Chances are you have made at least one coffee filter butterfly in your life. Personally, I’ve made many! Working in the craft industry, especially making kid’s crafts, presents me with plenty of opportunities to show kids how to make this classic butterfly craft that not only their parents probably made when they were little, but their grandparents too! Coffee filter butterflies are easy to make and oh so beautiful!

Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft

This particular craft has been popular for many, many years. In fact, when my (now) 17-year old son was in first grade, I came into the classroom and made these coffee filter butterflies with the students. The pictures in this post are actually quite old too! These photos were taken in 2009!

Kids love making butterfly crafts. These are colorful, unique and easy to make. All you need is a coffee filter, some watercolor paints and a pipe cleaner. This is a great opportunity to talk about butterflies, caterpillars and spring as well.

Supplies you will need:

• 1/2 black pipe cleaner
• Paper coffee filter
• Watercolor paints
• Paintbrush
• Water

Things you may find helpful:

• Smocks to keep the kids from messing up their clothes
• Mugs or heavy bowls for water so they aren’t easily spilled
• Paper towels
• Newspaper or a plastic or vinyl tablecloth to cover the work surface

Helpful crafting tips:

• For a more vibrant butterfly, be sure to paint all white areas of the coffee filter with paint.
• Tie a piece of fishing line around the “neck” and suspend from the ceiling. They will look like they are flying!
• Instead of using all the colors on one filter, make some with warm colors (red, yellow, orange) and some with cool colors (blue, green, purple).

1. Flatten the coffee filter and place it on a plate or newspaper, the paint and water will soak through. Set aside on paper towels to dry.

2. Fold the pipe cleaner in half. Remember, you are only using half of a pipe cleaner to begin with.

3. Fold the coffee filter accordion style, in about ½” pleats.

4. Twist the pipe cleaner around the filter to secure it in place.

5. Bend the tips of the pipe cleaners over about ¼” to create the antennae.

6. Fan out the butterfly wings.

You can hang these from the ceiling or make them into a mobile. Fishing link works great because you can’t see it, so the butterflies appear to be flying! I hope you have fun with this craft, there’s a printable version down below.

Keep your extra coffee filters on hand to make these beautiful watercolor luminaries for spring, and don’t forget to check out my collection of colorful crafts for kids for more fun project ideas.

More butterfly crafts

• These gorgeous paper doily butterflies are so pretty and such a fun craft for the kids!
• Turn tissue paper into this three-dimensional puffy butterfly for spring!
• Turn pony beads and toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls) into these lovely little cardboard butterflies.

Print Project

5 from 5 votes

Coffee Filter Butterfly

This classic coffee filter butterfly craft is always popular with kids. Coffee filters and watercolor paint turn into beautiful butterflies that your kids will love!

Author: Amanda Formaro

Supplies

• 1/2 black pipe cleaner
• Paper coffee filter
• Water color paints
• Paintbrush
• Water

Instructions

• Flatten the coffee filter and place it on a plate or newspaper, the paint and water will soak through. Set aside on paper towels to dry.
• Fold the pipe cleaner in half. Remember, you are only using half of a pipe cleaner to begin with.
• Fold the coffee filter accordion style, in about ½" pleats.
• Twist the pipe cleaner around the filter to secure it in place.
• Twist the pipe cleaner around the filter to secure it in place.
• Bend the tips of the pipe cleaners over about ¼" to create the antennae.
• Fan out the butterfly wings.
• If desired, hang with yarn or fishing line.

This post originally appeared here on May 14, 2016.