5 butterfly crafts for kids

Summer is the perfect time to look for butterflies. Keep an eye out and see if you can spot any flitting through sun-dappled woodland glades when you head into the woods this season. Which species will you discover?

If you're feeling inspired after spotting beautiful butterflies, why not have a go at our butterfly crafts for kids? With brightly-coloured wings in magnificent patterns, butterflies are brilliant insects to draw, photograph and base your crafts around.

From loo roll butterflies to butterfly wall hangings, there are so many fun butterfly crafts available for kids to enjoy. Read on to discover our top five butterfly crafts for kids and how to make them.

Butterfly crafts for kids

1. Toilet roll butterfly

This is a super simple craft that even very young Nature Detectives can get involved with and is a great way to recycle loo rolls! All you’ll need is a toilet roll, some scissors, PVA glue, felt tips or paint and some coloured card. Make sure you get an adult to help out with the scissors!

1. Get your toilet roll and either paint it or cover it in some coloured card of your choice.
2. Next, take a different coloured piece of card and cut out some butterfly wings and antennae. 
3. Glue the wings onto the toilet roll and stick the antennae onto the top edge of the roll.
4. Add some eyes and a mouth using paint or felt tips. You could even have a go at adding patterns to your butterfly’s wings.
5. And you’re done! Display your butterfly on a shelf or stick it down onto some card to make a 3D picture.

2. Butterfly wall hanging

Want to make your home look like a sanctuary for butterflies? Then have a go at making your very own butterfly wall hanging. You’ll need a stick, some string, sticky tape, scissors and coloured card or paper for this craft. You'll also need to print off our butterfly templates to help you cut your butterflies out. 

1. Grab your stick and some string and tie the string around each end of the stick to create a hanger.
2. Next, cut some butterfly shapes out of your coloured card. You can use our peacock butterfly outlines as a guide. 
3. Cut a few pieces of string (we opted for three, but you can do however many works for you) in varying lengths. These will be where your butterflies will hang. Tie each piece of string to the stick, leaving an equal gap between each one.
4. Stick your butterflies to the string with a small piece of sellotape on the back of each butterfly. Position them however you'd like! 
5. Now it’s time to put your butterfly wall hanging up! It looks great hanging near a window so that the butterflies gently flutter in the breeze.

3. Leaf butterfly

Why not have a go at making your own butterfly using natural objects? Head out into the woods or your garden to collect what you need, then head home to create your leaf butterfly masterpiece. You can use leaves for its wings, a stick or piece of bark for its body and flowers to decorate. Just make sure don't pick wildflowers or leaves off trees - only use items that have fallen naturally to the ground.

4. Butterfly mask

Transform yourself into a brilliant butterfly with this fun butterfly mask! All you’ll need is some coloured card, a hole punch, string, lollipop sticks, scissors, PVA glue and some felt tips.

1. Print and cut out our large peacock butterfly outline and draw around the outline onto a piece of coloured card. Cut this out.
2. Position the butterfly on your face and map out roughly where your eyes will be. Cut out two eye holes.
3. Use PVA glue to stick down your lollipop stick in the centre of the butterfly to make its body. Ensure it overlaps at the top slightly so there is room to glue on two more lollipop sticks for the butterfly’s antennae!
4. Next, use some felt tips to create pretty patterns on your butterfly’s wings. You could add big eye shapes like the peacock butterfly, or colour it in purple and white like the purple emperor.
5. Punch a hole on either side of the mask and add some string to make it easier to wear. Put it on and look – you’re a butterfly!

5. Butterfly symmetry painting

Teach your little ones about symmetry, and how butterfly’s wings are symmetrical, while creating some wonderful butterfly paintings with this simple symmetry craft. All you’ll need is some paper and paint.

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half, and then open it back up.
2. Dab some paint onto one side of the paper. Use different colours to create a butterfly’s wing, half of its body and one antennae.
3. Fold the paper back in half and carefully press it down.
4. Open it carefully to reveal a beautiful symmetrical butterfly!