How to craft paper doily butterflies

      These little butterflies are easy to craft. All you will need are a few pom-poms, wiggly eyes and paper doilies. I hand-colored my doilies for the blue butterfly and left another set white for the second version of this craft.

      You will need to accordion fold two paper dollies and glue four pom-poms on top of each other and let these dry over night before assembling the butterfly. Use a very tacky white glue for this project and it will prove far less frustrating to complete. You could use a hot glue if you'd like, but this glue is not safe for little ones to handle.

Vintage Butterfly Clip Art

brown butterflies, blue forget-me-nots

Description of Illustration: butterflies, moths, flowers, forget-me-nots in blue and pink, basket, text "Forget Me Not" 

blue and yellow butterflies, pink-forget-me-not

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.

Craft a Very Hungry Caterpillar

      Above is a caterpillar craft that I taught during my student teaching. Kindergartener's spent the first day of this project coloring abstract shapes, line and colors onto white paper with crayons. Then they painted with watercolors on top of their crayon designs.
      On the second day, students then traced around giant leaf stencils and cut them out of green construction paper. Then they cut elliptical shapes from their decorated papers and assembled these onto their "leaf frames" with paste. The last step was to add eyes and line details to their caterpillars and leaves with a black magic marker. 

 "Two girls A.R. and G.H., ages 9 and 11, took my puppet workshop. After graduating from the advance level they performed The Very Hungry Caterpillar all on their own without any help. A.R. plays the caterpillar and the butterfly. G.H. handled all the props. They did this video in one take, I am so proud of them!" from hagley productions

More Related Content:

• Eric Carle Activities and Lessons
• Hungry Caterpillar Charm Bracelet
• The Cocoon - Child Sermon
• Kelsey's Crafts: Egg Carton Caterpillar
• 20 Facts About The Caterpillar/Butterfly

The Last of Summer by Nell Brinkley

I have cleaned this lovely cartoon butterfly girl by illustrator, Nell Brinkley. Brinkley has long since flown from the earth but her work is still just as endearing. If you'd like to see more of it, I could include a category here at this blog of her work only. She really was quite a popular artist in the early 20th Century. What do you think?

Nell Brinkley Says:

      Butterflies go with the ending of Summer ---butterfly girls go with the ending of the gay night that is their lives. Butterflies grow rare and at last do not flicker gold anywhere, when the sumac turns scarlet and the aspen on the far hills changes into little golden coins; butterfly girls vanish and are no more dimples and sparkle and laughter when there is no more fun to have, when the lights are out and real work comes. But I love a golden butterfly in the sun; and who doesn't joy to watch the butterfly girl dance her way through the sober faces and the earnest!

      Somebody said, " A butterfly lives but a day-- and what if that day is rainy!" So, little butterfly girl whose day is so short, may it be sunny and clear.

More About Illustrator Nell Brinkley:

• Biography and sample illustrated medallions by Brinkley

Craft Giant Easter Egg Art!

      Below are student examples of three Giant Easter Egg pictures. Although each example is created with a distinct drawing or painting method, all of the pictures have the same theme. Sometimes crafts on the web are mislabeled under categories that use a method of working to describe the theme. It is the theme that is the subject of an art lesson and it is the method that is the verb describing an art project's process. When art educators are required to write lesson plans, they learn that the title of an art lesson includes the subject and that the description includes the process. 

      But on the web, teachers, crafters and companies selling their ideas and product will list the methods as the subject in order to drive traffic under different words and phrases to their web pages. This is why it is advantageous for teachers to search under both the method or the theme when surfing the web for any sort of craft/art idea.

• Easter Eggs for You To Color

      This giant Easter Egg was crafted using a popular wax resist method. Young students learn to color with firm pressure onto drawing paper before painting a watery solution of colored paint over the surface of their wax colors. The paint will then leave traces of painted paper where ever the crayons have not been applied. The use of this method is very popular in grade school because it shows students how they can use art materials and also develops their eye-hand coordination.

