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.

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.

The post Paper Butterfly Clothespin Craft appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

There’s nothing like a good craft derived from the recycling bin to get the creative inspiration going, and these egg carton flowers are no different!

There are so many different ways you can turn cardboard egg cartons into flowers, but I’m going to share a way that makes use of the shape of the egg carton itself for a fun craft that can be done – on different levels – by virtually any age group.

While most tutorials for egg carton flowers can be quite advanced, with the goal being a polished finished result, I originally crafted this one with my toddler. The goal was just a fun process. And since you paint so much of this, it’s really fun for toddlers!

So while this does require a bit of adult (or big kid) input in preparing, and it uses a hot glue gun, it’s a much more simple egg carton flower tutorial.

Tips for making egg carton flowers

The egg cartons

One cool thing about this tutorial is that it makes use of the egg carton shape itself. The problem is that egg cartons aren’t all the same! Here are the egg carton flowers we made nine years ago:

And here are the ones we made this year:

The original egg cartons were MUCH more suited to egg carton flowers. But I’m happy that I have the chance to show you how to do this with egg cartons that aren’t as perfect.

I did play with both 18 egg and 12 egg cartons, and found that the dozen eggs was much better suited to this craft, so if you can choose that.

Choosing the right supplies for egg carton flowers

My original craft was created as an excuse to use some new neon colored Crayola washable paints with my toddler (those paints are no longer in production and are available at inflated prices. This bold set is most similar). If you are doing this with toddlers, you may want to stick with washable paints.

However, I found that the egg carton is VERY absorbent. The main difference in functionality between washable paint and good quality craft acrylics is in the richness of the color. Washable paints tend to be much less opaque and the coverage isn’t as good.

It has a look to it and you can definitely use that. For the remake, I went for good coverage and used craft acrylics from a good brand.

Another great option is paint sticks – they’ll dry quicker but won’t absorb as much. They lay on the color thick and smooth and are washable, however, you do need to get a good quality brand to make sure they dry well.

More material tips

As the years of running this blog progressed (I’ve been doing it for more than ten years) I found that my stash of supplies became more advanced and sophisticated. The cool thing about remaking a craft like these egg carton flowers is that even though I used better supplies this time, I know that it can be done simpler.

For example, I used colorful dowels on the remake. On the original, I used regular dowels. You can even use a stick from outside.

On the original, I added more leaves and used washi tape to integrate them… there are so many ways you can craft these egg carton flowers, just go crazy and get creative!

Notes on the original egg carton flowers

Confession time: I am not the perfect mom. I like when my crafts come out pretty. I also always disliked the concept of “adult-created kid crafts” that involve the adult so much more than the child.

Which is why I enjoyed this so much – I prepared the parts, we painted them together, and we assembled it “together”, but it’s totally recognizable as what he painted.

He takes great pride in it and definitely recognizes them as something he made – because he painted the actual final form.

Another thing is, because we did it TOGETHER it didn’t seem to matter so much. I wasn’t correcting his work, or adding on to it. We were doing it as a team effort. And I got the pretty I like when I craft and he had the time of his life painting with Mommy.

Two years later, these egg carton flowers are still sitting on our bookshelf, and M, now four, remembers making them. There are moments like these that simply stick. And despite the fact that I mess up often, and can make a list a mile long of my parenting mistakes, I know I’ve done right by him with this one.

How to make egg carton flowers

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

• An egg carton (one for 3 flowers)
• Wooden dowels – 3/16th inch ones work great here
• Hot glue gun (adults only) – my favorite is this one from Surebonder
• Strong scissors and/or craft knife
• Paint – washable kids’ paint or good quality craft acrylics
• Paintbrushes
• Smock

Process

1. (Adult) Cut your egg carton as follows:

Split the base into three sets of four. Cut around it halfway through, but leave that center part nice ‘n long, with the hole in the center.

2. The covers tend to have these leaf-shaped holes so that you can “peek” at your egg, I guess? Cut around them in a leaf shape. If you have a solid cover, you can simply cut out regular leaf shapes.

3. Cut the fronts and backs of the base and cover into long strips, and cut fringe into them. Don’t worry if its a bit broken up.

4. Paint your parts! You can just block in paint and have fun with it like M did on the original. Or, color it a solid color and add detail around the edges and center like I did on take 2.

Paint the back too. I used the color that I used around the flower edge.

5. Paint the center yellow. On take 2 I also added some brown detail and blended it in.

6. Paint the leaves green (again, some brown and yellow accents add dimension) and the dowel if you want.

Allow all your painted parts to dry completely before assembling.

7. Cut fringe into your yellow centers. It should be relatively close together, and almost till the end.

8. Optional: if you want to make things look a little nicer, curl out the fringe end of your yellow center. Simply roll it over the dowel. Do this so that it tapers off toward the end – the very end shouldn’t be rolled at all.

9. Assemble your flower! Note: on the remake, I used hot glue as an efficient and strong solution. On the original, I used a good quality washi tape which can work as well and is more kid-friendly. You can also use masking tape and then paint over it.

Start by gluing the dowel to the end of the center strip that is not curled out.

