Coffee Filter Butterflies

These coffee filter butterflies were a must do for my spring unit this year. I just had to pass long my idea! It's too cute! My kids loved it! I did it right along when I taught the life cycle of a butterfly. 

 Here is how we made them, pictures, words and all!

We water colored coffee filters and let them dry. (I have also colored the coffee filters with washable markers and then sprayed with a water bottle.)  Love the colors!

Then I hung toilet rolls-yes, I know! From the ceiling, as the cocoon. I stuffed the coffee filter inside the cocoon. The coffee filters stay up in the toilet rolls with out covering the bottom. The cocoons hung for almost a week.

Then after a week, the butterflies were ready to fly. I scrunched up the coffee filter and fanned out the wings, clipped a close pin and tied a pipe cleaner as the antennae. 

The butterflies are so cute hanging from their cocoons! I just might keep them up for the rest of the year!