Fun and cute butterflies that make you feel the arrival of spring.
Here, we’ll introduce simple butterfly origami that 3-year-olds can enjoy!
There are a few different ways to fold them, including ones with fewer steps, plus ideas for freely decorating your finished butterflies.
Get some colorful origami paper and markers ready, and let the kids use their imagination to fold their very own original butterflies.
Fold lots of butterflies and let’s all enjoy the cheerful feeling of spring together!
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[For Ages 3] Easy Origami Butterfly Ideas (1–10)
A butterfly made from two sheets of origami paper
The large upper wings make a big impact! Fold two identical parts in the same way, but for the step where you fold the last corner diagonally downward, fold it in the opposite direction on one of the parts.
Insert the tip of one finished part into the pocket at the tip of the other part, and you’ll get a butterfly with its wings spread wide to the sides! Fold the bottom tip back slightly to the reverse side to round it off, and you’ve completed a butterfly with characteristically broad, outspread wings.
It’s also fun to make the parts from different colors of origami paper to create a butterfly with different colors or patterns on each side.
3D butterfly
You can make a 3D butterfly that looks like it might flutter away any moment just by tweaking the folding a little! Fold the origami paper in half, then fold the left and right edges to meet the center crease.
From there, fold it in half again, and fold the opposite edges to meet along the crease.
After adding diagonal creases, open it like a roof, fold one side downward, flip it over, fold along the center, and turn it back to the front.
Finally, keep folding so that the center becomes three-dimensional, and you’re done.
The steps from the middle can be a bit tricky, so try making it with teachers providing support, or have the children do the simpler initial steps.
a patterned butterfly
Let’s add some patterns to a cute, rounded origami butterfly! The base butterfly is three-dimensional.
By folding the center into a triangle, you’ll give it a dynamic shape.
If you fold down all the corners slightly, it will turn into a cute butterfly with soft, rounded edges.
Once the butterfly base is complete, finish it off by adding stickers or drawing patterns with pens to make a colorful, adorable butterfly! Some steps are a bit complex, so it might be a good idea for the teacher to make the butterfly base and have the children decorate the wings with patterns.
A butterfly you can make with just two folds
Just two folds! Place the origami paper so the corners are at the top, bottom, left, and right, then fold it in half by bringing the left and right corners together.
Fold the bottom corner diagonally upward so it sticks out past the upper-right edge, and in no time you’ll have a butterfly.
It’s okay if the corners don’t line up perfectly! Offsetting them a little gives the wings a sense of motion, so there’s no need to stress about folding it perfectly.
Use patterned origami paper or add designs with pens or crayons to create a butterfly full of personality.
A fluttering butterfly
It’s great to fold and display your creations as artwork, but using what you make to play is also one of the joys of origami.
With this method, which adds a handheld section on the back center of the butterfly that moves in sync with the wings, you can flap the wings of the butterfly you made and have fun! Because of the mechanism, there are inevitably some complex and delicate steps, but the initial parts—like making diagonal and cross creases or folding into triangles—are plenty enjoyable for children! Be sure to have the kids and the teacher work together and finish it as a team.
swallowtail butterfly
Enjoy the process of drawing the patterns as you make it! Here’s an idea featuring a swallowtail butterfly.
Swallowtails are a beautiful type of butterfly that can be seen from around April to October, known for their striking wing patterns.
Because of their beauty, they’re especially popular and loved by many people.
This time, let’s make a swallowtail butterfly with origami.
You’ll need black origami paper and a black pen.
It’s a good idea to look at a field guide or similar reference while drawing the patterns.
A butterfly you can clip into a notebook
It’s great that it can also be used as a bookmark for picture books! Here’s an idea for a butterfly that clips onto your notebook.
This clip-on butterfly is a cute item that’s perfect for picture books and notebooks.
You can make it with origami in your favorite colors and patterns, so both the crafting process and using it as a bookmark are sure to be exciting! It’s especially handy when you’re using picture books or notebooks with lots of pages.
It will lift your spirits when you open your notebook or book, so give it a try!