3 Ways To Make Coffee Filter Butterflies

The coffee filter butterfly craft is such a classic kids craft activity that utilizes a few simple items you may already have at home. I love how this spring craft always provides that WOW factor. While the butterfly craft is fun, little do the kids know that we are also working on their pincer grip and fine motor skills too. In this post I am going to show you two different ways you can create the coffee filter butterflies craft.

This activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers and uses household supplies.

Coffee Filter Butterflies Supplies

All you need is

• coffee filters
• washable markers (or food coloring mixed with water OR watercolors)
• pipe cleaners
• spray bottle filled with water (or an eye dropper)
• Googly eyes are optional but a wonderful addition.

Watch the video here

How to make coffee filter butterflies

This fun low mess activity is a great summer craft idea. I also think it’s perfect for spring.

I like to place the coffee filters on a tray, but you can also use baking sheets (or a cookie sheet instead.)

Take 2 coffee filters and place them on top of each other

Then use your Crayola washable markers to color the entire coffee filter in. You can create any pattern or design that you want. Experiment with how much color you use versus how little. Cover the whole coffee filter on one or two, then color less to experiment.

In some, include less white space; in others, more. It’s about experimenting with your preschoolers.

When you’re done coloring them in, spray the coffee filter with water so you can watch the colors begin to mix. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can use a dropper to apply water.

Try not to use too much water.

Look at how the purples begin to blend into the red and oranges.

Leave them aside to dry.

Once they are dry, separate the two coffee filter and begin to pinch and fold them in accordion style in the middle.

It’s pretty amazing to see how the color bleeds through to the bottom coffee filter.

You can use one coffee filter per butterfly, or two. I prefer two because it looks fuller.

Then place a clothespin through the two coffee filters.

Then

Cut and twist a pipe cleaner to create the butterfly’s antenna.

And add some googly eyes using hot glue.

There you have it! Adorable coffee filter butterflies.

Try out different color combinations.

Here’s another way to do it:

Instead of using washable marker you can use food color mixed with water and drop it onto the coffee filters. (If you want it even more vibrant use watercolor paints.)

How to make coffee filter bag butterflies

We’ve done this activity and craft SO many times over the last few years. There are so many variations and changes that you can make. For example, below we used coffee filter bags instead of the normal round filters.

We also used pipe cleaners instead of clothespins.

Materials Needed: Coffee filter paper (We used Coffee Filter Bags), pipe cleaners, washable markers, food coloring and water, and a water spray.

First, I opened up our coffee filter bags to make more of a butterfly shape. My son is 3 years old here.

You can choose whether you want to use markers or whether you would prefer to use water mixed with food coloring. I’d try it both ways so that your child can see the different possibilities for the coffee filter butterfly craft

First, D experimented with the food coloring. (I added some food coloring to water inside an ice cube tray to create a rainbow of colors.)
He learned how to squeeze the dropper and to stop squeezing to fill the dropper with the color. He then squeezed again to drop the color onto the coffee filter bag.

Look at how the color spreads.

Here is mine.

Then, we took a marker and colored it on a coffee filter bag.

Can you see how much fun he was having? 🙂 My sweet son! My heart melts when I see him enjoy our activities together.

Then we colored a coffee filter bag using washable marker…

Then, I sprayed it with water. D LOVED the spraying part. I need to look for more water spraying activities since he seems to really enjoy it.

When dry, add pipe cleaners.

You could add a clothespin instead of the pipe cleaner. Then it would be a coffee filter butterfly clothespin craft! I have seen some people create beautiful wreaths too!

You can then create a coffee filter.

Check out more butterfly activities here

• Finger Painting Butterflies
• Folded Butterfly
• Colored Salt Butterfly
• Butterflies in our Bugs Sensory Bin