10. Start rolling it around the dowel! Do this by adding a small line of glue…

And then rolling up that bit, holding it in place till it sets. Repeat until your center is all rolled up.

11. Your egg carton should have a naturally occurring hole in the center of the flower. If it doesn’t, make a hole with a craft knife. Poke the dowel through the hole from the top of the flower.

12. Add some glue to the base of your center and push it all the way through the hole so it sits in that flower center.

13. Finish it off by gluing your leaves in place. Some leaves will have a natural curl to it – if it doesn’t, curl the ends around the dowel before gluing.

Your egg carton flowers are complete! Which occasion will you be crafting these for? Comment below!

These egg carton flowers look beautiful displayed simply in a vase!

And that’s all for now. I did add some white vase filler to it to anchor the flowers.  I love how this craft uses almost the entire carton, and makes the most of the various parts!

Loved these egg carton flowers? Try the flower crafts below:

The post Egg Carton Flowers – A Recycled Craft for Kids and Grown-ups! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

With Spring officially here, the caterpillars are working hard on becoming butterflies, so it’s time to get some butterfly crafts going!

Today, I’m going to be sharing a fun and simple craft using easy household materials! That is, we’re going to be making a flapping butterfly craft, including a free printable to color and use to make this!

This flapping butterfly craft is constructed using an inner stick and an outer straw that connects to each wing of the butterfly using an additional strap of paper. That way, when you hold it by the straw and pull on the stick, the wings flap!

It’s quite easy to craft and kids will have so much fun playing with it too!

Thanks to the paperlike nature of a butterfly’s wings, paper IS the perfect crafting medium here!

And while you CAN laminate this for durability, you’ll likely lose a lot of that free-flowing flutter that this flapping butterfly craft creates.

In fact, if you do want to protect this, you may be better off using something like packing tape to seal it rather than laminating it for real.

How to make a flapping butterfly craft

What you need

• The template (find it at the end of this post) printed on regular paper
• Markers – this one was crafted using alcohol markers, but kids should use regular water-based washable markers
• Scissors
• Cardstock scrap
• Scotch tape
• A skewer
• Craft knife
• Regular sized plastic or paper straw

Tutorial

1. Choose if you’d like to make a larger or smaller butterfly. Print out your templates and color them in. While we stuck with a traditional Monarch Butterfly color pattern (only using orange and yellow markers), you can color your butterfly in as many colors as you’d like!

You can also add different patterns to the different sections of the wings, or add inspirational words to the blank spaces.

2. Cut the template out.

3. Flip over your butterfly so that the back is visible. Cut a 3×1 inch strip of paper. Fold it down the center. Then fold up the two ends about 1 cm from the end. Hold it so that it forms a T shape.

4. Glue it down so that the two side flaps are on the butterfly, and the center fold sticks up.

5. Split a skewer down the center, about an inch from the top. A craft knife may help you do this neatly.

6. Stick it over the center fold of the strip of paper on your flapping butterfly craft.

7. Tape or glue it in place.

8. Cut about 2 inches slit in two opposite sides down the top of a straw.

9. Slide it over your skewer and over the paper so that it passes the paper and overlaps the butterfly wings themselves.

10. Tape or glue that in place above the strip of paper, on the wing itself.

Your flapping butterfly craft is complete!

To make it fly, hold the straw with one hand and move the skewer up and down with the other. Watch that butterfly go!

Download the free flapping butterfly craft template

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.

The post Flapping Butterfly Craft (free printable) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Try one of my favorite birthday party decorating hacks at your next event: buy a pack of tissue paper in colors to match your party decor, and see how many decorations you can make with it!

Today, I’m going to show you how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper – and yes, I have more coming.

I made these for Baby J’s first birthday party, which had a neutral theme, with forest and sage green, beige, and gold – and hints of eucalyptus.

How to make any size flower pom poms from tissue paper

These tissue paper pom poms take minutes to assemble the base for, and since it’s one of those things that still require a lot of assembly after purchasing (they come accordion folded and flat), you might as well buy them! Tissue paper comes in a wider variety of colors than the pom poms, so you can really match up anything while saving a few bucks and making an impact!

This is the kind of decoration that really fills a room, kind of like balloons, only without the danger of popped balloons floating around your one-year-old’s house after!

And the coolest part: you can make them in virtually any size!

My tutorial shows how to make half-sheet flower tissue paper pom poms. You can make whole sheet ones – just use more layers. Do quarter-sheet ones with fewer layers.

You get my drift!

Mine are hung at various heights at either side of a garland (tutorial coming soon) to really frame out a room.

Where to use your tissue paper pom poms

We used this at a first birthday party for a soft but neutral look. More ideas for where to include tissue paper pom poms in your decor:

• Baby shower – this is so perfect for that because of how soft and calming they are
• Bridal shower
• Kids party – while balloons might be more fun, getting these in the right colors can fill that same spirit
• Dorm room – if you’re looking for fun, cheap decor for your bedroom or dorm room, these are a fabulous choice.

How to make flower pom poms from tissue paper – Step by Step

You’ll need

• Tissue paper to match your party
• Scissors
• String
• A marker
• A ruler

Video Tutorial

Watch the YouTube video below for a step-by-step tutorial, or scroll down for photos.

