DIY: Filter Paper Butterflies | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Filter Paper Butterflies

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Several colorful coffee filter butterflies are arranged on a light wood surface. Each butterfly is made from two round filters, folded and tied together in the center with a black pipe cleaner to create wings. The filters are decorated with vibrant tie-dye patterns in various colors, including orange, pink and dark purple, blue, and green. A small bunch of daisies is positioned in the top left corner of the image.

Let's do colour 'subtraction'! Watch as water breaks down one colour into many, carrying pigments across paper to create magical colour transformations! Then turn them into beautiful colourful butterflies to add a touch of spring to your home.

Materials Needed

4 Mason jars (or cups) filled halfway with water
Coffee filter papers
Watercolour pens
Pipe cleaners
Scissors

An assortment of craft supplies is arranged on a light wood table. These include four small, clear glass jars (two pairs placed side-by-side), a white coffee filter, a group of colorful markers in shades of purple, pink, red, and blue, a pair of scissors, and a black pipe cleaner. The items appear to be laid out in preparation for a craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Unfold the coffee filter paper.

Two hands gently flatten a round white coffee filter on a light wooden surface. The filter's pleated edges are visible, and the hands hold it in place, presumably in preparation for a craft or experiment.

Step 2

Using a watercolour pen, draw a thick circle on the coffee filter paper, being careful not to tear it.

On a light wooden table, a left hand holds a white coffee filter flat while a right hand draws a thick black ring with a black marker near the center of the filter. The pleated edges of the filter are still visible.

Step 3

Then fold the coffee filter paper in half twice.

Two hands manipulate a round white coffee filter on a light woodgrain surface. An orange ring, reminiscent of a donut, has been drawn on the filter. The hands carefully fold the filter in half, then in half again, creating a triangular shape. The video demonstrates the initial steps of a craft project, likely involving the coffee filter as a base material for a decorative item.

Step 4

Place the folded coffee filter paper in the Mason jar with water. The bottom of the filter should barely touch the water. Wait patiently for 15 minutes. What changes do you notice in the coffee filter?

A clear glass jar filled with water sits on a light wood table. A white coffee filter rests in the jar's opening, acting as a funnel. Orange marker ink is concentrated on the filter where it dips into the water, demonstrating a chromatography experiment in progress. The background features a scattering of small, colorful star and dot stickers.

Step 5

Repeat these steps to create coffee filters in different colours. Remove the coloured filters and let them dry.

Four small, clear glass jars, each about half-filled with water, are arranged in a row on a light wooden surface. Each jar has a white coffee filter placed on top, acting as a wick. The filters have been colored with different marker inks at their centers: green, orange, purple, and pink. As time progresses, the water is drawn up into each filter by capillary action, spreading the ink outwards and creating a blooming effect. Small, colorful star and dot stickers decorate the wall behind the jars. This setup likely demonstrates the principles of chromatography or capillary action.

Step 6

Fold the dried coffee filters as shown in the picture, then spread out both ends. These will be the butterfly's wings.

On a light wooden table, several round coffee filters are displayed. Some filters, dyed in orange and purple hues, have been crafted into a butterfly shape using a black pipe cleaner body. Other filters exhibit vibrant tie-dye patterns in blue and green. A pair of hands folds a green and blue tie-dyed filter in half, then in half again, forming a triangular shape. A small vase of daisies and a box labeled Water Blaster are also visible on the table. The video showcases a craft activity using tie-dyed coffee filters, likely to create decorative items like butterflies.

Step 7

Tie a pipe cleaner around the centre of the filter paper and trim off any excess. Follow steps 6-7 to turn the remaining coffee filters into butterflies.

Two hands pinch the center of a tie-dyed coffee filter, creating a butterfly wing shape. A black pipe cleaner is being wrapped around the pinched center. In the background, a completed pair of tie-dyed coffee filter butterfly wings, more tie-dyed coffee filters, and a small bouquet of daisies are visible on a light wood surface. A corner of a box labeled WATER BLASTER is also visible.

Step 8

Your filter paper butterflies are now complete. Try combining different coloured watercolour pens on the filters and observe what happens after soaking!

The Science Behind It:

This is an example of 'capillary action'. Water moves along the coffee filter fibres, carrying the colours with it as it spreads. Because different pigment molecules are different sizes, they spread at different rates, creating beautiful gradient effects that look like colourful butterfly wings!

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