Learn how to make the cutest coffee filter butterflies for spring! These are easy, inexpensive, and FUN to make for kids of all ages.
Skills Required: None. Even if your children have never crafted before (or you haven’t), you’ll be able to do this craft. You’ll be bleeding markers (easy) and twisting pipe cleaners.
I don’t know about you, but once I get hooked on a craft supply, I stay on it for a while. There are a few reasons. First, once my nieces and I try a craft, we like to exhaust the possibilities.
There are lots of craftfails in that process.
But it’s okay! Because we’re having fun, right?
The second reason is a little more . . . financially minded. It’s because when we buy things like coffee filters from the Dollar Tree, we end up with a pack of 500!!
Rather than leave the stack there for ages collecting dust, we decided to add something to the crafts we’ve already done: turkeys, bats, snowflakes, flowers, and a wreath.
What did we end up trying? Coffee filter butterflies! We wanted to do a project just as fun as our clothespin butterflies, but with the filters. It was an obvious next step.
These butterflies are perfect for kids of all ages. You can make these with 10 year olds, but a three year old can do these as well. They’ll be coloring with washable markers.
I mentioned that the coffee filters were from the dollar store, and you can get pipe cleaners there as well. I opted for some striped ones from Michaels to make some cool antennae. I think they’re so fun!
This is a really inexpensive project for children – even a group of kids like in a classroom – for a very, very low price. Gotta love that!
Are you ready to try this coffee filter butterfly craft? Let’s start with what you’re going to need.
Gather These Supplies
- Coffee filters – 2 per butterfly
- Washable markers – fall colors (brown, orange, red, mustard, yellow, etc)
- Pipe cleaners – 1 per butterfly
- Small spray bottle of water
- Hair dryer (optional)
Tips and Thoughts for This Project:
- The best color variety comes from picking two lights and two darks that are different. If the colors are too similar, you won’t get the “tie dye effect” you’re looking for.
- If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can drop water (single drops) on various areas of the filter, or use a toothbrush to fling water onto the filter. It might be a bit messier but it gets the job done.
- Don’t add too much water when you spray the filter. You want to barely saturate the filter, otherwise all the water will drip off the filter and take the color with it.
- You can let the coffee filter dry naturally. It might take a few hours. Other options are to use a hairdryer, or place in the oven for a few minutes at the lowest heat. If you use the oven, use a baking sheet and watch the whole time so nothing catches fire.
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Coffee Filter Butterflies
Equipment
- Hair dryer (optional)
Materials
- 2 Coffee filters per butterfly
- Washable markers – spring colors
- 1 Pipe cleaner(s) per butterfly
- Small spray bottle of water
- Wax paper optional
Instructions
- Choose four colors that you would like to use for your butterfly. Picking a variety of colors that are different shades (light and dark) makes for the best results.
- Start with a magenta or similar dark shade of marker. Draw a circle around the edge of the coffee filter.
- Take a contrasting color marker and draw some circles around the coffee filter on the inside of the line.
- With the remaining two markers, add additional lines and shapes at random to the inside of the other lines on the coffee filter. No need to add too much ink. All the colors will bleed into each other.
- Place the coffee filter down on a washable work surface. You can use a craft mat, silicone mat, or wax paper. Mist the paper with 4 – 5 sprays of water and you will start to see the markers bleed. This is what you want.
- Leave the coffee filter on your work surface to dry. Additionally, you can take a hairdryer and dry the filter, or place in the oven for a few minutes at the lowest heat (watching the entire time).
- Place the filter on your work surface. Accordion fold the filter by folding about 1/4" up on the end. Flip over and fold another 1/4". Repeat until the filter is completely folded. Repeat with a second filter.
- Take the two coffee filters and place them together, sandwiching between your fingers.
- Bend a pipe cleaner in half. Wrap around the center of the pinched filters and twist. Then twist the ends of the pipe cleaner into curved antennae.
- To turn your project into a butterfly, fluff the wings by pulling them apart at the base a bit. Repeat with the other wings.
- Repeat the same process with additional marker and pipe cleaner colors.
Video
If you enjoyed this cute summer craft for kids, let me know in the comments! Also check out these other posts: