Butterfly Preschool Craft using Burlap
This is a beautiful butterfly craft that's easy for kids to make using painted burlap. The simple painting activity promotes creativity and fine motor skills. Kids will love making colorful butterflies to use in pretend play.
This post contains affiliate links. Privacy and Disclosure
Has your preschooler ever raced across the yard pretending to be a butterfly? Maybe while chasing after a butterfly?
Kids love to imitate butterfly movements, fluttering arms up and down. They also love to discover the colors of butterfly wings.
Learning about butterflies can easily be added to a nature theme for preschoolers.
- A Butterfly study unit is prepared for you at the end of the post.
Extend the fun and learning to kids crafts.
This simple painting activity is easy to set up with craft paints and burlap fabric.
The results are amazing!
Burlap Butterfly Craft and Study Unit
This is an open-ended activity. Draw any shape you like for the butterfly pattern.
Kids can be creative with the colors and designs they paint on the fabric, how much paint they use, and how thick they apply the paint.
Supplies for butterfly craft
- burlap
- paint and brushes
- clothes peg
- cardboard template
If burlap isn't available you can try substituting other fabrics such as cotton or denim that will hold their shape when painted.
If a clothes peg isn't available, try using a regular clothes pin.
Instructions for butterfly craft
1. Draw a simple pattern for the butterfly on paper or cardboard. Cut the butterfly in half down the middle.
2. Place the half-butterfly pattern on the folded edge of the burlap.
3. Cut around the pattern and open the burlap to reveal a butterfly with two identical wing shapes.
4. Fray the edges of the burlap to add texture to the wings.
5. Paint the right-side wing only with generous amounts of paint.
6. Fold the left-side wing onto the painted side.
7. Press gently with your palm to transfer the paint pattern from the right-side wing to the left-side wing.
8. Unfold to reveal both wings of the butterfly with the same pattern.
9. Add extra paint to the wings to darken or fill in spaces.
10. Paint the clothes peg or leave it plain. Allow paint to dry. This may take overnight depending on how thickly the paint has been applied.
11. Scrunch the wings into the clothes peg. The burlap seems to stay in place just by bunching it up in the peg, but you can add glue to secure if needed.
12. Glue a single strand of burlap onto the clothes peg for antennae.
Your beautiful butterfly is ready for summertime pretend play!
Butterfly Study Unit: ABC Method)
Activities
1. Gross motor
- Role play stages of a caterpillar: 1) crawl on a leaf 2) curl up in a cocoon 3) spread butterfly wings to fly.
2. Nature walk
- Explore habitats where butterflies may be found.
3. Take away game
- Place several plastic butterflies on a tray. Remove one while kids cover their eyes. Guess which one is missing.
4. Scavenger hunt
- Hide several toy butterfly figures, or pictures of butterflies, in the classroom or outside for children to find.
5. Sorting
- Sort butterfly toy figures by color and size.
Books
1. My, Oh My A Butterfly / by Tish Rabe
2. I'm a Caterpillar / by Jean Marzollo
3. Elmer and Butterfly / by David McKee
4. Gotta Go! Gotta Go! / by Sam Swope
5. Butterfly Counting / by Jerry Palotta
Crafts
1. Butterfly made with lace trim
Butterflies from other Kid Bloggers
Butterfly with fluttering paper wings / Fireflies and Mudpies
Fabric butterfly / Kids Craft Room
Butterfly hand print card / The Best Ideas for Kids
Butterfly with watercolors and pompoms / iHeart Crafty Things
Chromatography butterflies / Buggy and Buddy