Photo/Written Tutorial

1. Take four sheets of tissue paper, and fold them in half (how they’re usually packaged). Cut off that fold line near the edge so you have eight sheets.

2. Place the stack vertically on a flat surface. Start from the bottom. Accordion fold your tissue paper with about 3/4 inch folds.

4. Use a bone folder to smooth the creases as you go along and when you reach the end.

5. Shape your edges. You can definitely play with different shapes! On your first try, I recommend cutting a pointy edge by cutting off the corners. On this one, I did a rounded end.

6. Mark the center. This won’t show and can be permanent.

7. Cut a long piece of string – 2x the length you want it to hang, plus about 6 inches. At the halfway point of the string, fold it in half, and slide the fold under the center point of the folded tissue paper.

8. Slide your string ends through that loop and pull it closed.

9. Wrap the two sides of your string around that center and knot them together.

10. Fan out the sides of your accordion fold to form a bow.

11. Gently peel back a layer at a time, fluffing it out. Do this for half your layers on the right and left sides.

12. Flip over and repeat with the remaining layers.

You’ve successfully learned how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper for your next party! Now try it in more colors and with different edges!

Hang it from that long bit of string you left behind.

Which occasion did you decide to learn how to make flower pom poms from tissue paper for? comment below!

The post How to Make Flower Pom Poms from Tissue Paper appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Felt baskets are just so sweet and there are probably a zillion ways to make it. Personally, I have at least four styles of (purchased) felt baskets throughout my house, which just shows you how many ways they can be made.

In this post, I’m teaching you how to make easy DIY felt baskets two ways:

• Sewing a square basket (you can also hot glue this style)
• A no-sew version that is designed to be no-sew, not just a hot-glued version of the sewed one. It supports itself without any sewing or gluing and can be folded flat when not in use.

These are two totally unique templates that I offer for free at the end of this post.

The size of this one is a few inches in each direction. It’s perfect for fitting a few treats, or for mini storage. For example, I store my sewing clips in one of them.

Tips for crafting a DIY felt basket

Making felt baskets in big

These baskets are very small, because I wanted to fit them onto a single page – and sheet of felt. If you want to make them larger, you can absolutely scale them up. The formula should work in any size.

To do this, simply print it at scale (200%, 500% etc) and assemble the combined template using mine as a guide.

You can also simply use my template as a visual guide – especially the sewn one. Just look at how I constructed mine and construct your own from scratch.

It’s made of five equal sides: the base, and four walls. They are arranged as a “plus”. Make your own larger template from poster board. You can then reuse it to trace multiple baskets. Make sure to purchase good quality thick felt yardage if you’re making these DIY felt baskets in big.

Your Handle Choices for crafting a DIY felt basket

On the sewn basket, I created a handle template that you can cut from felt. If you’re making this in larger, you can sew it on. If you want to sew it on the mini basket, do this before you craft the rest or it’ll be too hard to get in there with the sewing machine. I just glued mine on cuz why not.

You can really use these handles for both baskets, but on the no sew version I added a handle from ribbon. I cut it a bit too short for it to show up nicely in the photos but the idea is there.

You can really mix and match, use ribbon or rope as handles for any basket. You can do the handles how I did – as hand ones that fold over on one side, or as arm handles that go from one side of the basket to the other.

Two templates and ways to craft a DIY felt basket

The two baskets have two totally unique templates and processes but I decided to combine them into this one post so that you can easily see them side by side and choose which to craft.

The sewn version (can be glued too)

There are a few ways you can assemble this template – and no, it doesn’t have to be machine sewed!

You can:

• Machine sew it like I did. I used a cheap basic sewing machine for this – nothing fancy is needed for sewing felt.
• Hand sew it in pretty blanket edged stitch, using coordinating embroidery floss
• Hot glue it as if you’re sewing it along the seam lines. I find that this has its own advantage: the hot glue provides some structure.

I machine sewed my basket to be a perfectly solid structured basket, that totally holds its own shape. To do that, I also sewed along the bottom seams. You don’t have to do that. You can exclusively sew the four corners if you prefer, just watch the bottom corners to make sure you close them off.

No Sew No Glue Stashable DIY Felt Basket

The second one takes really seconds to assemble and can be easily dismantled for storage when not in use. (Please tell me I’m not the only person who needs storage solutions for my storage solutions!)

It is assembled with a simple knotted bit of leather or faux leather cording.

You can also glue it in place or stitch it down with a few simple stitches of embroidery floss.

I did not include holes on the template – personally I usually punch those holes so I didn’t think to do it.

You can mark these yourself on your template if you’d like.

How to Make a DIY Felt Basket

You’ll Need

Basic Supplies

• Felt – it should be thick and stiff enough to hold its shape
• The template downloaded at the end of this post and printed on paper or cardstock, cut out
• Straight pins OR a washable fabric marker
• Scissors (I recommend fabric and detail scissors – I have Singer’s)
• Hot glue gun – I used Surebonder’s Hot Glue Pen with Detail Tip (gifted)

To Sew it

• A sewing machine and coordinating thread

No sew version

• Flat leather or faux leather lacing
• A hole punch that’ll work through felt (recommended)
• Ribbons or rope for handles

Assembly Instructions

Watch the video, or scroll down for written instructions:

Sewn

1. Pin your template to the sheet of felt and cut it out. (Or trace your template using washable fabric marker and cut it out)

2. Remove the template.

3. Fold up your side towards the center (make no note of the fact that in the photo mine isn’t straight – just make yours straight. It’s pretty forgiving, though).

