grass found growing along a lake shore, but if left to grow, any grass will produce seedheads.

Head out to a wild setting or look on the outskirts of the lawn to find a few blades of grass that the mower missed.

  • two grass and seedhead butterflies created on a rock outside

I love how these appear to be dancing due to the long strands of grass. It would be fun to create different species of butterflies using different types of grass.

Purple fountain grass or even regular old grass that grows in your lawn would make for a simple craft project.

Attach to Wooden Pegs, Craft Sticks, or Natural Sticks

Attach the grass and seedheads to wooden pegs and know you have an easy way for kids to run around and with these handmade butterflies.

Craft sticks like popsicle sticks could also be used.

I can image younger children running around chasing butterflies with their homemade beautiful butterflies fluttering in the air. These make an easy butterfly art activity for kids of all ages.

Paper Butterfly Crafts

Simple household materials can be used to create these spring crafts. Old newspaper and paper coffee filters folded accordion style are held together with a cloths pin.

These are a great way for little kids to create paper butterfly crafts.

newspaper butterflies summer craft attached to trees with green leaves

Newspaper Craft Tips

  • If using newspaper, accordion fold a single rectangle.
  • Instead of using scissors, kids can rip the paper to create rough edges.

Coffee Filter Butterfly Tips

  • Fold two separate filters to create four butterfly wings.
  • Divide the two coffee filters in half using a clothes pin.

Ripping paper, folding the pieces, and opening clothes spins are all awesome way for little kids to practice fine motor skills.

Create Your Own Tissue Paper Butterflies

Take out a watercolor painting set and let them add bright colors to the newspaper or coffee filters. An easy way to create your own tissue paper butterflies using materials you have on hand.

Whether you turn these into colorful butterflies or leave them plain, these can show you that sometimes the best things require the simplest supplies.

Butterfly Lifecycle Art Project

A simple way to show a butterfly lifecycle is to add a caterpillar similar to this one made out of an egg cartoon. A paper towel roll or toilet paper roll can be used instead of an egg cartoon if you have one of those on hand.

butterfly lifecycle made with sticks, pinecone, egg cartoon, leaves, flower petals, newspaper with clothes spin a on rock outside

Add a stick for the antennae. Take out the paint to add some beautiful colors. Or keep it natural and find different colored objects in nature to add a pop of color. I added fresh evergreen growth to my caterpillar.

Overturned leaves with small white flower petals create the egg stage of the lifecycle. Make a chrysalis out of a closed wet pine cone placed against a stick. The lifecycle is complete with a paper butterfly made out of newspaper.

Watercolor Butterflies

Let your kids get creative and turn basic watercolor paper into beautiful butterflies. One way is to simply use different watercolors to paint images of butterflies.

Research different types of butterflies and try to paint realistic insects. Or create an abstract painting based on ones you have seen fluttering about in your yard. Both would make a fun activity for kids of all ages.

abstract swallowtail butterfly painting with art supplies outside on the ground

Another way is to cover the paper with watercolor paint with different colors and patterns or even splatter paint style. Then cut out the butterfly's wings.

  • unique butterflies splatter paint monarch's on the grass with sticks and ferns
  • splatter paint paper in monarch butterfly colors orange, yellow, and black on a rock with paint brushes

These paper butterflies can be hung up and used as a cute decoration. Or kids can play with them outside while they chase real butterflies.

Butterfly Ring Craft

Using the watercolor paper, and glue, kids can create a butterfly ring craft. Cut out wings of different sizes to make more than one ring.

Or have your kids come up with a way to create a ring using only paper without glue. Simply cut out the butterfly while leaving a long strip attached. Then roll the attached strip to make a ring.

Stamped Butteflies with Paint

Using the underside of leaves, apply a layer of watercolor paint. Then press the painted leaf down onto watercolor paper. Slowly lift the leaf up once you applied pressure around the entire leaf. A wonderful way to integrate stamping using natural elements.

butterfly on girl's hand as she makes a print with leaves and watercolor paint paint supplies on ground brushes and water dish

Try out a few different types of leaves. I had better luck with one type of leaf compared to another. A fun way to create your own butterfly prints using leafs found outside.

stamped butterfly summer craft with leaves and paint

Once dried, the leaf prints can be turned into beautiful greeting cards. Creating a special gift to give to a loved one.

Or simply cut them out, add a small magnet to the back to crate a colorful butterfly magnet. Great for kids off all ages.

