How to Make Butterfly Ornaments

Make a butterfly ornament to look like your favorite butterfly.

Family crafting is a way to connect with your children and teach them how to be creative. There is an endless list of kid-friendly crafts that involve simple materials like paper, pipe cleaners and Popsicle sticks. If you and your children love insects and butterflies, create your own butterfly ornaments to hang as decorations. Butterfly ornaments are made from only a few simple crafting materials and allow your children to experiment with color and paper folding techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Paper squares
• Markers, crayons or paint
• Hot glue
• Scissors
• Tiger tail jewelry line
• Clothespin
• Pipe cleaners

Instructions

Wings

1. Decorate paper squares in any size with markers, crayons or paint. Make sure to cover the entire front of the piece of paper with a design. Each butterfly ornament requires two paper squares.

2. Place the paper square face down and fold one corner diagonally up between 1/4 and 1/2 inch, toward the opposite corner of the paper. Flip the paper over and fold the corner again in the same direction. Continue doing this to create a fan-fold from corner to corner.

3. Pinch the folded paper together in the middle, then fold it in half. Spread out the folds at the top and bottom of the paper to create a wing-like effect.

4. Place a dollop of glue in the crease between the top and bottom wing, then squeeze the crease together to secure the wing into place. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for the second wing.

Body

1. Cut a length of tiger tail jewelry line and loop it in half. Squeeze a dollop of glue onto the back of a non-hinged clothespin, just below the rounded head.

2. Stick the ends of the looped tiger tail into the glue so that the loop sticks out at the top at least 2 inches. Let the glue dry.

3. Wrap the clothespin tightly in a layer of brown or black pipe cleaners, making sure there are no spaces in between wraps. Glue the ends of the pipe cleaners to the clothespin. Leave the top of the head bald.

4. Take a pipe cleaner and coil it in the center. Make the coil as big as the bald spot at the top of the clothespin, with the two ends of the pipe cleaner sticking out at the sides. Squeeze a dollop of glue on the bald spot, then press the coil over to cover it and let it dry.

5. Bend the pipe cleaner ends upward and trim them to create antennae.

6. Squeeze some glue along one side of the pipe cleaner. Unfold one side of the fan-folded paper so that it will glue flat onto the clothespin. Repeat this for the wing on the other side.

References

• Danielle's Place: Butterfly, Caterpillar and Inchworm Crafts for Kids