4. Sew along that fold – I left about 1/8 of an inch seam.

5. Do this for all four sides.

6. Now sew your four corners. Start by pinching together two sides.

7. And then sew along the side where they join to create an external seam. Keep your seam size consistent with the bottom.

8. Do this for all four corners.

9. Cut two handles from coordinating or contrasting felt.

10. Glue them down on one end on opposite sides so that they are directly across from each other – about 1/3 of the way from the edge.

11. Glue down the other end so that you’re gluing the same back side of the felt down, forming a flat surface on the top of the handle.

Note: you can sew this down too but if making a very mini basket, it can be hard to sew down now. You can do it on the flat template, but you may find the handles make the sewing harder. I found this to be the easiest way to add the handles.

No sew

1. Pin your template to the sheet of felt and cut it out. (Or trace your template using washable fabric marker and cut it out). Make sure not to miss those four slits.

2. Remove your template.

3. Prefold your basket.

4. Make two holes each on the four rounded ends. To do this, fold up the flat sides, and then the rounded sides. Bring the rounded sides around the flat to meet each other and mark where you want the holes. The rounded sides overlap – make sure that the holes you make on them match up.

5. Match those sides back up and thread a piece of leather lacing a few inches long through them, from the inside to the outside.

6. Tie an overhand knot on the lacing.

7. Add a handle if you’d like! Mine is made from ribbon.

Download your DIY felt basket templates

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.

Your DIY felt baskets are complete. How will you be making yours and what will you be using it for? Comment below and then check out this fun DIY cardboard box storage bin.

The post DIY Felt Basket 2 Ways: Sewing and No Sew appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Everybody loves butterflies! This craft is inspired by their beautiful colors and symmetrical shape. It’s a wonderful multisensory activity that can strengthen many of your young crafters’ skills. At the end, we’ll attach a magnet to help you proudly display their artwork.

I first started doing this craft with preschoolers, but I found that my older kids always wanted to join in. This is a great, flexible activity for mixed skill levels, and each crafter can decide how much effort they want to put into their design.

Besides being adorable and fun, how do clothespin butterflies enhance children’s development?

Skill-building while making a beaded butterfly craft

Let’s start with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Using a pincer grasp (forefinger and thumb) to string beads is a huge leap in preschoolers’ development. This craft has them putting beads onto a pipe cleaner. The pipe cleaner’s stiffness makes it easier to work on this skill than using string, which flops around as you’re trying to aim for the hole in the bead. (I’ll be addressing teaching preschoolers to string with flexible strings on another post!)

The fuzziness of the pipe cleaner also requires you to push the beads down instead of just letting them slide on, so kids are continuing to manipulate the beads for longer.

Spring-loaded clothespins are also great for building finger strength. This craft doesn’t require a whole lot of pinching to open the clothespin – you really only need to do it once – but you can work more exercise into the activity along the way. Most kids won’t be able to resist pinching it just for fun anyway.

Another educational feature of this activity is colors, patterns, and sorting. Depending on your crafters’ level of development, you can have them name and choose what colored beads they want to use, sort beads to use a different color for each wing or set of wings, or create a pattern of alternating colored beads. You can introduce the idea of patterns with different levels of complexity for children who have already mastered simple patterns.

Of course, as with most craft activities, we’re exercising the ability to follow directions. While all crafts require following directions to some extent, this one is more unique as it has some new steps and materials that they don’t see every day – but that are still really easy and age-appropriate to work with.

As a bonus, you can also use this craft as part of a learning unit about butterflies. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a caterpillar by stringing beads onto a pipe cleaner… and then twist it to become the wings of a butterfly? 

How to make a beaded butterfly craft

Materials

• Clothespins
• Paint
• Pipe cleaners
• Pony beads
• Magnetic tape or small magnets
• Scissors
• Paintbrush
• (Glue – optional)

Process

1. Paint the clothespin with the color of your choice. Set aside to dry.

2. Thread pony beads onto two pipe cleaners. Leave about 1 inch empty on each end of the pipe cleaners.

3. Bring the two empty ends of the pipe cleaner together to form a circle. Twist the ends together and wrap them around the circle to hide the sharp ends.

Spread the beads out to leave an empty space on the top and bottom of the circle. 

4. Pinch the top and bottom together and twist the pipe cleaner together in that empty space between the beads. 

5. Repeat steps 3-5 with the second pipe cleaner.

6. Make sure the paint on the clothespin is dry. Pinch the clothespin to open, and slide the pipe-cleaner wings in. The clothespin will hold the wings in place, but you can reinforce it with a little glue if you like.

Adjust the shape of the wings as needed.

8. Take another pipe cleaner and cut it approximately in half for the antennas.

Fold the pipe cleaner piece in half and curl the ends.

