Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft

This coffee filter butterfly craft is a classic. This is a fun craft to do with a group of children because it is so versatile it tends to highlight each child's creativity. We set this up with our two daughters, ages 2 and 6, and provided a box of regular markers, dot markers and stampers. True to their natures, our older daughter was meticulous in her design, gentle with the marker so the dots wouldn't run on the filter, while our two year old was fascinated with how thoroughly she could coat the coffee filter with the dot marker ink. This coffee filter butterfly is a great spring craft or bug craft to do with kids of multiple ages and abilities.

What you'll need:

  • Coffee Filter (the basket kind rather than the kind that is v-shaped)
  • Clothespin
  • Small googly eyes
  • White glue
  • Markers
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Scissors
How to make your Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft:
  1. Hold the clothespin with the grippy end (the part that would hold your clothes) facing up.
  2. Glue the two googly eyes to the grippy end of the clothespin as shown. Draw a mouth on using a marker. Set this aside to dry.
  3. Let your child decorate the coffee filter however they would like. Dots, designs, completely colored, etc. Point out that the longer the marker touches the filter the farther it will spread.
  4. Once the coffee filter is dry, start at one end and fold it accordion style.
  5. Pinch the coffee filter in the middle so that it bunches up there a bit, and put this area in the grippy part of the clothespin. You can adjust the wings as needed.
  6. Cut the pipe cleaner so it isn't too long, bend it into a v-shape and then clip it in with the wings.
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