If you’re like me, you’ll agree that easy art ideas for groups that use very few supplies and have almost no instructions are GOLD! Enter these washi tape butterflies. I mean, you can get this ready in under 10 minutes and a group of kids could be busy for 45 minutes! Or longer if they make more than one. It also works those small motor skills and stretches their color and pattern-making muscles.
We work with washi tape all the time. I used to buy my tapes from Etsy and carefully pick out the cutest patterns. But now I just buy in bulk on Amazon. The kids do not care, and I am less precious and stingy about their use.
[ I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn small fees at no cost to you by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. ]
Supplies for Washi Tape Butterflies:
~ Free butterfly printable (download by clicking here)
~ White paper (either regular printer paper, or card stock)
~ Scissors
Setting up the Washi Tape Butterfly craft table:
1. Print out as many butterflies as you need.
2. Set one template at each place with a pair of scissors, and scatter the washi tapes around the table.
3. For younger children (under the age of 4) you can pre-cut the tapes and stick them around a plate for an easy, grab-and-go technique. Older children can pull and cut the tape themselves. Encourage them to tape over the line!
4. The children can make any pattern or design that they please, or just randomly lay down the tape pieces. Again, encourage them to fill the page and go over the line.
Download Free Butterfly Template
5. Once they are finished, they can cut out their own shape (you will still be able to see the black line through the tape for the most part), or an adult can cut it.
Setting up Washi Tape Butterflies for a Birthday Party:
~ This set up is very similar to the one I do in art class. The only difference is that I have a sample out in the middle of the table. Since my art parties have three stations, and I can’t always be at every table, the sample provides some direction for the kids.
I also added a little body to these butterflies so that I could punch a hole and add a string. I don’t have a separate template for these, but you can very easily add a little bump to the middle when cutting them out.
This crafty invitation could work for any animal! I have lots of other animal templates on the blog. You can find them all by clicking here.
xo, Bar
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Did you like this post? Here are some more washi tape ideas:
Thanks so much for this fun and colourful craft. We started running a kids’ craft club when our local schools all went online again- this was one of the first activities I tried, and it worked brilliantly, even with kids of assorted ages from 5 – 11. The bigger kids helped the younger ones with cutting out and some of the kids opted to have their creations laminated (not brilliant for the environment, I know, but it was a special treat for our first session). Thanks for all of your brilliant ideas and tips- it’s given me so much insight and confidence for keeping the kids happy and creating! I really appreciate all the amazing resources you share online. Thank you.