      This giant Easter Egg sponge painting requires young students to use unconventional tools in the act of painting. Sponges are easy for little hands to manipulate and these hold all kinds of sticky, messy paints made from inexpensive mixtures that kindergarten teachers can quickly shake together without investing large sums of cash in a art project. Small children do not generally produce art that will be kept forever by anyone other than their parents so, it is important to use materials that may be expendable but also fun to work with. The key to developing student performance in art is repetition and inexpensive materials ensure that the activity is repeated frequently.

      This giant, bright colored Easter egg was painted with watercolor paints and a soft camel hair brush. First the student used a black marker to draw her whimsical butterfly, fish and flowers. Then she painted in her picture with bright, festive colors. I have discovered that very young students produce marvelous watercolor paintings but grow apprehensive about the resulting finished product as they age. This is because the younger an art student is, the less inhibited they are about "how" their artwork looks. Their inhibitions are the unfortunate result of growing old, I'm afraid.

More Helpful Links to Homemade Paint Mixtures:

• Homemade Paints from About.com
• Homemade Paint: Make Your Own Paint
• Easy Homemade Paint Recipe

This video, from Nuttin' but preschool, demonstrates an excellent step-by-step process for making homemade "tempera" paints. However, if you are an artist, you know that actual tempera paints used by professionals include an egg binder. So here is an old recipe for high school students.

"The Butterfly's Ball"

The Butterfly's Ball Poem

On the smooth-shaven grass by the side of the wood,

Beneath a broad oak that for ages has stood,

See the children of earth, and the tenants of air,

For an evening's amusement together repair.

And there came the Beetle, so blind, and so black,

Who carried the Emmet, his friend, on his back;

And there came the Gnat, and the Dragonfly too,

And all their relations, green, orange, and blue.

And there came the Moth, with her plumage of down,

And the Hornet, with jacket of yellow and brown,

Who with him, the Wasp, his companion did bring;

They promised the evening to lay by their sting.

Then the sly little Dormouse peep'd out of his hole,

And let to the feast his blind cousin the Mole;

And the Snail, with her horns peeping out from her shell,

Came fatigued with the distance, the length of an ell.

A Mushroom the table, and on it were spread

A Water-dock-leaf, which their table-cloth made,

The viands were various, to each of their taste,

And the Bee brought the honey to sweeten the feast.

With steps more majestic that Snail did advance,

And he promised the gazers a minuet dance;

But they all laughed so loudly he pull'd in his head,

And went, in his own little chamber, to bed.

Then as evening gave way to the shadows of night,

Their watchman, the Glow-worm, came out with his light;

So home let us hasten, while yet we can see,

For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.

Color A Celtic Resurrection Butterfly Cross

       I used metallic ink pens to color in my teacher's sample cross drawing. These inks really stand out if you draw with them on dark or black construction paper. Although, I chose to draw on a nice acid free paper for this particular activity (construction paper fades rapidly). The project is designed for students fourth grade and up. I've included patterns for the butterfly and cross below for those of you who would like to draw a cross very similar to mine. I colored the floral part of my design with Rembrandt colored pencils. These have a nice velvety texture that sharply compliments the metallic inks.

      The butterfly in the modern Christian church, and when I say modern I mean within the last 100 years, is used as a symbol for resurrection. This is because the metamorphosis that takes place during the life cycle of butterflies mirrors the lives of regenerated Christians in both life and death after the Holy Spirit indwells them personally. The cross, in turn, symbolizes the beginning of this resurrection process because of the ultimate price of salvation paid for us through Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection from the tomb.

      Encourage your students to frame their work if they are pleased with the results. I have found that many parents love to receive simple drawings such as these for a birthday or Mother's Day and/or Father's Day gift.

