Paper Butterfly Craft (Free Template)

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Download the Free Butterfly Craft Template and make this Easy Butterfly activity for Preschoolers. Find step-by-step instructions and Easy Paper Crafts on CraftingJeannie.com!

Check out these awesome butterflies! Butterflies aren’t just for girls, you can also make a very cool butterfly as a boy craft. These butterflies are an easy spring or summer craft for preschool, elementary kids, classroom parties, scouts and more.

Paper Butterfly Craft by Crafting Jeannie
Butterflies can be sweet or cool. Use the same template for both!

Get the Free Butterfly Craft Template below and you will be able to make enough supplies for a group of 20 kids (or more!) with about 10 minutes of cutting.

Did you know butterflies have been around for 56 million years! Check out Wikipedia for more butterfly facts.

Monarch Butterfly craft by Crafting Jeannie
Use Orange and Black paper to make a Monarch Butterfly Craft

Here’s What You Need

Here’s your butterfly craft supply list (This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read my disclosure policy for more information):

Paper butterfly craft by Crafting Jeannie
Butterfly Boy Craft

Make this Easy Butterfly Activity for Preschoolers while reading these Fun Books:

easy butterfly craft by Crafting Jeannie

Step 1: Download and Print the Free Butterfly Craft Template

Download the Free Butterfly Craft Template. The PDF file contains everything you need to make lots of paper butterflies.

Butterfly Craft Template by Crafting Jeannie
The PDF makes it easy to cut out the butterfly shapes.

Step 2: Cut Out the Butterfly Craft Shapes

Print the free templates. You will be stapling them to colored paper and cutting out as many shapes as you need.

butterfly craft template ready for cutting
print the butterfly templates and staple them to multiple sheets of paper before cutting

If you want to make this craft with a group of kids, you can staple the template to up to 10 sheets of copy paper, 5 sheets of cardstock or 5-8 sheets of construction paper.

So, did you know, you can staple together 10 pieces of copy paper and cut out 10 shapes at a time?! That’s my SECRET to fast & easy crafting.

Stapling the paper is very important because it makes sure it doesn’t move as you cut. The more staples the better. Cardstock is the thickest so you may only be able to cut 5 sheets at a time.

Tip: While you’re cutting, if you cut off all parts of the pages that have staples, make sure to re-staple the sheets that are left.

Whenever you’re cutting multiple sheets at a time, make sure they are always stapled together!

paper butterfly craft pieces
You can also use crafting hole punchers for the circles

Usually, when I have to cut out circles, I use crafting hole punchers and I HIGHLY recommend them.

You will need a large circle and a smaller one. You can get them at any craft store or possibly big name stores that sell craft items.

Again, make sure you’re punching holes in more than one sheet at a time! if you don’t have a hole punch, just cut out the circles by hand.

Step 3: Cut out the Paper Butterfly Antenna

I did not include the butterfly antenna in the PDF template. These are fairly easy to cut on your own.

First, stack multiple sheets of colored paper (I used the scraps from cutting out the larger shapes).

Then, just cut out small rectangles. You’ll have enough antenna in no time. Just remember, you need two antennae for each butterfly.

Step 4: How to Assemble

The kids will just need to glue it all together and make it their own!

two paper butterflies - one is pink with eyelashes the other is red with sunglasses
  1. glue the body to the wings
  2. glue circles to the wings to decorate
  3. glue the antenna behind the head
  4. use a marker to draw a face and personalize your butterflies.
  5. don’t forget to put your name on the back

And you’re finished!

This is an easy butterfly craft for kids of all ages. It’s easy enough for preschool, elementary, Scouts or just a fun craft at home idea. Have fun making your butterflies!

More Spring and Animal Crafts

If you liked this craft, check out some of Spring, Summer and Animal Crafts:

I’m always updating my Favorite Crafts too!

As always, I try to make my crafts fast, easy & inexpensive. Enjoy! 

Download the Free Butterfly Printable

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When you enter your email address, you will be subscribed (for free!) to my newsletter. Over the next few days, I’ll send you emails to welcome you, give you free downloads, & crafting tips. Then, each week, you’ll get a newsletter with my free printables. You can unsubscribe anytime – (If you’re already subscribed, don’t worry, you won’t be subscribed again):


    Want to remember this Preschool Butterfly Craft? Post it to your favorite Pinterest board!

    Butterfly craft pinterest by crafting Jeannie
    butterfly craft for pinterest

    Paper Butterfly Craft – Butterfly Activity for Preschoolers – Easy Paper Crafts

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    4 thoughts on “Paper Butterfly Craft (Free Template)”

    1. My granddaughters enjoyed making your butterflies. We colored some wings rainbows and did an orange and back “monarch” after our trip to the butterfly garden at the conservatory.

      1. Hi Elaine, I just stacked up the left over scrap paper and cut out a bunch of small rectangles. You could also use pipe cleaners cut in half. Let me know if you have any other questions. ~Jeannie

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