Butterfly Craft For Kids

Finger Puppet Instructions

This project has proved to be a really simple butterfly craft for kids to make.

And as you can see my littlest son is very proud of his finished finger puppet...I think he has made 3 puppets in all, using different colours for each one!

How to make your butterfly craft

Materials & Equipment

Adult preparation

This is the bit that you will need to do before you sit your younger children down to make their butterfly craft. For kids who are a little bit older you might like to incorporate this stage into the main project, so they can do it all themselves.

1. Print out the butterfly template onto coloured card.
   
   
2. Cut around the outside of the butterfly shape, then carefully cut away the inside of the wings, so that you are left with a shape like the one below:
   
   
   
3. Press the cardboard wings (with the printed side up) onto the sticky side of a piece of sticky-backed plastic.
   
   
4. Cut away the excess plastic from around the outside of the butterfly.
   
   
5. Stick a piece of double-sided sticky tape onto the rectangular space between the wings (onto the same side of the butterfly as the sticky surface of the sticky-backed plastic). Leave the top layer of the tape on so that the kids can peal it off later.

   If you are preparing this butterfly craft for kids to complete later on you can press the backing paper from the sticky-backed plastic back over the sticky surface of the butterfly to store it more easily.
   
   

6. Cut or tear the scraps of tissue paper into small pieces and put them into a low-sided bowl or tub, so that your kids can rummage through to find the colours and sizes that they want to use. Do the same with the scraps of wrapping paper and card.
   
   
7. When you are ready to get the kids involved, give each child a prepared butterfly shape, a rubber glove finger and access to the tubs of paper.

Kids...

...this is the fun bit, where you can start to make your butterflies!

1. Carefully stick some of the little pieces of paper onto the sticky plastic that shows through on your butterflies wings.

   You could use a single colour for each wing or make a pattern with lots of different colours. You could make it symmetrical like a real butterfly or you could make a magical, rainbow butterfly of your own invention.
   
   

2. Make sure you cover all the stickiness, it's fine if the pieces of paper overlap but you don't want any bare bits of plastic to show when your butterfly is finished.

   Your butterfly craft will look something like the one below at the moment, but don't worry...this will be the back of your puppet once it is finished:

   
   
   
3. Fold your wings along the dotted lines so that they stand up in a 'V' shape.
   
   
4. Peal off the top layer from the piece of tape on the middle of your wings and then stick them firmly onto your rubber glove finger, which will now be the body of your butterfly.
   
   
5. Pop your finger inside your butterflies body and hey-presto you can flutter your beautiful butterfly away! Why not take your finger puppet outside to see if there are any flowers for it to land on?
   

Printable instructions

To make it easier for you to follow these instruction whilst you are actually making your butterfly craft for kids, I have created a print friendly version of the same steps. Hopefully this will prevent your computer from getting covered in glue, glitter or paint!

see a printable version of these instructions

Other ideas for you to try

Here are some ideas on how else to use your finished butterfly craft for kids...

• ...to hang in a bright, sunny window? The tissue paper wings make a great sun-catcher.

• ....as a hair accessory? Instead of attaching the rubber glove finger, attach your butterfly to a large flat hair clip.

• ...as an adornment for a special greetings card? Again leave off the rubber glove finger and stick the middle section of the butterfly to a piece of folded card instead.

Contact Me

If you would like to share any pictures of your finished butterfly crafts please e-mail me your snaps and I'll display them here. I would love to see how your kids have interpreted my ideas, and what crafts they have created. Also, if you have any of your own ideas for a butterfly craft for kids to make, then please get in touch.

Click the Contact Me button on the home page menu to send me an e-mail.