Paper Butterfly

You will need:

• Scrap paper, ruler and compass to trace a shape that is basically a square overlapped by a circle, and some scissors to cut it out. The smaller you make your pattern, the smaller your butterfly will be (and the harder to fold!)

  

• Some patterned paper (I used double sided but you can use paper with a single printed side - the thinner the paper is the easier it is to get lots of little folds and the butterfly looks better)
• A bone folder helps to get the creases sharp
• A length of Ribbon - thinner is better

What to do:

• Cut out your pattern, then trace it onto the patterned paper you chose
• Cut out the shape

  

• Pleat the butterfly shape up as finely as you can, using the bone folder to make the creases sharp. Keep going until the whole shape looks like an accordion

  

• Now take some ribbon and tie the shape in the middle. The ribbon ends will become the antennae and head
• Next, spread out the folds to make wings. I used my bone folder again to make the wings fold upward and downward the way I wanted them to

  

  

  

How to Use Your Paper Butterfly

• They make great additions to scrapbook pages, such as the one I used on my Friendship Scrapbook
• Use them on cards
• Create a few of different sizes and make a mobile for your baby's room with them
• Attach a magnet to the back and put them on the fridge or dress up anything else metallic this way
• Decorate other off-the-page projects with them such as box lids, picture frames or altered tins
• Use florist's wire to attach them to bunches of real flowers or potted plants
• Make a whole swarm of them and decorate for a party!

Top of page

New! Comments