How to Make Butterfly Magnets Using Coffee Filters

Need a new magnet for your fridge?

If you are a teacher or parent of young children, you probably love to find easy crafts to make with them. You can make these fun, colorful butterfly magnets using coffee filters and other items you have around the house.

Things You'll Need

• Coffee filters
• Markers
• Spray bottle
• Wooden clothespins
• Pipe cleaners
• Hot glue and gun
• Small magnets

Instructions

1. Use your hands to flatten and smooth out a coffee filter. Set it on the table, on some newspaper or an old vinyl tablecloth to keep from getting marker on the table.

2. Color the filter using the markers. Encourage your child to use a wide variety of bright colors.

3. Fill the spray bottle with water. Spray the filter thoroughly with the water until it is saturated. This will cause the colors to bleed together. Allow the filter to dry completely for about an hour.

4. Bunch the coffee filter together in the center. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the center, so that equal amounts of the pipe cleaner are sticking out from it. These will be the antennae.

5. Clip a clothespin to the center of the coffee filter. This will be the body of the butterfly. Hot glue a magnet to the back of the clothespin. If desired, glue "googly eyes" onto the butterfly.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a hot glue gun, use super glue.

• Don't allow a small child to use a glue gun or super glue. An adult should handle this step.