Beautiful Butterflies Made of Flowers

Not only do flowers come in all different shapes, sizes, and smell amazing, but their petals can be used to make spring and summer crafts. Lupins are perfect since their petals already form half of a butterfly.

  • purple lupin on a wooden board with petals turned into butterflies
  • cute little butterflies made out of purple lupin petals

Encourage your kids to use different types of flowers to create cute little butterflies. Older kids will be able to manipulate the flower petals easier than younger children.

  • yellow coreopsis with a bee on the flower
  • yellow coreopsis butterfly on wooden board summer craft

Use Mod Podge to Create Decoupage Butterflies

For a fun way to make these creations last more than one day, lay the petals on paper or another flat surface. Then coat the underside of the petals with mod podge or decoupage and place them on the surface.

Once they are all in place, cover the top of the petals with one or two thin coats of modge podge and let dry. If using a glass jar, flower petal butterflies can become stained glass butterflies.

Back to Basics - Simple Butterflies

Here you will find a few more butterfly crafts that are really easy for kids of all ages. Water applied to a rock using a paintbrush can make beautiful butterflies without the mess.

  • water painting art project butterflies on rocks
  • simple butterfly craft water painting on rocks

Add in some chalk mixed with water and you have a fun way to paint without using actual paint. Or even just use chalk, but instead of applying it to pavement or cement, go out and find some large smooth rocks.

easy peasy butterfly craft out of chalk and water on rock

Coat a little one's hands with water and help them for a handprint butterfly craft. What is great about using water, kids still have all of the fun, but you don't have to worry about clean up.

Even use simple pine cones arranged into butterfly wings or pieces of ferns with bark as a body. Sticks can be used to create butterfly art in the sand along with sticks arranged to form the outline of a butterfly's wings.

  • easy peasy butterfly craft made with ferns and bark on the ground with moss
  • fun craft butterfly in the sand using sticks

Use any of these to make a fun and quick impromptu craft while exploring the woods with kids. Little ones love to be creative even if using simple natural elements found in nature.

Nature Inspired Learning with Kids

What I love best about these crafts is that they encourage your kids to get outside and be creative. Having to problem solve while coming up with ideas is what makes these crafts so fun.

fantastic fun pine cone butterfly craft

Make these crafts during the spring then make them again as a summer craft and have a completely different experience.

Similar to an open ended toy, these will hopefully encourage your kids to use critical thinking skills along with simply having fun.

Butterfly Themed Science Resources

Pair these fun craft projects with some more butterfly learning resources.

  • Butterfly Children's Books
  • Life Cycle of a Butterfly Printables

What other materials can be used to make butterfly crafts for kids?

I would love to hear about what you and your kids use to create your own beautiful butterfly craft. Make sure to share your ideas in the comments below.

And don't let your kids be the only one to make these, I had so much fun making many of these by myself. Mom's can benefit from a little bit of arts and craft time as well!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Betsy says

    June 17, 2021 at 11:25 am

    Wow, these are so fun! My oldest kiddo is fascinated by butterflies right now, so we'll have to try some of these ideas out. I especially liked the stamped butterflies with paint. Thank you! 🙂

  2. Kristin says

    June 17, 2021 at 11:43 am

    I love all the different nature elements that are incorporated into these butterfly crafts. Also, having a list of books we can pair with this work is so helpful. We have four kids and often spend time outside exploring and nature journaling with watercolors. This post has something for every age and skill level, from our 2 year old to on up, and it will be a great addition to our nature studies. Thanks!

  3. Stephanie says

    June 17, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    I LOVE this post!! We just got done studying butterflies for our homeschool and this is a fabulous way to bring that to life. I'm going to have to save this for the next time we study butterflies. But for now, I'll have to take your watercolor idea and use it...we have been enjoying watercolor recently! Also, I look forward to checking out all of the resources you linked, they look like good ones! The Life Cycle of Butterflies has been on my "to buy" list for a while. Thanks for sharing this!

  4. Ada says

    June 18, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    This is so beautiful! Easy to make and creative craft. I love how you use nature to make these beautiful crafts. I'm forwarding this post to my sister too. Thank you so much for sharing these ideas!

    • Julie says

      June 18, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Your very welcome Ada, I hope you both enjoy making them.

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Meet Julie

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Hi! I'm Julie, author of natureinspiredlearning.com.

I'm a middle school science teacher, turned work from home mom.

Join me as I share easy activities you can do with your kids.

Activities integrate Art, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing in meaningful ways.

Resources are designed for kids of all ages...Pre-K through 5th grade.


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