Are you hoarding those old egg cartons for the next time you need them? We love making recycled crafts with kids and these egg carton butterflies are so cute. Learn how to make this fun butterfly craft with your kids with our simple steps.

egg carton painted butterfly crafts on marble table.

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Our butterfly craft is a little different than some have seen. If you do not want to involve other materials, you can just wrap the pipe cleaner around the middle and twist it at the top.

We will give you two different options for how to make the butterfly body.

What age is this craft for?

This project can be made by any aged child. They can choose the paint colors and all details of their butterfly craft.

Adult assistance will probably be needed when cutting the egg carton and gluing. We used a hot glue gun to make it while our children helped picked the items.

supplies used to make egg carton butterfly, craft stick, pipe cleaner, painted egg carton and pom poms.

Recommended Supplies

Egg Carton: cut to show 4 spots
Washable Paint: We just used regular washable Crayola tempera paint.
1/2 Pipe Cleaner
Googly Eyes
Scissors
Paintbrush
Glue Bottle Or Hot Glue Gun

Optional Butterfly Body Supplies

Clothespin
Craft Stick With 4 Pom Poms: These pom poms will last for all your craft projects and have a little extra sparkle on some.

Tips For Cutting Your Egg Carton

We found that flipping over our “cardboard” carrier made it easier to cut.
You may have to trim the edges of your butterfly wings.
Cardboard egg cartons will be easier to work with instead of styrofoam (and better for the environment, too)

hand holding scissors and cutting cardboard egg carton.

If you love making easy crafts from egg cartons, then you will have to consider making the cutest egg carton turtle or hungry caterpillar craft next.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Paint Your Egg Carton

If you are working with older children, you could look at real butterflies and introduce the concept of symmetry.

Or just let those toddlers and preschoolers have fun painting. Just make sure you only give kids paint colors that will mix well together to avoid that big brown mess.

child's hand holding paint brush painting egg carton on paper towel.

Step 2: Let Paint Dry

orange, red and yellow. painted egg carton drying.

Step 3: Glue Butterfly Body On

Hot glue a craft stick on to egg carton. You will have to trim the end a little or your body will be too long.

Fold the pipe cleaner and glue on onto the stick.

craft stick glued on butterfly egg carton craft.

Step 4: Add Pom Poms and Eyes

Have fun with the colors in your butterfly body. One Of our favorites was a rainbow body.

butterfly craft with pom poms and egg cartons.

Optional: Clothespin Body Idea

Instead of using a craft stick with pom poms, you could paint a clothespin and attach the antenna by opening the clip.

Glue or wedge the clothespin into the egg carton.

hand holding painted clothespin with googly eyes and pipe cleaner.

hand holding painted butterfly egg carton craft with clothespin body.

More Easy Crafts

Oobleck Slime Recipe Preschoolers Love
How To Melt Crayons In Cupcake Liners
Easy Slow Cooker Playdough
Easy Bird Mask Craft (use the rest of that egg carton)

Do you like this art project? Please give us 5 stars below 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 and have fun being creative with your family.

Prep:5

Creating:15

Dry Time:15

Total Time:35

Equipment

Scissors for adults to cut egg carton
Glue Bottle if googly eyes are not stickers
Glue Gun For adults only

Supplies

Pre-Cut Egg Carton 4 sections per craft
Tempera Paint you can use any colors you want
Paintbrush
1/2 piece Pipe Cleaner

Body Material

2 Googly Eyes
4 Pom Poms
Craft Stick or Clothes Pin

Instructions

Prep Egg Carton

Cut a cardboard egg carton in so you have four cups for the wings.

Making Your Butterfly Wings

Use tempera paint to paint the egg carton.
Let the painted egg carton fully dry.

Make Butterfly Body

Hot glue a craft stick on to egg carton. You will have to trim the end a little or your body will be too long.
Cut a full pipe cleaner in half. Fold 1/2 of a full pipe cleaner and hot glue on onto the stick.
Glue on 4 poms poms on the craft stick using hot glue or glue bottle
Glue on googly eyes.

Notes

If you are working with older children, you could look at real butterflies and introduce the concept of symmetry.
You could also make the body out of paper or just paint the craft stick or use a clothespin.
Let your young child experiment and have fun making this easy egg carton craft.
Cardboard egg cartons will be easier to work with instead of styrofoam (and better for the environment, too)

Author: Erin

Cost: under $2

Easy Egg Carton Butterfly Craft For Kids