by TurkeyMom in Crafts

Ages4–7 yrs

Prep10 min

Activity45 min

Leveleasy

MessMedium

Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Kids paint wooden doll pins in bright colors, glue pom poms together in threes, and use pipe cleaners to make figure-eight wings and antennae. Then they stuff the pom poms into the wings for colorful 3D butterflies. It's a great finger-muscle workout of pulling, twisting and stretching.

⚠️ Safety first

Pom poms are small and a choking hazard. Supervise closely, especially with any child who still mouths objects.
Pipe cleaner ends can be poky. Twist or tuck the ends in.
An adult handles the scissors when cutting pipe cleaners for antennae.
Use washable, non-toxic paint and glue, and wash hands after painting.

Before the kids arrive

Set out the doll pins, paints, brushes, pom poms, pipe cleaners and glue on a tray or table.

Steps

Set out the doll pins, paints, pom poms, pipe cleaners and glue.
Paint the doll pins with bright colors.
Let the painted doll pins dry.
Separate the pom poms into groups of three and glue each group together.
Bend a pipe cleaner into a figure eight for the wings.
Insert the figure eight into the gap in the doll pin and push it up.
Adult: cut a pipe cleaner in half. Each half makes one pair of antennae.
Glue or tape the antennae to the back of the doll pin head.
Stuff the pom pom groups into the pipe cleaner wings to give the butterfly a 3D effect.
Line up your butterflies and show them off!

Tips

This craft exercises the kids' finger muscles, since they're doing a ton of pulling, twisting and stretching.from the author
Since the paint is not acrylic, we had a bit of a tough time getting it to stick on the doll pins. Honestly, this did not faze the kids. They went on to brightly color the doll pins.from the author
Gluing the pom poms by threes leads to tremendous play time for the children.from the author
There are several ways to complete the wings. A single pipe cleaner bent into a simple figure eight is the easiest.from the author
If the kids are not into the process, you can make them as party favors.from the author

Make it your own

Use glow-in-the-dark paint for the doll pins.
Use them as kids' room decor.
Make them as party favors or as a kids party activity.
Use them as kids party centerpieces.
Personalize them with kids' initials, or spell out a child's name with a row of bugs.