Butterfly Tutorial

I’m going to try a tutorial!  I made these butterflies last month and thought you might like them too.  I made them as palanca for a Cursillo weekend.  This idea is not original to me- I received it as a present on my Cursillo weekend a few years ago.  I’m not sure where the butterfly came from, but I devised this tutorial myself.

Materials

• yellow or orange foam sheet (I normally hate foam, but it’s perfect for this craft)
• Pencil
• Scissors- regular ones and small cuticle/fingernail (optional but helpful)
• Black Sharpie pens- regular thick one and an ultra fine
• White paint and small paintbrush
• Adhesive-backed pin backs (self-sticking)

1) First make a butterfly template. I used the butterfly I had to help me out, but really you can just look at a photo (or use mine above) and draw one.  It’s easiest to sketch half of it on a folded piece of cardboard and then cut out so it is symmetrical (like making a heart).

My template was about…. 3.5″ wide?

2) Trace as many butterflies as you want/need onto the foam sheet with the pencil.  Cut them out.  This is where the cuticle scissors help!

3) Using the thicker Sharpie pen, start drawing the markings.  I photographed them in order so you can see how simple it really is.

a) body down center

b) bottom edges-thick

c) top edge- thin

d) 2 curving lines bisecting each wing

e) curves on tips of wings

f) curves on tops of wings

4) Next, using the ultra fine Sharpie, mark the fine lines.  Use my butterflies as a guide, or the butterfly photo. (sorry I don’t remember it’s link)

5) Almost done! Get out the white paint and your fine paintbrush and paint the dots.  As you can see, they are mostly along the bottom edge and tips of the wings.  And a few faint stripes at the base of the body.

Once all your babies are done, attach the pin backs by just peeling the paper off the adhesive and slapping them on!

Admire all the work you’ve done. Time to set them free!!

You could use these for palanca, to describe Easter in church, as a craft when teaching the butterfly life cycle- even have a Velma Gratch party!

I hope you liked this and it was helpful in some way.   Let me know if I was unclear……

Thanks!

~S