Cardboard Tube Butterflies

I knew there was a reason I have a Rubbermaid tote full of paper tubes in the basement. Wrapping paper tubes, paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes, aluminum foil tubes......I KEEP ALL THE TUBES, PEOPLE! It seems really weird to others until it's a snow day at school and your colleagues recruit you to engage 30 little people for 100 glorious minutes.

Other things you'll need (besides a justifiable amount of tubes):

• watercolour paper

• oil pastels

• watercolour paints

• collage items

• white glue

• strips of construction paper

• pom-poms

• googly eyes

• pipecleaners or straws (for antenna!)

• hot glue gun and sticks!

Here's the approach we took:

1. Cut wings from watercolour paper. You can do the ole fold in half for symmetry approach or just wing it! We welcome all strategies here :)

2. Decorate the wings with oil pastels and then continue with watercolour paint. This is a good chance to catch some "ohhhh's" and "ahhhh's"!

3. Embellish the wings with bits of collage items! I also have a bin of random scraps at home, haha. Don't worry - it is NOT Rubbermaid tote size ;)

4. Glue paper strips onto the tube body.

5. Get out the hot glue gun. Use it to adhere the wings, the head, the eyes, and the antenna!

6. Ta-da! The world just got soooo much cuter :)

SO. MUCH. CUTER.

If you can look at these without feeling joyful, you're probably my husband who is super annoyed I hoard cardboard tubes!!!!

Peace, love, and colourful butterflies,

Lindsay XOXO