Skip the Tissue Paper Butterfly… Make This Instead!
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
Expectation: “Tissue Paper Butterflies are the BEST Kids’ Art Project Ever!”
Reality: “Wow, I really hate this.”
Those were the actual words going through my head when I was about halfway through making tissue paper butterflies for the first time.
For days, I had been looking forward to this art project. It was part of a big exploration of tissue paper art projects I had been doing. My mission was to encourage my kids to start seeing packaging material as sneak attack art supplies.
Tissue Paper Butterflies were the project I was most excited about! They seemed beautiful, charming and easy to make. I thought “these will be GREAT for my youngest students”.
But boy was I wrong. When I finally sat down to do the project I quickly realized that Tissue Paper Butterflies are more “DIY adult party craft” than “Creative kids’ art project”.
Let’s dive into why that’s the case and why I very strongly recommend that those of you looking for a great kids’ art project, try out this Windsock Craft instead!
Tissue Paper Butterflies are pretty. They’re also pretty hard & pretty boring.
Yep, that’s right folks. This seemingly easy tissue paper art project is actually quite challenging. It also has very limited learning for creative kids compared to other tissue paper projects.
Here’s how it falls short as a kids’ art project:
It’s Too Finicky
I was surprised to find that the mechanics of tissue paper butterflies are surprisingly difficult.
Most kids know how to do a fan fold, but doing it with multiple pieces of slippery tissue paper stacked together is quite tricky.
Opening the butterfly after you’ve attached the chenille stem isn’t all that easy either. I had to do this about four times to really get it right.
Too many learning curves and not enough “That’s awesome!”
No Easy Places for Kids to Pitch In
With other projects that have this many motor skill challenges, I’ll sometimes say, “Adults do this… kids do this,” because there are obvious, fun, and super impactful places where kids can contribute.
These are kids’ art projects after all!
With tissue paper butterflies, the only place where kids can really have an impact is by choosing the colors of tissue paper and chenille stem.
So adults end up having to help the whole time, and kids don’t get any creative flexing.
A Tedious Tactile Experience
I think kids should have fun using art supplies.
The pleasure of squidging paint onto paper or layering crayons into beautiful colors is what makes us fall in love with art in the first place.
The deeper I got into the tissue paper butterfly project, the more I felt like, “OK, this is a total tactile bummer.”
The tissue paper felt dry and scratchy on my fingertips. It ripped easily but separated with difficulty.
It was just not fun.
Butterflies Made of Tissue Paper Should Use AIR
Normally, I don’t get hung up on butterfly art projects that don’t actually fly.
However, one of the perks of tissue paper is that it inspires kids to play with AIR as an art supply. And aren’t butterflies like, also all about air?
Add air to this butterfly and it’s basically skittering down the street, being chased by your guests in their high heels while you scream, “I worked so hard on that! GET IT!!!”
That's a lot of fails for a seemingly simple art project.
A Better Tissue Paper Kids’ Art Project? Sea Foam Windsocks!!!
Thankfully, there is a FAR better tissue paper kids' art project we can do instead.
Windsocks!
This weirdly named yet uber charming art project shows off MANY of tissue paper’s charms and is an absolute delight to create.
It can also easily be adjusted so kids of all ages can get stuck in.
You can check out my Sea Foam Windsock Project here!
What Kids Learn from Windsocks that Tissue Paper Butterflies Miss
If you only have time and materials for one tissue paper art project, go with the windsock to really get deep learning.
Tissue paper has the magical ability to help kids experiment with light, air, water, adhesives, and layering color.
Tissue paper butterflies seem to miraculously avoid ALL of this learning. Instead the main learning is around paper folding and wire twisting. There are tons of other art projects that teach kids these skills and are more fun, creative and approachable.
