How to Make Craft Butterflies Out of Paper Towels and Markers

Winter will soon arrive and with it bring a time or two of the winter blues. Bored children stuck indoors will need something to keep them occupied and help their poor parents keep their sanity. The following project will help parents occupy their children while making cheery reminders of Spring.

The following project involves using inexpensive items such as paper towels, pipe cleaners, markers and glitter to make pretty craft butterflies.

Begin the project by folding a paper towel in half and then opening it back up. The fold line, though faint will give you a point of reference when drawing your designs on the towel. Next use bold colored markers to draw designs on one half of the paper towel. Then copy the designs you made on the first half on to the second half so they are symmetrical.

After you have finished drawing your designs spray a small amount of water on to the paper towel. I have found that using a small mist spray bottle works best. Do not soak the towel as this will cause it to rip. Instead use just enough water to make the colors begin to run.

At this point, if you wish to use glitter, sprinkle it on now. Then allow the towel to dry. After the towel has dried, use the fold line as a point of reference and gather the towel together. The center of the towel should be smaller and the ends of the towel should fan out.

When you have gathered up the towel, wrap a pipe cleaner around the center to create the butterfly's body. Twist the pipe cleaner closed at the top of the butterfly body to secure it. Use another small piece of pipe cleaner to make antennae. Cut a small, two inch long piece of pipe cleaner and then twist it into a V shape. Slip the V shape through the twist you made at the top of the pipe cleaner body to secure it.

Children, particularly young girls, love making these butterfly's. It is also a great project for keeping children occupied at holiday, birthday and sleepover parties. Provide a wide variety of art supplies such as different colored markers and different colored pipe cleaners so multiple children can make customized butterflies.

If you would like you can use the finished butterflies to make a mobile. Just attach multiple butterflies to strings of varying lengths. Attach the strings to a plastic coat hanger and then hang the coat hanger from any desired surface.