These Coffee Filter Butterflies make a great spring craft for kids to make.
With a few basic craft and household supplies, you can tie dye coffee filters with washable markers and create dozens of gorgeous butterflies!
Our printable butterfly life cycle worksheet goes well with this project or make these coffee filter rainbows for another spring themed activity.
Get 15 easy coffee filter craft tutorials conveniently all in one place for you with our Cute Coffee Filter Crafts digital craft book! Access it on your phone, tablet, or computer any time.
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Butterfly Coffee Filter Craft
These tie dye coffee filter butterflies are quick and easy for kids to create and a great exercise in color theory and blending!
I love how simple and fun coffee filter crafts are for kids of all ages. They will love watching the colors blend.
This project is perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners, but even toddlers can help tie dye the filters.
Older kids can also create these butterflies with minimal assistance.
Once complete, hang your coffee filter butterflies on the wall or in the window for a pretty decoration.
Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft Supplies
- Round White Coffee Filters (2 per butterfly)
- Washable Markers
- Chenille Stems in assorted colors (1 per butterfly)
- Pony Beads (2 per butterfly)
- Water Spray Bottle
- Gallon zip top bags or cookie sheet or wax paper (to lay filters on for drying)
How to Make Coffee Filter Butterflies
Lay out and flatten your round coffee filters. Draw random designs on the coffee filter with a variety of marker colors. Create two tie dyed coffee filters for each butterfly.
Remember that color combinations next to each other on the color wheel will become muddy once blended – red and green; blue and orange; yellow and purple.
After you are done coloring, place your colored coffee filter papers on a cookie sheet or plastic zip top bag. Then mist with water to watch the magic as the colors spread and blend!
TIP: Wax or freezer paper will work as well in place of a cookie sheet, but place an old towel underneath to protect your work surface.
Set them aside to dry. Depending on the humidity, it will take about 1-2 hours for the filters to air dry. Some readers have suggested using a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
Fan fold two coffee filters to create wings for each butterfly.
Stack fan folded coffee filters on top of each other, as pictured.
Fold the chenille stem in half and place coffee filters one-third from the base.
Next, twist the bottom loop of the chenille stem. Then twist once above the folded coffee filters, creating a tight section.
Leave a ½” loop and twist again to create the butterfly head. Leave the antennae straight for now.
Open and fluff out the wings of the butterfly. Pinch at the ends to retain the folds.
Thread a pony bead on the end of each antennae and curl them into a swirl. If you do not have beads, that’s OK! You can still bend the antennae to finish the butterfly’s look.
More Coffee Filter Crafts:
- Coffee Filter Rainbow
- Coffee Filter Hearts
- Coffee Filter Leprechaun
- Coffee Filter Bats
- Coffee Filter Turkeys
- Coffee Filter Angels
- Coffee Filter Santa
- Coffee Filter Wreath
- Coffee Filter Holly Garland
- Coffee Filter Poinsettia Flowers
More Spring Crafts:
- Frog Paper Bag Puppet
- Unicorn Paper Bag Puppet
- Popsicle Stick Rainbow
- Fork Painting Truffula Trees
- Shamrock Shaker
- Homemade Kaleidoscope
- Soda Blossom Flowers
Coffee Filter Butterflies
Coffee filters and washable markers transform into a pretty butterfly craft for kids!
Instructions
- Lay out and flatten your round coffee filters. Draw random designs on the coffee filter with a variety of marker colors. Create two tie dyed coffee filters for each butterfly.
- Remember that color combinations next to each other on the color wheel will become muddy once blended – red and green; blue and orange; yellow and purple.
- Place your colored coffee filter papers on a cookie sheet or plastic zip top bag and mist with water to watch the magic as the colors spread and blend!
- TIP: Wax or freezer paper will work as well in place of a cookie sheet, but place an old towel underneath to protect your work surface.
- Set them aside to dry. Depending on the humidity, it will take about 1-2 hours for the filters to air dry. Some readers have suggested using a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
- Fan fold two coffee filters to create wings for each butterfly.
- Stack fan folded coffee filters on top of each other, as pictured.
- Fold the chenille stem in half and place coffee filters one-third from the base.
- Twist the bottom loop of the chenille stem. Twist once above the folded coffee filters, creating a tight section.
- Leave a ½” loop and twist again to create the butterfly head. Leave the antennae straight for now.
- Open and fluff out the wings of the butterfly. Pinch at the ends to retain the folds.
- Thread a pony bead on the end of each antennae and curl them into a swirl.
Notes
Drying time may vary.
