Our paper plate butterfly craft is a fun, colorful, and easy craft activity to do with kids this spring. It comes with a printable template that you can trace onto a paper plate and cut out.
Kids will have a blast decorating their butterfly with bright paints, markers, and buttons. They can create a cheerful and unique design while exploring their creativity. This craft is perfect to do with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary school kids.
Once finished, these butterflies can brighten up classrooms, playrooms, or even a spring-themed display at home. This craft is a playful way for kids to celebrate the season, with blooming flowers, sunny days, and fluttering butterflies all around.
If you’re looking for more spring craft ideas, don’t miss our full collection of paper plate spring crafts for kids that will keep them entertained and inspired all season long!
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Supplies you need to make the paper plate butterfly craft
- One paper plate
- Glue
- Scissors
- Watercolor
- Two white construction papers (for printing the butterfly template)
- Markers
- Buttons
- Thin pencil or thin paintbrush (optional, for curling the butterfly’s antennae)
- A small piece of colored construction paper (for the antennae)
- A small piece of colored cardstock (for the butterfly’s face and body)
- Butterfly printable template (available in our shop)
Steps to make a paper plate butterfly
Follow these simple steps to create your own colorful paper plate butterfly. With a little cutting, painting, and decorating, you will have a bright and beautiful butterfly ready to display.
Step 1
To make this Paper plate butterfly craft, start by purchasing the printable butterfly template from our shop.
Then print both the template pages on white construction paper. Now you’re all set to begin the fun!
Step 2
Cut out the butterfly shape from the first printable page and place it on a large white paper plate. Trace the butterfly outline onto the paper plate using a pencil and cut it out.
This is a great activity for kids to practice their scissor skills. Kids may need help from adults based on their age and skill levels.
Step 3
Now that we have the paper plate butterfly shape, it’s time to paint! We used watercolors for a bright and beautiful finish.
Step 4
Kids can have fun experimenting with different colors to make their butterfly as vibrant as they like. We used four colors, painting them one by one from top to bottom. Then we added a second coat and let it dry completely.
Step 5
Set the painted paper plate aside and take the second sheet of the butterfly printable. Carefully cut out the butterfly’s body, then place it on colored paper and trace around it. Cut out the traced shape.
Cut out the two eyes from the template. Stick them onto the butterfly’s face.
Use a black marker to draw the eyelashes. Draw a sweet smile with the black marker too. Add two little cheeks using a red or pink marker to give it a cheerful look.
Step 6
Let’s add some details to the body.
Kids can draw stripes on the butterfly’s body using a marker. We used a light brown color to make thick stripes.
Step 7
Cut out the small rectangle shape from the template. Use it to cut a small strip from cardstock paper.
Apply glue to one end and attach it to the back of the other end to form a small round loop. Stick this loop behind the bottom part of the butterfly’s head.
Now glue the head onto the paper plate wings. This creates a slightly raised, 3D effect that makes it look extra lively.
Stick the bottom portion of the butterfly’s body onto the paper plate using glue. Press gently to secure it in place.
Step 8
Get a small piece of construction paper and fold it in half. Cut a thin paper strip with the folds together so you will have two paper strips of the same size and shape. We used green construction paper.
Roll one end of each paper strip slightly around a thin pencil or paintbrush, then slowly slide it off. These will be the antennae for the butterfly’s head. Stick both behind the butterfly’s face.
Step 9
Now for the final, fun part! Stick buttons onto the butterfly’s wings to make it even more cheerful. Kids will love choosing their favorite colors and decorating their butterfly.
Look at our beautiful paper plate butterfly craft! Isn’t it the perfect spring craft to make with kids?
More Butterfly craft ideas for kids
Spring is the perfect time to add a little color and creativity to your craft table! If your kids loved making butterflies, they’ll be so excited to try even more fun and easy butterfly crafts this season.
Check out some of our favourite butterfly craft ideas below! These easy and fun spring crafts are sure to brighten up your day with lots of color and creativity.
15 Easy Butterfly crafts for kids: Looking for a fun way to keep the kids busy this spring? These 15 easy butterfly crafts are perfect for rainy days indoors or sunny afternoons outside! With paper plates, handprints, and fluttering designs, kids will build fine motor skills while having so much creative fun.
Fluttering cupcake liner butterfly craft: Butterflies are full of stunning colours and such a joy to watch! This beautiful cupcake liner butterfly craft is incredibly easy for kids to make and so much fun to play with. Move this craft up and down to create a beautiful fluttering effect!
Paper weaving heart butterfly craft: Make a fun and eye-catching paper weaving heart butterfly craft with the kids. This easy project teaches simple paper weaving while building fine motor skills in a hands-on, creative way. With just a few basic supplies and our free printable template, you’ll have a beautiful butterfly ready to display in no time.
Letter b Butterfly craft: Have fun with our beautiful Letter B Butterfly craft as part of your letter-of-the-week activities! This gorgeous sponge-painted butterfly helps kids learn uppercase and lowercase B in a creative, hands-on way.
Butterfly books for kids
Caterpillar to Butterfly: From wiggly little caterpillars to breathtaking butterflies – what an amazing transformation! This exciting Level 1 Reader takes kids up close to discover how it all happens, plus fun facts about different butterflies and even poisonous caterpillars, all with stunning National Geographic images.
My, Oh My–A Butterfly! All About Butterflies: Flutter, giggle, and learn with the Cat in the Hat as he shares amazing butterfly facts in his famous rhyming style! From sipping nectar with straw-like tongues to seeing thousands of tiny images at once, this fun-filled book makes science exciting for young readers.
From Caterpillar to Butterfly: Watch the magic of metamorphosis unfold in this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book! Follow along as a tiny caterpillar eats, grows, and transforms into a stunning Painted Lady butterfly right before the children’s eyes.
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