Coffee Filter Butterflies Preschool Craft

Spring is my favorite season for crafts. While winter runs a close second for craft making, I enjoy making all the spring related crafts that help teach Avlyn about butterflies, flowers, seeds, bugs and more. Both of my kids enjoy making coffee filter butterflies. My son loved this when he was a preschooler and my daughter is the same way. She likes that we can work on this craft together, or she can pull out the paint and filters and work on them independently. I use this craft as a hands-on learning tool when we do our mixing colors unit. She made about ten the other day and wants to hang them in her room.

While her idea is to hang them, you can use these butterflies in a variety of ways. One idea is to draw a springtime mural on a piece of butcher block paper. Include flowers, grass, trees, clouds, and anything else that represents spring to you. Then make the butterflies and attach them to the mural as a 3-D effect. You can also make one and use it to demonstrate the life cycle of a butterfly. No matter how you use these, they are a lot of fun to make and the different colors make each one unique.

Supplies:
Coffee filters

Washable paint (We used the little bottles of Crayola brand paint)

Pipe cleaners

Scissors

Instructions:

Flatten the coffee filter and brush paint down the middle of the filter vertically. Add as many colors as you like. Just remember that the thicker the paint is in the middle, the longer it will take to dry. Fold the coffee filter in half vertically and lightly rub it down. Open gently to see the array of colors and let dry. You should have something like the picture below. I did the pink and purple and Avlyn did the colorful one. After they dry, grab them from the top and bottom and crinkle towards the middle. Cut a pipe cleaner in half and attach it around the middle. Bend the pipe cleaner so the ends look like antennae and fluff out the wings. Enjoy your butterflies!!