Thursday, March 29, 2012

Three Spring Butterfly Crafts

Spring brings new life.  Spring also means BUGS!  I don't ever remember so many bugs.  *splat*

Instead of bemoaning the entirety of bug-dom, we shall enjoy one fluttery creation - butterflies!  Let's celebrate their colorful lives a bit today...

Footprint Butterfly


First, I stripped my daughter down to her Pull-Up and popped her in the bathtub - isn't this just the best way?  *smiles*  Next, I squirted out a bit of finger paint and put a thin coat on her left foot.
Then on the clean end of the tub, I placed a piece of card stock down and "stamped" her
left foot (at an angle) on the right side of the paper.   We wanted to make several of these to give away, so we stamped all the left feet we needed, then cleaned off that foot..now moving on to the right!


You could also put the foot prints on canvas for customized art!  If you're better with a Sharpie or paintbrush than I am, it could be a sweet playroom adornment.

I LOVE how it captured the uniqueness of my daughter's foot - the lines of her skin, etc.  There is only one foot in the whole world with this exact print!  *winks*

Tie-Dye Paper Towel Butterfly



Mix food coloring and water in bowls.  
Fold a paper towel into squares or  triangles - eighths or sixteenths.  
Dip the corners and sides into the colored water.  
Try leaving a bit of white to make dots or color each side for stripes!


My little one totally got the hang of this project and was whipping out tie-dyed towels quicker than I cold lay them out to dry.
If you use pastel coloring, this is what you get.

Primary colors come out much brighter.

Lay in the sun to dry.
(FYI - the sun seemed to fade the pastel colors too much.)

Twist a pipe cleaner around the middle and twirl out some antennas.
You could hang these butterflies in a window or use one as a great gift wrapping addition!
 


Butterfly Snack Pack

Simply fill a snack size plastic baggie with munchies of your choice.
(We went with almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, dried blueberries and cherries.)


Next, color one side of a clothes pin with markers or paint.
(Dipping glue or paint in glitter would be way cool!)

Cut a pipe cleaner in half and spin into the antennas.
Glue on wiggle eyes.
Pinch the clothes pin in the middle....
and you're done!
Thank you to Pinterest and Grandma for the inspiration!

Three butterfly crafts in a week and a half might be over kill, but you should have seen my little one outside, toting her net to "catch a butta-fly" - too cute!

Wishing you a marvelous Spring.
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