Toilet Paper Tube Butterfly Craft Plus Doodling Equals Fabulous!

Yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and it turns out that the butterfly is actually a symbol used in Holocaust Education (check out my previous post, here) and a yellow one turns out to be even more timely…….and so you see the craft that I was thinking was just too cheerful to post yesterday is actually right on time! Speaking of right on time, I'm so happy to present to you this toilet paper tube butterfly that is just so darn cute and makes a great project for all ages……..make it a true work of art, or stick to patterns really seen on butterfly wings, you decide! Either way, no one will confuse your results with something made in nursery school with pipe cleaner antennae, not that I'm knocking that, just giving the toilet paper tube butterfly a higher ranking in the crafting world!

This guy has been sitting on my picture ledge in our kitchen table gallery, and he is just so much fun I hope to make some more, and maybe even a much larger one using a paper towel tube! Ready to get started? Okay, lets fly with this one……..

You'll Need:

• cardboard tubes: toilet paper tubes, seen here, or paper towel tubes are the easiest to work with as they can be cut with scissors if necessary
• colored paper: preferably card stock, though light weight recycled cardboard can work as well
• a good black marker: permanent markers tend to work the best, as theink is denser, but be very careful not to damage clothing or furniture!
• tape or glue, scissors and a pencil
• photos of butterflies (optional)

How To:

Step 1: Using a pencil, draw the wings for one side of the butterfly. Wings should be taller than the height of your tube, and at least twice as wide. Once you have perfected the wing shapes, (try to make them as realistic as possible) cut out this initial drawing and use it as a template to trace all other wings. The wings for the other side of the butterfly are made by simply turning this template over and tracing it to get the mirror image. Make sure to include a tab as shown, for attaching the wings to the tube.

Step 2: Consult photos of real butterflies, or use my Monarch butterfly design as a reference. Draw patterns on the wings using a pencil, and try to make the two sides match roughly, but without going crazy. Go over pencil lines with black marker, and color in areas surrounding and between shapes, such that the result looks like a black wing with colored accents.

Step 2: Consult photos of real butterflies, or use my Monarch butterfly design as a reference. Draw patterns on the wings using a pencil, and try to make the two sides match roughly, but without going crazy. Go over pencil lines with black marker, and color in areas surrounding and between shapes, such that the result looks like a black wing with colored accents.

Step 3: Cut a strip to wrap around the top of the tube that incorporates the butterfly’s antennae, and if desired a few more strips to wrap around the middle and bottom of the tube.

Step 4: Now you can assemble your butterfly! You can use tape or glue, you decide. Attach paper strips first. Fold tab portion of wing to the back, and attach tab to the tube.Make sure wings are in the proper position, exactly opposite one another and such that the tops of the wings are higher than the antennae. Lastly, add a cute face like I did, or if you prefer something less playful, consider omitting the face or drawing something more realistic.

Step 5:  Display your butterfly on a shelf, glue a skewer to the inside to use it as a puppet or to place in a plant, or hang it by threading  fishing line or string through the tube. Enjoy!

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