9. Pinch the antenna pipe cleaner in the end of the clothespin to hold it in place. Reinforce with a little glue if you’d like.

Cut a small piece of magnet and stick it to the back of the clothespin. If it doesn’t stay, use glue.

Your beaded butterfly craft is complete! Did you turn it into a magnet? If not – can you think of a way to make this as a keychain?

How To Make A Beaded Butterfly (Fine Motor Craft for Preschoolers)

Print

Materials

• Clothespins
• Paint
• Pipe cleaners
• Pony beads
• Magnetic tape or small magnets
• Scissors
• Paintbrush
• (Glue - optional)

Instructions

1. Paint the clothespin with the color of your choice. Set aside to dry.

2. Thread pony beads onto two pipe cleaners. Leave about 1 inch empty on each end of the pipe cleaners.

3. Bring the two empty ends of the pipe cleaner together to form a circle. Twist the ends together and wrap them around the circle to hide the sharp ends.

Spread the beads out to leave an empty space on the top and bottom of the circle.

4. Pinch the top and bottom together and twist the pipe cleaner together in that empty space between the beads. 

5. Repeat steps 3-5 with the second pipe cleaner.

6. Make sure the paint on the clothespin is dry. Pinch the clothespin to open, and slide the pipe-cleaner wings in. The clothespin will hold the wings in place, but you can reinforce it with a little glue if you like.

Adjust the shape of the wings as needed.

8. Take another pipe cleaner and cut it approximately in half for the antennas.

Fold the pipe cleaner piece in half and curl the ends.

9. Pinch the antenna pipe cleaner in the end of the clothespin to hold it in place. Reinforce with a little glue if you’d like.

Cut a small piece of magnet and stick it to the back of the clothespin. If it doesn’t stay, use glue.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Beaded Butterfly Craft appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

This past fall, I was walking past my garden and I saw those last blooms withering away with the oncoming frost.

I decided that I need to preserve them for future crafting! There’s nothing like a home garden, with the love and nurturing it receives, and preserving those flowers, especially for crafting, helps that magic last.

Today, I’m sharing with you how to dry flowers quickly in the microwave. The truth is, the best use for this is when you need last-minute dried flowers for crafting. Otherwise, you can do much more going about this the traditional route – using books and lots of time.

When you microwave-dry flowers, you are a bit more limited in how many you can do at a time. However, since it’s a very quick process, even if you have a lot of flowers, you can churn out batch after batch if you give it a couple of hours, and get a whole garden-full done.

What you can do with speed-dried flowers

My main reason for wanting to dry flowers is for resin crafting. Smaller flowers are perfect for flower-in-resin pendants. Larger ones can be turned into loads of different crafts. Here are some ideas.

• Make flower mandalas: tape clear contact paper sticky-side-up, arrange in circular patterns, varying flowers, petals, and leaves, and then seal with another layer of contact paper.
• Cardmaking: Use dried flowers to add a gorgeous touch to your cards. Make sure it’s fully sealed and adhered so it doesn’t crumble all over.
• Resin: Beyond pendants, dried flowers enhance any resin craft you’d like to try. Incorporate larger statement flowers into DIY epoxy resin coasters, smaller ones into resin letter keychains, and tiny ones or petals into DIY resin earrings. You can arrange dried flower mandalas into larger resin art pieces and serving trays too.
• Collage-making: Glue them into different pictures and shapes. If you’re planning to preserve it, display it in a shadow box.
• Lantern-making: Decoupage them onto glass jars to make gorgeous lanterns.

There are so many other crafts you can make with them, so let’s dive into the best process for how to dry flowers quickly.

Tips for choosing flowers to dry in the microwave

Based on my trial and error, I found that the flowers that work best for drying are those that have:

• Distinct centers, and petals that can neatly spread around them.
• OR Stems with small blooms that can be dried flat as a single unit
• All pieces still very secure
• Smaller flowers work best, larger flowers require more time and batches.

If you have favorite flowers you want to work with but they don’t seem right for drying based on my tips above, you can also simply dry the petals. Leaves work fabulously as well (but I find that they get more brittle).

You can also try and experiment, like I did with the big burgundy bloom, and if it doesn’t work well, or it’s falling apart, gently pull off the petals to use as-is.

And finally, don’t just stick to your garden! A fresh bouquet of flowers that’s starting to go is also a fabulous choice for dried flower crafting!

How to dry flowers Quickly in the microwave: step by step

I’m going to outline for you the process in a step-by-step tutorial, however, you can definitely play around yourself. Switch up the weights you use, fiddle with the timing, etc.

What you’ll need

• Flowers – full stem removed, petals, leaves, or small branches with tiny flowers attached
• Paper towels
• Plain copy paper
• A stack of heavy ceramic or glass plates (I used a few from the dollar store) – make sure they are microwave safe.

Process

1. Fold your paper in half to mark the center. Unfold. Arrange your flowers, petals, leaves, and stems on the paper. When arranging full flowers, make sure that all petals are spread around the center and place them face down.

2. Fold the paper in half so that the blooms are sandwiched.

3. Sandwich with paper towel. If you’re drying larger/full sized flowers, you’ll likely need a second layer of paper towel to absorb the moisture.