This is my teacher's sample of a Resurrection Butterfly Cross. Students can use all kinds of metallic ink pens to color in their sketches. They will need to use a white or yellow colored pencil to trace around their stencils before applying the inks. Although I chose silver for my sample, this pattern would look just as attractive in gold or copper inks.

Click directly on the image to download the largest possible file. You will need to fold an additional piece of paper and place the dotted lines of the cross template on top of the fold to cut out the entire cross pattern.

More Links to Cross Drawing/Coloring Projects:

• Bible Verse Easter Cross from The Glitter Queen. Also more cross projects here and here again by Kids & Glitter.
• Color Crucifixion Symbols
• Color a Early Pectoral Crucifix
• Jesus, died for our transgressions
  

Drawing Butterflies By Progressive Steps

     I have included here a series of five, butterfly, drawing exercises from an old book. In each case it is the last figure of each series of diagrams that you are striving to copy.

      Learning to draw is best when students are encouraged by multiple means of processing information. Teachers should encourage progressive diagram drawing, drawing from real life, drawing from artworks and from their imaginations. The more articulate the student, the easier it becomes for him or her to express themselves. It is difficult for art students to become articulate if their teacher is attaching too much philosophy to practice early in their pupil's development.

      Each method of drawing accesses different areas of the brain. Educators will soon discover that different students excel at different rates according to their familiarity with utilizing that particular part of their brain. Teaching art to the very young should focus primarily on the absorption of knowledge and how to use it within a wide variety of circumstance/context. 

      All artists should be given time to learn how to manipulate information without having the process judged by those art educators that teach according to current popular belief.  Do not fixate on artistic schools of thought or practice until a student is approximately sixteen or older and is able to make important choices for himself apart from your personal tastes and opinions.
      The method of drawing illustrated in the jpgs. below, is very appropriate for cartoonists or graphic designers to learn. Encourage art students to try this method of making art along with many other practices inside your classroom.

full frontal butterfly draw

Draw butterfly from side.

Draw another butterfly from side.

Smaller butterfly drawing challenge.

Last step-by-step butterfly drawing challenge.

The Living Butterfly

Paper butterfly pattern.

      Cut out the wings all around the outside black lines and fold them together at the dotted line A. Cut out both sections of the body and paste them together, with the exception of the legs and antennea, which are to be spread apart. Now slip the body between the wings at the white space. BB and bend the wings down at right angles to it at the dotted lines CC. The butterfly is now finished. To set it in motion hold it between the thumb and forefinger, as shown in the model, and pinch it gently, being sure to have the thumb and finger high enough under the wings so that they will be raised every time they are pinched and lowered when the pressure is relaxed. If you do this just right the butterfly will look like a little living creature poised for flight and an observer will be scarcely able to see what makes the wings go up and down. If you like to paste a thin piece of note paper on the wrong side of the wings to cover the printing and to color them on both sides. You will have a very pretty toy to add to your collection of cut-outs.

• Color an Art Nouveau Design: Madam Butterfly
• A butterfly maze puzzle by kathy grimm
• "F is for fancy fairy" alphabet coloring page (with butterfly wings)
• Craft and color your very own butterfly kite!

"Handy" Little Butterflies

       These little butterflies made with magic markers and construction paper sure come in handy when you need a quick way to decorate your classroom for spring! Little ones can also learn the parts of a butterfly while crafting their butterflies.

Students can learn about patterns and colors with this assignment. First they will need to fold a
white sheet of paper in half twice and fill in each of the four spaces with patterns of shapes and
colors of particular selection. After they have completed this step, students will then need to
trace around their hands four times within each square of their designed paper. Cut these hands
out to form the wings of your butterflies. I stapled their wings to some simple shapes of a
butterfly's thorax cut from black construction paper. You can also add a few
chenille stems for antennae.

This little kindergartener is so proud of her creation. What seems to be old-fashioned to us is
 always entertaining to a five year old. It is one of the many blessings of being new to the world.
Every little innocent thing holds some fascination for the very young.

