Can You Ever Have Too Many Butterflies?
July 22, 2008
According to my five year old, there can never be too many butterflies. In fact, she saw a commercial for one of those butterfly kits where you grow your own butterfly and begged me for one so she could add to our local butterfly community.
Her little face looked so sad when I had to explain to her that those butterflies would die when we released them because it was so late in the summer now (But maybe we could try it next year, I told her.) Then I found out that she wasn’t sad because she couldn’t grow her own butterflies this year… she was sad because other people would buy the kits this year and their butterflies would die. “Those people shouldn’t sell butterfly growing kits when the butterflies will die. Poor butterflies!”
We opted to make some clothespin butterflies instead!
Clothespin Butterfly
The clothespin butterfly craft pictured is really simple, even for younger kids to make. If you’re looking for something for an older kid, try turning these into magnets or note hangers. My girls made a couple of these and use them to clip to their curtains in their rooms.
1. Cut out a pair of butterfly wings from construction paper. Decorate them any way you want… we just used markers, but you could really go hog wild and glue on buttons, gems, sequins, fabric scraps, etc. Then glue them to one side of a clothespin. This will make the body and wings. Take a look at the picture for further clarification.
2. To make the antenae, bend a pipecleaner in half, then wrap each side around a pencil (to make it curl). Then all you have to do is open the clothespin and close it around the middle of the pipecleaner.
3. Glue some wiggle eyes to the clothespin, along with a small pom pom to make a butterfly face. If you don’t want to do that, you can always use a marker to make the butterfly’s face. We also used markers to decorate the butterfly’s body.
That’s it! Really easy and inexpensive!
Hi Chris,
The clothespin butterfiles are great! It would be wonderful if if these crafts were printable.
Carlene Blackstock
This is super cute idea. Thank you for sharing and all you do. Printing would be awesome.
Hi Chris,
I was wondering if we could have more craft for children aged 15months to 2 years. This is the age that i work with and sometimes find it hard to find craft activities for them that is not to difficult. I will enjoy your site and have got a lot out of it.
Thanks Cathy
It is really disapointing that your book is only available in ebook format! I would have loved to purchased a copy for myself and several of my friends for gifts, however, none of us are into the whole ebook deal.
I wonder how many people like myself that you are turning away because you are not offereing a “real book” for sale, expecially when it is at a real book price.
Very disapointing indeed.
I used to offer this book in physical form last year but it just turned out to be a nightmare.
1. There are so many color photos and pictures in it that it was very expensive to reproduce.
2. I had to spend hours each day assembling books, processing orders, and shipping them.
3. It left me very little time to work on all the free stuff I offer.
In short, it just wasn’t worth the time and effort for the meager profit generated from physical books… That’s why I went back to an ebook only format.
Besides, what you’re paying for is information, not paper, and ebooks are the best way to put the maximum amount of information into a product. I’d have to charge a lot more for physical books to get the same quality of information as I have in my ebooks.
I hope you understand.
Hi Chris
Thanks for the lovely butterflies. I it is our principal’s birthday and we are going to make her some as a class gift!
Great craft project. I have all of these things needed at home already and my kids love butterflies! Thanks!!
My class made lots of these n we had them everywhere in our classroom. W e hanged our art pieces, aprons even our New Words Learnt with these butterflies. Btw, I bought your ebook n its great! Printing the whole book was cheaper than if I had it delivered to Singapore! Thanks!
Hello Chris,
Thanks for this cool idea. I am now introducing letter B to my students. It will be fun to do this “butterfly craft.” You’re such an angel!!!
Its my daughters 5th birthday party on Sunday and I’m going to make the clothes peg butterflies with the girls - any suggestions as to what the boys could make with the clothes pegs?
Emma