Paper Butterfly Clothespin Craft

Craft this easy and fun paper butterfly using a clothespin to make it flutter! When you’re done, try this flapping butterfly craft using a straw. This post contains affiliate links.

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Ever since my clothespin paper puppets went viral eight years ago, I’ve been loving to craft with clothespins. They’re affordable, they are wood and have a nice feel…and they can animate crafts in cool ways!

So while I already did share a clothespin butterfly in this space, I wanted something where the clothespin was used for animation, and the wings were a bit more butterfly-like.

So I decided to make these gorgeous paper butterflies using clothespins as the center! While it doesn’t fully animate it, combine the opening and closing with fluttering it up and down, and you have an adorable animated paper butterfly.

I started by designing a set of wings to use with the craft – all with patterns inspired by real butterflies. I made eight sets of wings total, and decided to offer two styles for free to keep it accessible for everyone, available to download at the bottom of this post.

The full 8 sets of wings in different sizes and file formats is available for a few bucks in my shop, on Etsy, and TPT. Your purchase helps keep this blog going, and more ideas coming, despite the major shifts in search and social media.

Tips for making a paper butterfly

There are so many ways you can craft this paper butterfly – and yes, it’s great for both big kids and preschoolers! A, age 4, had fun with it, I had fun with it…

Coloring it in

I chose to color the pink and green ones in using alcohol markers (I used this set for this craft). I used a thin white paint marker for detail as well. To demonstrate that you don’t need special equipment to make this gorgeous, I used regular Crayola Supertips for the other butterfly.

I didn’t necessarily follow any real butterfly design – you can do that if you want. Instead, I chose a hue and selected a few shades of the same to color it. It helps to have a good range of colors in your marker set – a 24 or 40 pack will do it, whether you’re using alcohol markers or Crayolas.

Color this in however you like – and get creative!

More ways to use this template

While this was designed for use as a clothespin butterfly, they are a perfectly adorable sweet set of wings that can be used in any craft! Note: they are wings only!

Here are some ideas:

• If you have a large format printer, you can turn them into a costume.
• Trace them onto a sheet of clear acetate, color them with Sharpies on the reverse side, cut them out, and use them as suncatchers.
• Try black glue art with them! Trace them using glue mixed with black acrylic paint, and then watercolor between the glue.
• Use spoons to turn them into spoon puppets.
• Use them in fairy crafts as fairy wings!

Because they are loose wings, you can do so much with it, and use it as a template for many different types of butterfly crafts.

Another variation within the same paper butterfly clothespin craft: You can overlay the wings on the flat side of the clothespin, or you can attach them to the narrow sides where it opens – on each side!

Choose your favorite way to make this.

Activities to try with your paper butterfly

So you crafted your clothespin paper butterfly – now what? This is a great way to get started with Spring and Summer activities!

Here are some fun activity ideas to try with your crafted paper butterfly:

• One of my favorite thing to do with any craft is to make it alongside a story or book. So if you’re reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar – or anything about butterflies – use this to bring that part of the story to life.
• Craft it in conjunction with learning about metamorphosis. The beauty of the wings will show kids that even from a “plain” caterpillar (the clothespin), with enough hard work, something beautiful can emerge.

• Different results: give a group of kids the same single set of wings, don’t let them see each others’ progress, and watch how they get different results! Share how even given the same set of circumstances, you can influence the end result. And that each person can create something beautiful, even if it’s vastly different.
• Use it in fine motor activities – the pincer grasp of the clothespin helps build prewriting skills!

How to make a paper butterfly

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Supplies needed

• The templates printed on regular paper (so that they flutter) – get it here or print the free sample at the end of this post.
• Markers – alcohol markers (for teens and adults) will come out gorgeous, or go for something like Crayola Supertips
• Clothespins
• Scissors
• Glue – any white glue will work but I like to use double sided tape.

Process

1. Color it in. Make it realistic or fantastical. Play with different shades of the same hue if you’d like.

2. Cut out the wings.

3. Glue them side by side on the flat part of a clothespin, or on each side of the side that opens.

Pinch them and wave them up and down to make them flutter!

Download the paper butterfly template

The full bundle

If you want all the butterfly designs, it’s a premium download, available in my Etsy shop. Your purchase helps keep this blog alive and the tutorials coming. There is also a free sampling below.

The free sample files

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.