As I was walking down the street the other day, spring blossoms of pink and white filled the air. I stood transfixed by the swirl of color flying around me, and I thought, “Wow how cool is this?” It reminded me of a time I was hiking through an alpine meadow high up in the mountains; every step I took, butterflies of all shapes and sizes filled the air.
Inspired by these experiences, I came up with a sweet and simple butterfly craft that will brighten your day and can be fun for all ages.
Here are the supplies you’ll need:
• Coffee filters
• Thread
• String
• Watercolor paint or water-based markers
• Pipe cleaners or twist ties
• A stick
I started with three coffee filters (if you don’t have coffee filters, tissue paper or even a paper towel will work).
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide1-1.jpg)
I wanted the same pattern on each coffee filter, so I layered three together and folded them in half.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide2-1.jpg)
My hope was that the water colors and markers I was using would absorb through all three layers, mirroring the pattern.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide3-1.jpg)
This idea sort of worked for me, but not as well as I had envisioned. The pattern did make it all the way through, but I ended up separating the coffee filters out and touching up each of them individually with my paint and markers.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide4-1.jpg)
While my coffee filters were drying, I took a walk outside and looked around for a stick. Fortunately, when I got back, my coffee filters were dry enough to create my butterflies. I used an accordion fold, but you can also just pinch the filter together in the middle.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide5-1.jpg)
When you have it gathered in the middle, cut a piece of thread about 18 inches long and tie it around the middle.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide6-1.jpg)
After that, I cut a pipe cleaner into thirds and twisted it around the middle as well. This serves as a butterfly’s body and its antennae. If you don’t have pipe cleaners, regular twist ties will also work.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide7-1.jpg)
Using the thread attached to your butterflies, tie each one equidistant apart and at various lengths to the stick. Add a length of jute or string to hang it up.
You can either hang them in a window or somewhere outside where they’ll catch the breeze.
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide8-1.jpg)
![](https://jcls.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Slide9-1.jpg)
If you happen to be in Ashland on April 16, the Ashland Children’s Department is teaming up with North Mountain Park for Building for Bees; this program, which will be held at North Mountain Park Nature Center, runs from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Participants will learn about local insects that use our gardens, then create a habitat for Oregon’s solitary bees. This step-by-step construction project uses recycled materials, and will help kids understand how to sequence, as well as instill a sense of responsibility for protecting our world’s pollinators.
Gold Hill branch is also offering a neat Caterpillar to Butterfly Take & Make Kit that comes out on April 16th. The kit will provide you with supplies to catch a caterpillar and information about what to feed it and how to care for it as you watch it change into a butterfly. Kits are available while supplies last.
Looking ahead to May, the Medford Branch Children’s Department will also offer a Butterfly Take & Make Kit and will be raising their own butterflies right in the library! There will be a Butterfly Release Party on Saturday, May 25. How cool is that?
Other branches are also offering interesting programs and Take & Make kits this spring, so visit a branch near you to pick up an event guide, or visit the JCLS website and take a look at our online calendar of events.