4. Sandwich between two plates.

5. Add plates on top until you feel like it’s adequately pressed. Note: you can do a couple of layers of flowers between separate plates, but you’ll always need enough pressure on the top layer as well.

6. Microwave in thirty second increments, just to be cautious, and keep checking. After a few rounds, I started mine at a minute and then added thirty second increments, but I suggest that if you’re drying your first batch, start with a conservative thirty second run.

Replace paper towels in middle if needed.

I can’t really give you a final time frame, as it really varies by flower health, moisture levels, size, thickness, etc.

Keep zapping in the microwave in increments until it’s fully dried.

Now that you learned how to dry flowers quickly in the microwave, what will you be crafting with them?

How to Press Flowers Using the Microwave

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Cost: $5

Learn how to press flowers using your microwave, to preserve your favorite garden blooms and bouquets, and to make fun pressed flower crafts!

Print

Materials

• Flowers - full stem removed, petals, leaves, or small branches with tiny flowers attached
• Paper towels
• Plain copy paper
• A stack of heavy ceramic or glass plates (Make sure they are microwave safe)

Tools

• Microwave oven

Instructions

1. Fold your paper in half to mark the center. Unfold. Arrange your flowers, petals, leaves, and stems on the paper. When arranging full flowers, make sure that all petals are spread around the center and place them face down.

2. Fold the paper in half so that the blooms are sandwiched.

3. Sandwich with paper towel. If you're drying larger/full sized flowers, you'll likely need a second layer of paper towel to absorb the moisture.

4. Sandwich between two plates.

5. Add plates on top until you feel like it's adequately pressed. Note: you can do a couple of layers of flowers between separate plates, but you'll always need enough pressure on the top layer as well.

6. Microwave in thirty second increments, just to be cautious, and keep checking. After a few rounds, I started mine at a minute and then added thirty second increments, but I suggest that if you're drying your first batch, start with a conservative thirty second run.

Replace paper towels in middle if needed.

Keep zapping in the microwave in increments until it's fully dried.

Notes

I recommend looking for flowers with the following:

• Distinct centers, and petals that can neatly spread around them.
• OR Stems with small blooms that can be dried flat as a single unit
• All pieces still very secure
• Smaller flowers work best, larger flowers require more time and batches.

Use your pressed flowers in resin crafts, decoupage, art collages, mandala suncatchers, and more!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post How to Dry Flowers Quickly (in the Microwave) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Each flower is uniquely beautiful – sunflowers never fail to impress with their large, brightly colored round heads, and their stature. They practically shout out that it’s a beautiful day to shine and grow!

This paper sunflower craft is especially beautiful, with complementary colors and a gentle 3D effect that makes it really pop. It would look great as a bulletin board or as fun wall decorations.  It’s mounted on a popsicle stick (optional), so you can even stick it into a pot filled with clay to use as a little kid-made decor.

If you want a more grown-up variety that is properly stemmed (and not flat), or you prefer an SVG format for the template, check out these paper sunflower templates.

Even though the 3-D folded paper looks impressive, it’s still flat enough to use on a card for Mother’s Day or another occasion, especially if it will be hand-delivered.

The purpose of the folds are uniquely to give it some texture and dimension, and that’s what makes this paper sunflower craft for kids so lovely.

This sophisticated design is actually remarkably easy to make. Older children and adults will enjoy the relaxing process and beautiful result, but even a very young crafter should be able to do it with just a little modeling and assistance.

The shapes are fairly simple to cut, and most of the folds are very simple, too – I’ve included instructions to simplify it even further if needed. This makes it an excellent fine motor skills activity and provides a refreshing change from simpler cut and paste designs.

And yes, it’ll look fabulous even if not cut perfectly!

I recommend liquid glue (regular or tacky) for this project. School glue can work as well but won’t be as secure.

Use small dots of glue so that they dry efficiently and so the pieces don’t slide around (this is less of an issue with tacky glue).

If your crafting partners are very young, you can put some glue in a cup and have them use a stick or paintbrush to dab small amounts of glue onto the project. This can work better than squeeze bottles for moderating the amount of glue that comes out.

Get ready to greet the sunshine with this beautiful sunflower paper craft!

What you’ll need

• Construction paper or colored cardstock in two shades of yellow, brown, and green
• Popsicle sticks – you can use green ones OR
• Green paint
• Scissors
• Liquid glue
• Pencil
• Markers (optional)

Download the template at the end of the post.

How to make a paper sunflower craft for kids

1. Get your papers ready! We used two different shades of yellow for the petals, green for the leaf, and brown for the twirl at the center of the flower. We used yellow for the base, too.

Next, cut out the template pieces and trace them onto the colored papers. You’ll need 8 of the larger petals in one color, and 8 of the small petals in a different shade. Cut out all the petals along with a leaf, base, and twirl pattern.

2. Fold each petal cutout in half symmetrically. Gently crease it along the middle, and then unfold it most of the way – so that you can see the full petal shape, but it isn’t lying flat.

3. Take the base cutout and apply 4 drops of glue spaced evenly around the edge (top, bottom, right, and left)

4. Take 4 of the large petals and stick them onto the glue drops. The rounded edge of each petal should overlap the base while the pointed end sticks out.

