[Childcare] Butterfly craft ideas
When spring arrives and many flowers bloom, we often see butterflies fluttering from flower to flower.
They make you want to chase after them, or gaze intently as they rest—butterflies are fascinating insects for children, too.
Here, we’ve gathered craft ideas all about butterflies.
From classics like origami to projects using various materials such as tissue paper and colored cellophane, and even fun techniques like footprint art and cardboard stamping—these ideas are sure to spark children’s curiosity!
Let kids freely express their favorite colors and patterns to create colorful, adorable butterflies!
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Feel the Spring Up Close! Fun and Easy Craft Ideas You’ll Love
- [Preschool] Tulip wall display ideas to make in April
- [Childcare] Recommended for spring! Cute dandelion craft ideas
- [Childcare] Fun to Make! Recommended Craft Ideas for Spring
- [For Age 3] Let’s make it in April! A collection of craft ideas to feel spring events and nature
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas
- [Childcare] Let’s make things with various materials! A collection of recommended craft ideas for April
- [April Crafts] Useful for childcare! Spring craft ideas for 1-year-olds
- [Childcare] Recommended for nurseries and kindergartens! Cherry blossom craft ideas
- [Childcare] Ideas for March wall decorations
- [Childcare] Decorate in April! Butterfly Wall Display Ideas
- Origami Butterfly Ideas That Are Easy for 3-Year-Olds
- [Childcare] Simple origami ideas for kids, perfect for spring
[Early Childhood Education] Butterfly Craft Ideas (1–10)
Butterflies made with string-pulling art
These string-pull butterflies let you enjoy the process with excitement, not knowing what pattern will appear until it’s finished.
Prepare strings coated with paints in various colors and have the children place them freely on a sheet of paper.
Fold the paper in half to sandwich the strings, then pull the strings while moving them around as you like.
Once the paint dries, cut out a butterfly shape, attach the antenna pieces, and it’s complete.
Cute creations are lovely, but artistic pieces like these are wonderful too.
Wings pop out! 3D butterfly
This is a super cute butterfly wall decoration with fluttery wings.
Fold a sheet of construction paper in half and cut it into a butterfly shape.
Then, on the inside, draw a slightly smaller butterfly outline and cut along it.
Open it up, gently fold the inner wing parts upward to make them stand out, and attach the face and body pieces.
Add wing patterns, eyes, and a mouth, and attach a short piece of chenille stem (pipe cleaner) curled into a coil to the head.
Your butterfly will look ready to take flight! Decorate your wall with colorful butterflies for a springtime look.
Butterfly made from footprints
Butterflies made from children’s handprints and footprints are perfect for crafts with little ones.
Use paint or ink pads and say things like “Press it down—pe-tan!” to help them enjoy onomatopoeic expressions.
For children, the cool, tickly feeling of paint on their feet and watching the color go on with a peta-peta sensation will feel fresh and fun.
Say things like “You did a great job!” so they can feel a sense of accomplishment, too.
The way a footprint fits just right as the wings is unique—and there you have your butterfly.
[Childcare] Butterfly Craft Ideas (11–20)
A large butterfly made from tissue paper
A large, palm-sized butterfly with a cute, fluffy tissue-paper texture.
Stack several sheets of tissue paper, fold them, and cut them into a butterfly shape.
Separate the layers one by one, then place the tissue-paper butterfly into a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) folded in half, as if sandwiching it.
Gather the paper at the crease by scrunching the top and bottom toward the center, then twist the pipe cleaner to secure it—and you’re done.
If you cut the tissue paper in advance, all that’s left is to sandwich and twist, so it’s an easy craft to try during craft time!
Butterfly coloring page
Let’s try expressing the beautiful patterns on a butterfly’s wings with a coloring activity! Draw the butterfly’s outline and pattern lines on paper in advance so you can use as many favorite colors as you like and finish with a colorful butterfly.
After that, just fill in the sections with crayons or pens.
If you only have the butterfly’s silhouette, it’s easy to color everything in solidly, but when it’s divided into smaller sections, it naturally encourages the idea of “Let’s change the colors for each part!” If gripping tools is difficult, using finger paint to color with your fingers is also recommended!
color cellophane butterfly
This is a butterfly craft with beautiful patterns made from peeking colored cellophane.
Cut origami paper into a butterfly shape, fold it in half, and make cuts with scissors so that a pattern appears when you open it.
After unfolding the origami, place small pieces of colored cellophane behind the patterned openings so they peek through, and secure them with tape.
Flip it to the front and add decorations to the butterfly with crayons or stickers to finish.
If you display it where sunlight shines through, the colored cellophane parts will look even more beautiful!
3D butterfly
This is a three-dimensional butterfly made using a toilet paper roll.
Cut construction paper—decorated with any patterns you like—into a butterfly shape, then attach a toilet paper roll wrapped with origami paper to the center.
Add a pipe cleaner at the top of the roll for antennae, draw on the eyes and mouth, and your cute butterfly is complete.
For the patterns, you can of course draw with pens or crayons, but it’s also fun to dip a rolled-up piece of corrugated cardboard in paint or ink and stamp with it! Let’s all enjoy making our own original butterflies.