This easy and fun butterfly stick puppet is the perfect craft for celebrating the September migration of the monarch butterfly. Not only is this interactive craft fun to color and make, but it’s fun to play with too—the wings really flutter in the air!
Related: How to Make a Fluttering Paper Butterfly Craft
Butterfly Stick Puppet
Perfect for home, school, and butterfly-themed community programs, this color and cut butterfly stick puppet is an easy, inexpensive, and engaging craft for kids of all ages. Pair this craft with:
- Fall nature walks
- Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons
- A monarch butterfly tag and release program
- Raising butterflies in your home or classroom
Craft Supplies Needed for Butterfly Stick Puppet
- Printable Butterfly Wings
- Wide craft sticks
- Black acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Orange marker
- Tacky craft glue and/or hot glue
- Black pipe cleaners
- Scissors
Directions for Butterfly Stick Puppet
1. Print the monarch butterfly wings template on white cardstock. Each child will need one copy of the template.
Related: Coffee Filter Monarch Butterfly Craft
2. Invite your child to color the monarch butterfly wings template with an orange marker, crayon, or colored pencil. Next, cut out the pattern with scissors.
Note: Monarch butterflies may be orange to warn predators that they are poisonous, but wouldn’t this butterfly wings pattern look awesome colored in with a rainbow of colors? I think we’ll have to try that next…
3. Paint the craft stick with black acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry completely before moving onto the next step.
If you want to get technical, you could dip the end of the paintbrush into white acrylic paint and dab 6 dots on the craft stick near the butterfly’s head, just like a real monarch!
4. Glue the butterfly wings to the back of the black craft stick.
5. Next, cut a black pipe cleaner in half with scissors. Bend one of the pieces into a V to make antennae, then glue it to the back of the craft stick. Hot glue works best!
6. Invite your child to hold the craft stick, then gently shake their hand up and down. The butterfly wings really flutter!
Can you imagine a room full of children—toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age kids—sitting in a group and fluttering their vibrant monarch wings all at once? It would look just like a beautiful roost of migrating monarch butterflies!
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Monarch Butterfly Stick Puppet
This easy and fun butterfly stick puppet is the perfect craft for celebrating the September migration of the monarch butterfly. Not only is this interactive craft fun to color and make, but it’s fun to play with too—the wings really flutter in the air!
Materials
- Printable Butterfly Wings
- Wide craft sticks
- Black acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Orange marker
- Tacky craft glue and/or hot glue
- Black pipe cleaners
- Scissors
Instructions
- Print the monarch butterfly wings template on white cardstock. Each child will need one copy of the template.
- Invite your child to color the monarch butterfly wings template with an orange marker, crayon, or colored pencil. Next, cut out the pattern with scissors.
- Paint the craft stick with black acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry completely before moving onto the next step.
- Glue the butterfly wings to the back of the black craft stick.
- Next, cut a black pipe cleaner in half with scissors. Bend one of the pieces into a V to make antennae, then glue it to the back of the craft stick. Hot glue works best!
- Invite your child to hold the craft stick, then gently shake their hand up and down. The butterfly wings really flutter!
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