5. Put four more glue dots in between these petals, and attach the remaining four large petals. They will overlap the first four petals.

6. Create your next layer using the smaller petals, the same way you did the large, overlapping each other. Position them in between the larger petals so that you can still see the tips of the larger petals sticking out.

7. Fold the leaf in half. While it is still folded in half, fold it accordion style at a diagonal angle to the half fold. When you unfold it, the creases will look like veins on the leaf.

Very young crafters can simply fold the leaf in half and unfold it as you did for the petals, if the accordion fold is too difficult.

8. Take the spiral cutout. Roll up the paper, starting from the outer edge.

9. Keep rolling until you reach the center of the spiral. Use a bit of glue to hold it together.

10. Glue the rolled-up spiral to the center of the flower base.

Take a popsicle stick and paint or color it green. Let it dry completely.

11. Glue the sunflower base to the end of the popsicle stick. Glue the leaf to the stick below the flower.

Your paper sunflower craft for kids is complete!

Download the paper sunflower craft template

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.

The post Paper Sunflower Craft for Kids (Free Template) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Springtime is such a magical time of year. The sun is starting to peek out more and more, that nasty cold section of winter is past, and nature begins to show its face a little bit. It’s the perfect time to head back outside. Get kids outdoors with these 14 spring nature crafts for kids.

From flowers (or weed “flowers) to leaves and pinecones, from twigs to rocks, there are so many craft supplies found in nature! Bring some home (those that are ethical to take, of course) to get your Spring nature crafts going.

Gardening-Focused Spring Nature Crafts

Our kids love planting gardens, both indoors and out – and bonus! It’s a good time to get crafty too! Check out these ideas to get the inspo flowing and then come up with your own!

DIY Gardening Kit by 24 Hour Family

Kids will love this little garden starter that they can help set up. And with a whole egg carton worth of planted seeds, it will still pay off, even if a few are duds.

How to Create Recycled Container Herb Garden by Two Kids and a Coupon

Here’s another excellent seed starter idea with a hidden benefit! Not only do kids learn about growing food, but upcycling containers teaches them about being good stewards of the planet. They can customize the collected containers as much as they’d like.

How to Make a Rainforest Terrarium by Natural Beach Living

A rainforest terrarium is a great way for kids to see a living example of how a rainforest ecosystem works. They will also have a blast adding all the layers and building it.

Flower Arranging Kids Activity by Moms and Crafters

This flower arranging activity can be done by children (and adults!) of all ages. Go on a family nature walk to collect your stems, and get creative while adding them to your floral foam brick. Yes, it’s made of overgrown weeds and grass, but kids will have so much fun with it and learn some basics of flower arranging.

Nature Fairy Houses by Red Ted Art

Fairy houses are a big deal in a small package. Kids love imagining the fairies coming to live in a house they helped build. Keeping things limited to what’s available in nature makes for some cute, simple fairy houses.

Arts & Crafts for Spring From Nature

Craft supplies can cost as little as… free! That is, if you find them outdoors! Have a chat with the kids about which nature-derived treasures are okay to take, go for that walk, and then get crafting!

DIY Nature Paint Brushes by Fox Farm Home

This fantastic spring nature craft idea will inspire all sorts of creativity. Kids make their own paintbrushes; the only rule is that the materials must come from nature. What a fabulous way to challenge those creative little minds! I love this open-ended art project.

Painting With Flowers by Finding Myself Young

Flowers make excellent paintbrushes, believe it or not. Whether using a light touch to use them as floral stampers, or going heavy for a unique pattern, they are truly one of a kind.

Beautiful Suncatcher Flower Mandalas by A Little Pinch of Perfect

These flower mandalas are the perfect way to welcome spring into your home. They come with a splash of color that helps spread cheer throughout the house after Winter’s gray mush.

Nature Lantern Craft Kit by Craft-Tastic

Use this fun kit to create a nature lantern! You can use a mix of found items in nature and included stickers, making it perfect for when you have a smaller-quantity of nature-derived resources. Get the kit here.

How to Make Pressed Flower Bookmarks by Lil Tigers

Pressed flowers are an elegant way to decorate. Plus, these bookmarks will be extra special to your kids, who collect the flowers and leaves themselves. This is one of those crafts that has no age ceiling, and can be enjoyed by parents or caregivers alongside kids.

Leaf Faces by Picklebums

Making leaf faces is an easy, interesting activity that kids will love. They gather supplies from nature outdoors, then arrange them into portraits to display. They can be super silly too (think three eyes or skip the nose). When you’re done, have them make other nature images!

Twig Candle Holder DIY by Moms and Crafters

This gorgeous twig candle holder DIY makes for fabulous decor for your home! Collect your twigs and use an LED candle to create this cozy accessory for your home, or gift it to a friend!

DIY Outdoorsy Spring Nature Crafts for Kids

Bring the outdoors right back outdoors with the following crafts for kids! You’ll be double-dipping on that outdoors fun!

Nature Suncatcher Craft by Messy Little Monster

This quick, easy suncatcher incorporates whatever nature offers in your neck of the woods. Kids can gather leaves, flower petals, or anything else flat and somewhat translucent. Assemble it into some decor that’ll fit right into the yard.

