20+ Colorful Butterfly Art for Kids to Try This Spring

Bright colors and simple materials make these butterfly art for kids a great choice. Perfect for preschool through early elementary ages, they’re ideal for parents, teachers, and caregivers to use at home, in the classroom, or in daycare settings.

These activities use basic supplies while helping build fine motor skills and creativity. From painting and printables to collage and nature-inspired designs, there’s plenty to explore. You can mix these in with our other spring crafts to fill your week with color.

Colorful collage of children’s butterfly art projects with large text reading “Butterfly Art for Kids to Make This Summer.”

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Matisse Butterfly Art

Painted paper becomes the star when kids create colorful sheets (optionally using a scraper tool for texture) and cut bold, organic shapes with scissors. A printable wing outline on cardstock serves as the base, and a glue stick layers the cutouts into a bright collage.

The slightly lifted wings on the backing cardstock add a simple 3D effect that kids love showing off.

Related: Butterfly Torn Paper Craft

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Butterfly Painting

Black cardstock, acrylic paint, and cotton buds (Q-tips) make it easy to dot on thick color sections and tiny white accents. After cutting a winged shape using the folded template and scissors, kids press the paint by folding and “squishing” it to create a mirrored pattern.

Opening it up is the fun reveal, especially for kids who like quick, dramatic results without lots of steps.

Also try: Butterfly Name Craft

barleyandbirch.com

Melted Crayon Butterflies

Using cotton fabric scraps, broken crayons, and parchment or freezer paper, kids sprinkle crayon shavings onto one half of a cut fabric shape. An adult uses an iron (or hairdryer) to melt the wax, allowing the color to transfer as they fold the fabric, then opens it to reveal a symmetrical design.

The best part is shaping the cooled fabric into “in-flight” wings, turning recycled crayons into art that feels almost like decor.

Related: Handprint Butterfly Craft

www.stirthewonder.com

Painted Lady Butterfly Art

Paper gets cut into a winged outline with scissors, then kids paint patterns using orange, black, brown, and white tempera paint. A paint tray and brushes keep the setup simple, and the open-ended painting style works well for different ages.

Because the shape is pre-cut, children can focus on experimenting with color placement and bold markings.

Also try: Butterfly Mother's Day Craft

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Squish Painting

Kids drip runny paint onto the center of a folded sheet of paper using spoons or droppers, then press and “squish” the colors around. Opening the paper creates a symmetrical print that feels like a surprise every time.

It's messy in a satisfying way, so covering the work surface and letting the paper dry flat makes cleanup easier.

Also try: Butterfly Toilet Paper Roll Craft

thecrafttrain.com

Butterfly Printing with Sponges

A kitchen sponge scrunched and tied with a hair elastic becomes a quick stamp, with acrylic (or poster) paint squirted onto one side. Folding and squishing the sponge creates a mirrored pattern, and pressing it onto paper makes a bold print instantly.

Kids can add extra dots with a cotton bud and paint on a body and antennae if they want more detail.

Related: Butterfly Paper Cup Craft

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Butterfly Kids Art

All it takes is paint, paper, and scissors: fold an A4 sheet, cut a winged shape, and re-open it to prep the crease. Add paint blobs along the fold, then use hands and fingers to spread the color outward before opening for symmetry.

The sensory “paint-smearing” step is what hooks most preschoolers, especially when colors mix into new shades.

Also try: Butterfly Dot To Dot Worksheets

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Monarch Butterfly Art

Kids start by folding paper in half, sketching half a wing outline in pencil, and tracing it with glue mixed with black paint for strong lines. Folding the paper reverses the wet glue linework, creating a bold outline after it dries.

Watercolor paint then fills the sections, and the thick black glue lines help keep colors neatly contained.

Related: Butterfly Activity Sheets

happyhooligans.ca

Symmetrical Butterfly Art

Paper plates become the painting surface when kids drizzle acrylic paint onto one half, fold the plate, and rub to spread the color. Once dry, they trace the printable template on the painted plate, then cut out the final shape with scissors.

Metallic paint mixed with regular acrylics gives the finished piece extra shine without adding extra work.

Also try: Butterfly Tracing Worksheets

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Butterfly Art with Watercolors and Hot Glue

A pencil sketch on a pre-gessoed canvas gets traced with a low-temperature glue gun using black hot glue. Watercolors are painted within the raised glue lines, which act as barriers, making the design pop.

The combination of texture and paint feels “fancy,” but the actual process stays very kid-manageable with adult glue support.

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Sparkly Spin Art Butterflies

Kids fold and cut cardstock into a winged shape, keep it folded, and place it inside a salad spinner. Washable paint or liquid watercolors get added, then spinning spreads the color quickly before the paper opens into symmetry.