Many of these butterflies did not make it to the bulletin board. My kindergarteners loved this
butterfly craft so much, they tried to sneak their paper butterflies home! I saw them, however,
stuffing their new friends into their backpacks before I could collect all of my bulletin board trim!

I stapled the butterflies all over my display areas after students finished this art project. What an
easy fun way to decorate bulletin boards!

Create a Butterfly Yarn Picture

      Not only do yarn pictures have textures and colors that fascinate young and old students, these kinds of projects use up all the scraps of materials that you feel guilty about throwing away.  So why not put all of that stuff to a fun and creative use? 

      First you will need to give your students some newsprint so that they can practice cutting out butterflies. After they have made a stencil that they are happy with, have them trace it onto black paper or poster board with a white lead pencil. Every student will then need a bottle of white glue, scissors, and a pile of yarn plus odds and ends. I pasted chenille stems and pom-poms onto my butterfly yarn picture as well. Follow your butterfly outlines with a line of glue, pasting down the yarn in uniform lines a little at a time.

      Have fun experimenting. This project is best completed by students in 3rd grade and up. It can be done by younger ones but they may not have the patience to complete it. It takes quite a long time to finish a yarn picture so spread the activity out over several days. 

      If your students truely love the activity you may wish to give them sturdier wood boards to work on. Yarn paintings can become quite elaborate and decorative. There are several indigenous folk artist groups  that have mastered the art of yarn pictures. Exhibit a slide show of some of their work to inspire your students before starting the project. I will link to some of these folk artists below.

Left: My butterfly stencil, Right: I've traced around the butterfly stencil
 with a white lead pencil so that I can see my design on the dark
background paper.

My finished butterfly yarn picture has many textures and colors.
This project took me approximately three hours to complete.
The project measures 8 x 11 inches.

More Related Content:

• Yarn Paintings: Art of The Indians
• The Huichol Center for Cultural Survival
• Huichol Yarn Painting

The Butterfly

I saw a little four-year-old

Out in the grass at play:

He watched a little patch of sun

That came and danced away.

And suddenly his eyes lit up,

He gave a little cry

And clapped his hands in wild de-

light--

He saw a butterfly.

He followed it and tried to catch 

The wonder in his hands;

It flitted on ahead of him

Across the clover-lands.

Again and yet again he tried,

It always flew away,

And let him lonely when the sun

Had vanished from the day.

And through the night the little

lad

Would clutch his hands and cry

Out from his dreams, "Oh, come

to me,

Bright little butterfly."

And this is life with you and me,

Children we are who run

To chase some wonder-spangled

thing

That glistens in the sun.

And when night comes out empty

hands

Clutch at glad dreams that

creep

Up through the silence and the

dark

to shine across our sleep.

* * * *

A baby wishes to kiss this monarch butterfly; she is so sweet.

A Repeating Line Butterfly Design

      Give students newsprint to fold, design and cut out their own butterfly stencil. 

      Then have them trace around their stencils onto some interesting tissues or napkins printed with bright colors. Cut and decoupage these butterflies to a very large piece of white drawing paper and let the pictures dry. 

     Students may then use markers to draw lines around their butterflies that echo the shapes, colors and rhythms of their butterfly decoupage.

The butterflies appear to vibrate with the rhythm of the line work.

• The Lord Is Risen! coloring page
• The True King's Crown

Craft A Simple Butterfly Mask

Above is my teachers sample. We used magic markers to cover the mask with bright patterns and colors.

I crafted simple butterfly masks with my kids at the school last week. I traced my butterfly pattern onto inexpensive paper plates and cut these out ahead of time. The eye holes were located in the upper oval shapes of the top of my butterfly's wings. 

This simple mask project is perfect for kindergarteners. They also loved to skip about the room and pretend to be flying in a garden with their masks on!

• "I am the resurrection and the life..." coloring page

The butterfly song for your young students.