Check out this skills chart I made comparing the learning in our Sea Foam Windsock vs the Tissue Paper Butterfly:
Tissue Paper Sea Foam Windsock | Tissue Paper Butterfly |
Color Selection | Color Selection |
Creative Color Application | |
Scissor Skills | Scissor Skills |
Using Tape Dispensers | |
Applying Adhesives | |
Paper Folding | Paper Folding |
Twisting Wire | |
Visual Estimation | Visual Estimation |
Hole Punching | |
Lacing | |
Tying Knots | |
Air as an Art Supply | |
Displaying Artwork | Displaying Artwork |
This is actually not even a comprehensive list of all the skills kids explore in our Sea Foam Windsock. It is however pretty much all that we learn in the butterfly project!
Tissue Paper Butterflies are not as Easy for Kids as They Seem.
Normally, when a project has fewer learning outcomes, it’s because the project is less advanced and designed for younger children.
This is NOT the case with tissue paper butterflies.
The level of paper folding skills required to get this right makes it as developmentally difficult as a windsock. In fact, it’s possible to scaffold the windsock so that kids of pretty much any age can participate in parts of its creation.
Tissue Paper Butterflies are Low on Mess... but so are Windsocks!
If you do the Sea Foam Windsock with tape instead of glue, the only mess comes from the coloring supplies.
Use markers, crayons, or collage and you have a very clean project.
Tissue Paper Butterflies Are Great for Adults & Teens Looking for Clean, Crafty DIY Decorations
Now it’s time for me to give this art project its due.
Obviously, tissue paper butterflies do have their place. They are all over the internet and Pinterest for a reason.
Here’s what is GOOD about this project:
It’s very clean.
It’s a fun basic paper folding project.
It makes an adorable party decoration.
My teenage daughter is an ACE at paper folding. If I’m ever throwing a spring party, I might have her whip together a few of these. MAYBE I'd give my little guy some sparkle stickers to press onto them.
That would genuinely look so cute on straws peppered around a buffet table.
This is a fabulous project for crafty lassies looking for a simple party decoration to delight guests young and old. If that's you, you might like tissue paper butterflies.
In fact, I think you might love them.
There are just other kids' art projects that pack in a lot more learning.
What We Don't Love Makes Our Artistic Voice Even Clearer
Discovering my feelings of “meh” toward tissue paper butterflies gave me a surprisingly important lesson:
We are all going to dislike some art projects.
I personally didn’t like this as an art project for kids. That is largely about my perspective as a teacher.
But my dislike also sprang from my artistic preferences.
I like art projects that let me bring my vision and my marks to the world. If a project is going to be finicky and challenging to complete, I want the juice to be worth the squeeze.
That’s just me though.
What are YOUR tastes when it comes to art projects? What ideas make you sit up in your chair and say, “Ooooh! I wanna try that! And when you actually try them, which challenges feel rewarding and satisfying? Or which feel tedious and kind of like a big waste of your time?
These preferences matter.
They are information about WHO WE ARE as creatives and as people.
Ultimately, the lesson from the Tissue Paper Butterfly fail is not that this is a bad art project.
The lesson is that as we work on creative projects- whether we are decorating for a party or creating art projects for kids- it is important to pay attention to what we don’t like.
Because this helps us more clearly see what we LOVE.
And that’s where the truly great work lies.
Interested in More Tissue Paper Art Projects for Kids? You Might Like:
FAQ
How do you make a tissue paper butterfly?
A tissue paper butterfly is typically made by stacking sheets of tissue paper, folding them into a fan fold, and twisting a chenille stem around the center to create the body and antennae.
Are tissue paper butterflies a good craft for kids?
They can be a cute decoration, but I found them surprisingly hard for young children. Most kids will need significant adult help to complete the folding and shaping steps.
What skills do kids practice when making tissue paper butterflies?
Kids practice color selection, paper folding, visual estimation, and twisting chenille stems.
What is a better alternative to a tissue paper butterfly?
A tissue paper windsock is a more open-ended project that includes cutting, taping, lacing, creative color application, and experimenting with air as an art supply.
What age is appropriate for tissue paper butterfly crafts?
This project is best for older children, teens, and adults with good fine motor control. Younger kids may find the folding and shaping frustrating.
Can tissue paper butterflies be used as decorations?
Absolutely! Tissue paper butterflies make adorable spring decorations and party décor, especially when attached to straws, bouquets, or gift toppers.
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