Popsicle sticks and googly eyes finish it off, which makes kids feel like they've made both art and a toy.

Also try: Butterfly Worksheets

www.learningandexploringthroughplay.com

Watercolour Painting Butterfly

Paper towels (kitchen roll) get painted with watercolors using paintbrushes and water, then set aside to dry. Once dry, the towels are folded and pinched in the center with a decorated peg/clothespin to create wing-like sections.

It's a nice, low-pressure process activity where kids can paint freely and still end with a recognizable shape.

Related: Butterfly Shape Craft

handsonaswegrow.com

Paint Blot Symmetrical Butterfly Paintings

Fold white or colored cardstock, then use paintbrushes or popsicle sticks to place big blobs of washable paint on one half. Press the sheet closed to transfer paint to the other side, let it dry, then cut out a winged silhouette with scissors.

A hole punch and pipe cleaners are optional add-ons for antennae, making it easy to adapt to different ages.

Also try: Butterfly Color By Number

www.projectswithkids.com

Watercolor Butterfly Painting

Kids sketch a wing shape on watercolor paper with a pencil, then outline with a black oil pastel before painting with watercolors. The oil pastel resists the paint a bit, so sections stay clearer, and color blending looks intentional without being hard.

Use painter's tape on a board to help the paper dry flatter, and sprinkle coarse salt to add extra background texture.

Related: Butterfly Stick Puppet

www.redtedart.com

Bubble Art Butterflies

Colored bubble solution gets made by mixing liquid watercolors (or food coloring) into bubble solution in small containers, then kids blow through straws until bubbles overflow.

Paper is pressed onto the bubbles to capture the prints, and once dry, a wing template helps trace and cut the shapes cleanly. Buttons, string, googly eyes, and tacky glue turn a stick into the body, making it feel part art project and part puppet.

Also try: Popsicle Stick Butterfly Craft

buggyandbuddy.com

Monarch Butterfly Symmetry Art

Black glue is used on folded watercolor paper to outline one wing and its interior “veins.” After pressing the fold to transfer the glue, kids paint with orange and black watercolors once the glue dries.

White and black oil pastels, plus a pencil, help add extra pattern details, making it a great mix of art and symmetry practice.

Related: Butterfly Card Craft

alittlepinchofperfect.com

Handprint and Footprint Butterfly Art

Kids paint their hands and one foot on white paper, let the prints dry, and cut them out to use as building pieces. The handprints get arranged as wings on a colored background, the footprint becomes the body, and a V-shaped pipe cleaner adds antennae.

Kids personalize it with jewels, googly eyes, and a permanent marker, keeping them happily decorating even after they finish cutting.

Also try: Paper Bag Butterfly Craft

www.hellowonderful.co

Beautiful Leaf Butterfly Art

A nature walk provides the “supplies,” and leaves get painted (acrylic works well) on the veined side before printing onto paper. Once the leaf prints are down, kids glue a stick in the middle for the body and draw antennae with a black marker.

It's a great outdoors-meets-art activity, and trying different leaf shapes makes every finished piece look unique.

Related: Paper Plate Butterfly Craft

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Paper Butterfly Art Projects

This classroom-friendly roundup uses familiar supplies like construction paper, colored cardstock, tissue paper, paint, crayons, scissors, and glue.

Kids can fold-and-cut winged shapes for symmetrical painting, or build collage-style designs with torn tissue paper, then add chenille stems and mini cupcake liners for detail. The choose-your-own-materials approach keeps it flexible for art centers and mixed-age groups.

Also try: Butterfly Coloring Pages

kidsactivitiesblog.com

Butterfly Nature Collage Art

A quick nature walk becomes the supply run when kids collect flowers, seeds, sticks, bark, and leaves for a collage. They glue twigs onto colored construction paper (blue in the tutorial) to form a winged outline, then fill the inside with petals and small leaf pieces.

It feels special because the materials are real and temporary, so kids tend to slow down and focus on placement.

Related: Dragonfly Tissue Paper Craft

artsymomma.com

Colorful Butterfly Symmetry Paintings

Cardstock gets folded, outlined on one side (glitter glue is optional), and filled with paint blobs before being pressed shut to create symmetry. After it dries, a jumbo stick becomes the body, googly eyes add personality, and a marker finishes the face.

Pipe cleaner antennae get added through a small hole, turning a simple paint activity into a finished art piece that kids can hold and play with.

Also try: Dragonfly Handprint Craft

More Fun Kid’s Ideas

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photograph of found of Simple Everyday Mom, Sam

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Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.

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