Homeschool Preschool Bird Activity by Two Pink Peonies

These bird feeders offer two significant advantages. Making one is a fun activity that even young kids can help with. And once it’s done, watching for birds to come to pick off the seeds is an activity in itself.

Make A Colorful Bird’s Nest Helper by Barley & Birch

Nest helpers are a neat idea that not many people have heard of. The little cage is stuffed with supplies birds might use to build a nest. Once it’s done, kids can watch to see if any feathered friends come to pick up the free supplies for their homes.

Tic Tac Toe Board Game with Rocks by The Country Chic Cottage

Grab a wood slice, some painted rocks, and a marker or precut stickers for dividing lines, and you have a ready-made tic-tac-toe board. Kids can enjoy countless games on a board they made themselves. And because it came from nature, they can now play with it in nature too!

Pine Cone Lambs by Fireflies & Mud Pies

Pine cone lambs are one of the most unique pine cone crafts. Once finished, this spring nature craft almost can’t even be recognized as a pine cone. But it’s the perfect little companion to place in your garden.

Got any favorite Spring nature crafts to add to the list? Comment below!

Favorite Nature Crafting Books

Want more ideas for spring nature crafts & activities? Check out these fun book ideas!

The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer

• The Organic Artist for Kids by Nick Neddo
• Forest Club by Kris Hirschmann & Marta Antelo
• The Unplugged Family Activity Book by Rachel Jepson Wolf
• S.T.E.A.M. Ahead: Experiment with Outdoor Science by Nick Arnold
• Stanley Jr. Gardening is Awesome! by Chris Peterson
• Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids by Elissa Wolfson and Margaret A. Barker

The post Spring Nature Crafts – Using Flowers, Rocks, & More! appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Roses are classic and beautiful, but so short-lived. With these craft paper roses, you can create stunning rose blossoms that practically transcend time to leave a lasting impression! 

Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or have two left hands, you’ll be able to follow these simple steps to create a blooming beauty.

Why craft paper roses, you may ask? 

Besides being fun to make, you can use these in all kinds of ways. They can be artfully arranged on a surface or tablescape to add color and elegance on their own. Or you can use them to embellish another craft – unlike some flower crafts, these are flat on bottom so they can easily be stuck onto any surface you want to decorate.  This can be a picture frame, a gift box, napkin rings or place cards – or both, for a themed table setting!

 The possibilities are endless, and I do hope you share in the comments how you use your roses!

You’ll want to use a stiff paper for this project so the flower holds its shape and the petals curve nicely. My favorite is cardstock, but you can use other heavy craft papers too. I’ve modeled the craft in red, one of the most popular rose colors, but it would work just the same with any color you like. 

Roses naturally come in many colors and shades, and in this case you can invent new ones, too!

Download our free template (at the end of this post) and let’s get started! And when you’re done, make sure you try these DIY paper sunflower templates too – or any other of our paper flowers!

What you’ll need

• Colored cardstock or other rigid paper
• Pencil

• Scissors
• Glue – I recommend a good glue gun for this (you can see my best hot glue guns for crafts here), but you can also use something like tacky glue. Just make sure to hold each piece until it sets.
• Markers (optional)
• Template – download and print it at the end of this post

How to make craft paper roses

1. You will need thick craft paper or cardstock for this craft. Print and cut out the template pattern. Trace the pattern on the selected paper and cut out all the shapes.

2. Notice that the shapes have different amounts of petals. Take one that has 5 petals and apply glue along one of the straight edges.

3. Connect the glued side with the straight edge facing it to close the 5-petal cutout. If using liquid glue, hold it in place for a minute to help it set.

4. Use a round pencil or pen to curl the ends of the petals.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the other 5-petal cutout.

6. Now, take the cutouts that have 4 and 3 petals. Apply glue along an open edge like we did for the first two cutouts.

7. Connect the glued edge to the opposite edge of each cutout, just like we did for the larger ones.

8. Use your round pen or pencil to curl the round edges of the petals.

9. Prepare the 2-petal cutout by rolling it up and connecting the open ends. For the 1-petal cutouts, just roll up that one petal and glue it closed. Roll one more tightly closed and the other more loosely, as shown.

10. If you’ve finished closing up all of the petal shapes, you are now ready to assemble your paper roses!

11. Put a small amount of glue on the center of one of the sets of 5 petals. Place the other 5-petal shape on top of it. Rotate it so that the petals are not right on top of each other and you can see both sets of petals.

12. Apply a small amount of glue to the center and attach the 4-petal set to that.

13. Next, attach the bigger 3-petal group to the center of the 4 petals.

14. Then glue the smaller 3-petal group to the center of the bigger one.

15. Stick the 2-petal shape to the center of the flower.

Join the two 1-petal pieces together by putting a little glue on the tip of the smaller one and inserting it into the bigger one.

16. Finally, glue the pair of single petals to the inside of the 2-petal set. Allow the glue to dry, and then you can use this rose to embellish another craft or to display on its own!

Tip: if making a fewcraft paper roses to use side by side, make sure you vary it a bit! Not every one should have all the layers.

Download the Craft Paper Rose Template

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.

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