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Easy Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft

Are your kids fascinated by gorgeous butterflies? Then let them create their own with this Coffee Filter Butterfly craft! It makes a great spring craft project for kids to work on.

With a few basic craft and household supplies, you can tie dye coffee filters with washable markers and create dozens different coffee filter crafts for kids!

Three finished butterflies made with coffee filters and pipe cleaners.

Our printable butterfly life cycle worksheet goes well with this project or make these coffee filter rainbows for another spring themed activity.

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.

Three coffee filter butterflies in different colors laying next to each other.

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

Coffee filters, pipe cleaners, markers, scissors, and small water spray bottle.

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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.

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. 

Using markers to color on coffee filter for craft project.

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.

Four coffee filters tie dyed with markers.

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.

One colored coffee filter laying flat and the other fan folded.

Stack fan folded coffee filters on top of each other, as pictured.

Hand holding two fan folded coffee filters together.

Fold the chenille stem in half and place coffee filters one-third from the base. 

Craft tutorial step showing how to assemble coffee filter butterfly with pipe cleaner.

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.

Chenille stem pipe cleaner twisted to create butterfly body.

Open and fluff out the wings of the butterfly. Pinch at the ends to retain the folds.

Adding beads to coffee filter butterfly antennae.

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.

Curling pipe cleaner antennae for coffee filter butterfly.

More Coffee Filter Crafts:

More Spring Crafts:

Three coffee filter butterflies in different colors laying next to each other.

Coffee Filter Butterflies

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Coffee filters and washable markers transform into a pretty butterfly craft for kids!

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Fan fold two coffee filters to create wings for each butterfly.
  7. Stack fan folded coffee filters on top of each other, as pictured.
  8. Fold the chenille stem in half and place coffee filters one-third from the base.
  9. Twist the bottom loop of the chenille stem. Twist once above the folded coffee filters, creating a tight section.
  10. Leave a ½” loop and twist again to create the butterfly head. Leave the antennae straight for now.
  11. Open and fluff out the wings of the butterfly. Pinch at the ends to retain the folds.
  12. Thread a pony bead on the end of each antennae and curl them into a swirl.

Notes

Drying time may vary.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Collage of finished coffee filter butterflies with text overlay describing craft.

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