Make Handprint Butterflies

Using handprints is a great way to teach art to young crafters. You can make all sorts of things using handprints, including birds and butterflies. Butterflies are a kid favorite because they get to decorate them later on. Two of the most popular ways to make handprint butterflies are with paint and paper.

Steps

Using Paint

1. Paint your hand a bright color. Use a paintbrush or a foam brush to apply a thick coat of paint to your palm and fingers. You can use tempera or poster paint.
2. Press your hand against a sheet of paper to make a print. Point your palm towards the middle of the paper and your fingers to the side. Keep your fingers closed for a simple butterfly, or spread them open for a fancier one. You can use any type of paper you want. White printer paper works just as well as construction paper.
   • Try blue construction paper. It'll look like your butterfly is on the sky.
3. Make a second handprint with your other hand. Wash the paint off of your hand first, then paint your other hand with the same color. Make a second handprint right next to the first one with the palms touching.
4. Make another set of prints if you want a fancier butterfly. The thumbs on your first set will be pointing upwards. The thumbs on your second set should be pointing down. Have the palms on all prints meet in the middle. You can use the same color of paint as before, or a different one.
5. Use the side of your hand and more paint for the body. Paint the side of your palm and pinky with black or brown paint. Press it against the paper, right between the wings to make the body of the butterfly.
   • You can also make the body by painting your thumb and making a row of dots.
6. Use your thumb and more paint for the head. Wash your hand first, then paint your thumb the same color as the body. Press it against the paper, right above the body, for the head.
   • You can glue tiny googly eyes onto the head.
7. Paint the antenna on using black paint and a thin brush. You can also use a pipe cleaner instead. Simply bend a black pipe cleaner into a V, then curl the ends. Glue the antenna right above the head.
8. Let the butterfly dry before decorating it. Glue some gems, buttons, sequins, or beads onto the wings. If you want a simpler butterfly, use your fingers and paint to make spots instead. Here are some more ideas:
   • Decorate the butterfly with foam stickers.
   • Draw designs with glitter glue.
   • Glue black or brown pompoms along the body to make it fluffy.
   • Draw clouds, a sun, and a rainbow behind the butterfly.
9. Let the butterfly dry. Once it dries, hang it up on your wall or in your window.

Using Paper

1. Fold two sheets of colored paper in half. They can be the same color or different colors. These sheets will eventually make your butterfly's wings, so pick a nice color.
2. Trace your hand onto the paper. You can keep your fingers closed or have them open.
3. Cut your traced hands out. Keep the paper folded when you cut. This way, you will have a total of four hands when you are done.
4. Glue the hands together at the palms. Take two hands and hold them so that the palms touch and the thumbs point upward. Glue them together along the palm. Repeat for the second set of hands. You've just finished your wings.
   • Angle the hands slightly to make a V shape at the thumbs.
5. Glue the wings together. Turn one set of wings over so that the thumbs point down. Overlap the two wing sets in the middle, then glue them together. The thumbs on the top set should point up. The thumbs on the bottom set should point down.
6. Cut a skinny oval out of black or brown paper for the oval. Glue it between the wings. If you want a fuzzy body, glue down a row of black or brown pompoms between the wings instead.
7. Use a pipe cleaner to make the antenna. Bend a black pipe cleaner into a V shape. Curl the ends, then glue the antenna to the top of the butterfly's body.
   • If you can't find any pipe cleaners, cut a V out of black paper, then glue it to the top of the body instead.
8. Decorate the wings. Glue down gems, sequins, or buttons onto the wings. You can also decorate the wings with glitter glue instead. Here are some more ideas:
   • Glue tiny googly eyes to the head.
   • Decorate the wings with foam stickers.
   • Paint designs onto the butterfly using craft paint.
9. Let the butterfly dry completely. Once it's dry, you can hang it up on your wall or in your window.

Tips

• If you don't have glitter glue, draw the designs with glue first, then sprinkle glitter on top.
• You can have your fingers closed or spread open when you make the wings, but you'll have more surface area to decorate if you keep your fingers closed.
• Use a glue stick when gluing light items, such as paper. Use tacky glue or hot glue for heavier items, such as pipe cleaners, pompoms, googly eyes, and rhinestones.
• Punch a hole in the top of you butterfly, then thread some clear string through it. Hang your butterfly up in a bright window.
• You can make your butterfly's body multicolored if you want to.
• Look at pictures of real butterflies to get design ideas.
• Your butterfly doesn't have to look real. You can put hearts, stars, or even lightning bolts on it!
• If the kid doesn't like getting their hand painted, trace their hand onto a sheet of paper, then have them fill the tracing in with paint.

Things You'll Need

Using Paint

• Tempera or poster paint
• Paintbrush or sponge
• Paper
• Glue
• Gems, glitter, sequins, etc.
• Pompoms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes (optional)

Using Paper

• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Gems, glitter, sequins, etc.
• Pompoms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes (optional)

Sources and Citations

See also

• Decorate a Phone Case for Cheap
• Make a Bow with Wired Ribbon
• Make a Birdseed Wreath
• Make a Travel Size Craft Kit
• Make a Trophy
• Make a Rubber Band Ball
• Make Keychains
• Decorate a Box
• Make Spring Crafts
• Make Frosted Cake Plates

Read more ...