Fabric Butterfly Craft
I always think that summer hasn’t truly arrived until I’ve seen the first brimstone butterfly. Its delicate, vibrant yellow wings fluttering through the air signal, it's time to pack away your socks and mittens and reach for sun hats and picnic baskets.
This week I’ve felt inspired to fetch my trusty foraging bowl and head into the woods and hedgerows in search of plants and foliage to make my own summer butterfly.
You will need
- Pale natural fabric such as cotton or linen
- A wooden dolly peg
- A hard surface (I used my trusty bible, aka Monty Don’s book)
- A flat head hammer, mallet or wooden log
- Flowers, leaves and foliage
- Scissors or Pinking shears (optional)
Top tips
- You want to use plants that are luscious and hold lots of pigment such as nettles, dandelions and ferns. But just give it a go. Some plants won’t work and some will give you a vibrant print, it’s all about experimenting and experiencing!
Step one
Cut out a butterfly shape from your fabric. I used pinking shears as it stops the threads in the fabric from fraying.
Step two
Gather your garden goodies or woodland wonders. If picking nettles, washing up gloves are always useful or make sure there’s a dock leaf nearby!
Step three
Place your plants on your fabric butterfly. Make sure your butterfly is on the hard surface before placing the leaves and flowers.
Step four
Cover the butterfly with excess fabric, a piece of paper or a piece of kitchen roll; all will work fine. Hammer the butterfly until you can start to see colours and shapes appear.
Step five
Remove the top layer and gently peel away the flowers and leaves. Push the middle of the butterfly into the dolly peg and there you have a summertime butterfly of your own.
Craft Blog by Lottie Alderson
