Paper Mache Butterfly
Butterflies are pieces of art in nature. It's a shame that they are so small and their beauty is hard to study with the naked eye. That's why we created a larger-than-life model of a Blue Morpho Butterfly!
Here's how to make one for yourself.
Step 1: Tools and Supplies
Tools:
- exacto-knife
- scissors
- wire cutters
- hot-glue gun
- mixing tool
- paint brushes
Supplies:
- cardboard
- sharpie
- acrylic paint
- wire
- newspaper
- glue
- water
- dish or bowl
Step 2: Preparing Your Cutout
First, the butterfly will need to have something to be molded around.
- Using cardboard, sketch out a pair of top wings and bottom wings, as well as a body for the butterfly (each wing should be about a foot in width and height)
- With your Exacto-knife, cut each wing and body from the cardboard
Step 3: Start to Mache
Now, it's time to create the butterfly with paper mache. First, prepare your glue mixture:
- Using equal parts water and glue, mix the two ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
- Using scissors, cut strips of newspaper ranging from 1 inch in width to 1/2 inch (width needs to vary based on the tightness of the curves you're molding around)
- Choose a cutout to start mache on
- Dip the newspaper strip in the glue-water mixture, and remove excess with your fingers
- Wrap each newspaper stip, one at a time, around your cutout
- Set aside to dry
Step 4: Paint Your Wings and Body
Now it's time to paint!
- First, mix your colors separately (You can use any colors you like, but we used a Blue Morpho Butterfly as reference)
- Paint your butterfly wings, then body. Use black for shadows and white for highlights
Step 5: Put Your Butterfly Together!
- Start heating up your hot glue gun
- Using your wire cutters, cut a 1 1/2 foot segment of wire
- Repeat
- Using the wire cutters, curl the end of each wire to make antennae
- Poke a hole with the wire on either side of the head
- Coat the end of each wire with hot glue and stick them back in the holes created
- Hot glue each wing, with the top wing over the bottom wing
- Hot glue each wing segment to the body
Step 6: Enjoy!!!
- Your butterfly is complete!