Make Colorful Butterfly Puppets with Flapping Wings for Kids!

We’re excited to share one of our favorite crafts: colorful butterfly puppets with see-through flapping wings! These unique puppets not only look amazing but are also a fun way to explore art with mixed materials.

Butterflies are a fantastic theme for crafting, thanks to their vibrant and colorful wings that inspire endless creativity. For this craft, we opted for a clear plastic sheet instead of regular paper. This choice allows your butterfly puppet to flutter gently, a feature that the kids in class absolutely adored!

Making them is not as difficult as it might look! Just grab a clear plastic sheet or folder, some bright paint, and a bamboo spoon. And to make this craft a bit easier for you, we created a free craft template of the wings, so you’re all set and ready to craft these fun butterfly puppets.

You can make this craft easier by leaving some steps out. For example, we wrapped colorful yarn around our bamboo spoon to create a beautiful striped pattern. But this step might be a bit tricky for small kids. So instead, you can decorate the bamboo spoon with paint, markers, or even tape.

So, let’s bring these beautiful butterfly puppets to life together!

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Craft Supplies For Butterfly Puppet:

• Plastic sheet (for example a folder like these)
• Bamboo spoons, like this example 
• Paint, we used Amsterdam Acrylic Paint
• Paint brush, sponge or cotton buds
• Pipe cleaner  (optional)
• Colored yarn (optional)
• Beads
• Black marker
• Scissors
• Glue
• Butterfly wings template (optional)

How to Craft Stunning Butterfly Puppets with Flapping Wings

Step 1: Gather the craft supplies above. To create these beautiful butterfly puppets, we used a see-through plastic sheet/folder for the wings and bamboo spoons for the body. You can buy them like this, or you can use plastic folders or even a laminate sheets. Make sure the plastic is strong but still bendable and completely see-through for the best effect.

Step 2: First, we drew a butterfly outline on paper, which we will later trace onto plastic and cut out. To ensure you draw the correct wing size, measure it using your wooden spoon (the body of your butterfly). Make sure the wings are larger than your spoon. To make things easier, we created a FREE butterfly template; you can find the outline template for the wings right here.

Step 3: Now, trace your butterfly template on a plastic sheet, as shown in pictures A, B, and C above. Cut the plastic wings.

Step 4: It’s time to decorate our butterfly wings! We’ll use cotton buds and round sponges to create a stunning colored pattern. We used acrylic paint from Amsterdam Acrylics. Start by outlining the wings with small colored dots using a cotton bud. This helps define the butterfly shape, as the wings are see-through. Next, stamp the inside with round sponges. Remember to choose bright colors that really pop! Let the paint dry between layers to avoid any smudges! See pictures D, E and F for reference.

 

Step 5: While the butterfly wings are drying, we can decorate bamboo spoons. Use colored yarn, or for younger kids, markers, paint, or tape.

1. Flip the spoon so the backside faces up; this will be the front of your butterfly. The rounded end will serve as the head.
2. Choose two or three colors of yarn.
3. Secure the yarn’s end with glue or tape on the spoon’s backside.
4. Wrap the yarn around the spoon until it’s completely covered. You can switch colors to create a striped pattern.

Step 6: Give your spoon/butterfly puppet a cute or silly expression. You can use googly eyes or draw the eyes with a black marker. Give your butterfly a cute smile.

 

Step 7: Let’s make the feelers for your butterfly! Start with an 18 cm piece of pipe cleaner. Fold it in half and add a colorful bead to each end. Glue the pipe cleaner feelers to the back of your butterfly or spoon. I recommend using hot glue so the different materials stick well.

Step 8: Glue the spoon in the center of your butterfly wings using hot glue for a strong bond.

Awesome! You’ve completed your butterfly puppet. Now, take your wooden/butterfly spoon and gently move it up and down. Can you see how beautifully the butterfly wings are flapping?

Did you enjoy making this beautiful butterfly puppet with see-through wings? Our blog features tons of butterfly crafts, as butterflies are one of our favorite craft themes.
Try out these beautiful paper roll butterflies with rainbow wings for your next craft!

 

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