Easy Glow-in-the-Dark Butterfly Craft with Pipe Cleaners
Learn how to make this easy butterfly craft with pipe cleaners. These clothespin butterflies are so easy to make and are a fun butterfly craft for kids to enjoy, especially with the lights out!
Are your toddlers obsessed with butterflies? My two kids absolutely love following them around all summer long.
But during the winter months, we don’t see much of them at all. So, I tried coming up with a fun butterfly bead craft to help them have butterflies all year round!
I was able to easily make these with all the craft supplies in my house: beads, pipe cleaners, and a clothespin.
To keep my boy toddler interested, I added a fun twist: these are not just any beaded pipe cleaner butterflies; these are GLOW IN THE DARK!
If you want super fun and unique butterfly crafts for kids, learn how to make these glow in the dark pipe cleaner butterflies down below!
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How to Make This Butterfly Craft with Pipe Cleaners
Here is how to easily make your own butterfly clothespin craft with pipe cleaners:
Supplies
- Clothespins
- Paint
- Pipe Cleaners
- Glow-in-the-Dark Pony Beads
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Magnetic Tape (optional)
Instructions
Paint the clothespin with the color of your choice. Set aside to dry.
Thread pony beads onto two pipe cleaners. Leave about 1 inch empty on each side.
Bring the two empty ends of the pipe cleaner together to form a circle. Twist the ends together and wrap them around the circle to get them out of the way.
Spread the beads out on the top and bottom of the circle.
Pinch the top and bottom together and twist around.
Repeat the steps with the second pipe cleaner.
Once the paint is dry, open the clothespin and slide the wing pipe cleaners in. The clothespin will hold them in place.
Take another pipe cleaner and cut it to the desired length of the antenna.
Fold the pipe cleaner in half and curl around the ends.
Pinch the antenna pipe cleaner on the end of the clothespin to stay in place.
Tips and Tricks for This Beaded Butterfly
- Use glow-in-the-dark paint so the body of the butterfly glows too.
- Glue the magnet to the back of the clothespin for extra stability. This is an optional step, you don’t have to use a magnet at all!
- The wings will need a little adjusting after being placed in the clothespin. The pipe cleaner will easily allow you to do this.
- Get creative with embellishments to add personality to your butterflies. Try adding tiny beads for eyes, glitter for sparkle, or even tiny pieces of fabric for textured wings.
- Don’t be afraid to personalize your butterflies! You can experiment with different wing shapes, sizes, and patterns to create a diverse flock of fluttering friends.
If you love making sensory bins and bottles for your toddlers, you will love all these sensory play ideas!
Educational Benefits of This Beaded Butterfly
Of course, any craft you make with your kid will have an educational aspect. I wanted to quickly go over the benefits of this beaded butterfly with pipe cleaners:
- Fine Motor Skills: Making clothespin butterflies with pipe cleaners is a great way to develop fine motor skills in children. The intricate bending and twisting of the pipe cleaners help to improve hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.
- Color Recognition: Sorting and selecting pipe cleaners of different colors can help young children learn to recognize and identify colors. You can encourage color naming and matching as they choose the colors for their butterfly wings.
- Creativity and Imagination: Crafting allows for endless opportunities for creativity and imagination. Encourage your little ones to come up with their own unique butterfly designs, fostering their imaginative thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Nature Exploration: Use the butterfly craft as an opportunity to teach children about the natural world. Discuss the life cycle of butterflies, their habitats, and the role they play in pollination and ecosystem health.
- Artistic Expression: Crafting is a form of artistic expression that allows individuals to express themselves creatively. Encourage your children to experiment with different colors, shapes, and textures to create one-of-a-kind butterfly masterpieces.
Variations to This Butterfly Craft for Kids
I also wanted to briefly talk about a few ways to make this butterfly craft unique and fun for all kids!
- Different Wing Materials: Instead of using pipe cleaners for the wings, try using tissue paper, fabric scraps, or even feathers for a different texture and appearance.
- Embellishments: Add extra flair to your butterflies by incorporating sequins, rhinestones, or glitter onto their wings. You can also use markers or paint to add intricate designs or patterns.
- Alternative Clothespin Uses: Transform your clothespin butterflies into functional decor by attaching them to magnets, hair clips, or bookmarks. This allows you to enjoy your creations in various ways beyond simple decoration.
- Seasonal Themes: Create themed butterflies to fit different seasons or holidays. For example, use pastel colors for spring, red and green for Christmas, or orange and black for Halloween.
- Size Variations: Experiment with different sizes of clothespins and pipe cleaners to create butterflies of varying sizes. This can add visual interest to your display and allow for more creativity in your designs.
Easy Pipe Cleaner Butterfly Craft Wrap-Up
That’s it! This clothespin butterfly craft with pipe cleaners is super easy to make with your toddlers for a fun and simple Spring or Summer activity.
You can easily make this beaded butterfly with these craft supplies you already have at home too!
Enjoy making these other crafts for toddlers:
- pipe cleaner crafts for toddlers
- rainbow cut and paste craft
- caterpillar craft
- rainbow crafts for toddlers
- octopus handprint craft
- beach crafts for toddlers
- glow in the dark butterfly pipe cleaner craft
- handprint flamingo craft
- paint activities for toddlers
- candy corn craft for toddlers
- nature crafts for toddlers
- monster sponge puppets
