We have been so happy to see a few butterflies on our walks, and with a gift of these fun coloured beads from Nan came the creation of our own little butterflies! Materials Felt Tulle Sewing needle/embroidery floss Fabric scissors Beads Ribbon Fabric glue Smock Craft tray Paper & pencil Directions Draw out a simple butterfly shape. (Our original we cut out and used for a pattern, but here is something similar.) Cut out your shape and pin or tape it onto your felt. Cut out two copies of your butterfly and one body shape. Sew around the edges if you would like to add some detail. You can do it by hand or with a sewing machine. If you like, sew on brightly coloured beads for spots of colour. Lay your butterfly on top of folded layers tulle or another similar material. Cut out a square/rectangle a bit bigger than your butterfly. Put your second copy of your butterfly on the bottom, forming a butterfly sandwich of sorts with felt on the bottom, layers of tulle in the centre and a felt butterfly again on the top. Be sure to line them up. Pretend to eat it! Sew in the centre with a sewing machine or by hand with an adult or have them do it for you. Trim around your edges, leaving a bit of tulle peeking out to form the “flutter” as our daughter described it! Put a line of fabric glue down the centre and add your body. Take a rectangle of felt (a bit smaller than the centre of your butterfly) and cut another rectangle going the distance across as shown. Sew the edges by hand or with a machine. (This is where your ribbon will slide through!) Put a bit of glue in the centre on the back of your butterfly. Attach your felt rectangle. We inserted a small roll of paper so that it wouldn’t accidentally glue together. Our son thought this would be a great way to send a message too! Allow to dry overnight and then slide your butterfly onto a piece of ribbon and attach it to a present, lending a playful touch! Purpose Developing fine motor skills. Safety Notes Use scissors and a needle with care and adult supervision. A sewing machine should be used by an adult or with direct supervision and instruction. Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children 0-3 or those that tend to put things in their mouths. Cord, floss, ribbon etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use it for its intended purpose and with supervision. When using fabric glue it is recommended that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to prevent damage to your clothes and/or surfaces. Please like & share: 2 Responses Trixi May 23, 2017 Hi Bonnie, Just saw this. I love it!! Reply Bonnie Scorer May 25, 2017 Thank you Trixi! Reply Leave a Reply to Trixi Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.