April 2009 PowerKids

These butterflies won't fly away

As we welcome springtime weather, we also welcome colorful, beautiful butterflies. Although butterflies live outdoors, you can have your own pet butterfly indoors if you make this simple craft:

What you’ll need:
• Zipper-style sandwich bags
• Colorful tissue paper scraps or scraps of napkins or ribbons, various colors
• Pipe cleaner (chenille stem)

To make:
Tear or cut the tissue paper or napkins into small pieces. Cut the ribbon into small pieces. (This is a great way to reuse crumpled tissue saved from Christmas or birthday gift bags, or old gift ribbon.) Put a couple of tablespoons of the tissue, napkin or ribbon scraps in a zipper-style bag. Spread the scraps out so the bag looks like stained glass.  Fan fold the bag (like an accordion).  Twist a pipe cleaner in the middle of the bag, forming a butterfly’s body.  Make curls at the stem ends to look like antennas.