TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

Butterfly Symmetry with Crayon Resist

By Cheryl Trowbridge 3 Comments

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print


Butterflies make the perfect subject for learning about symmetry and they’re a great way to welcome the spring season. I love displaying them by putting a couple of staples through the body and pulling the wings out a little so they look like they’re in flight! It’s fun to let them “fly” off the bulletin board and onto the surrounding walls, or even right down the hall! Crayon resist butterflies are fun and easy to make:

1. Put up lots of examples of different shapes and colors of butterflies, then let your students “mix and match” to create their own.
2. Fold white paper (9×12 or 12×18) in half.
3. On the fold, draw half of your butterfly’s body and one set of wings with pencil. Add some interesting shapes on the wings to be painted later.
4. Trace over your pencil lines with black crayon, pressing hard.
5. Now fold the paper back over your drawing and rub with a spoon to transfer your drawing to the other side of the paper. The transferred image will be faint, so you’ll need to go over it with crayon to make it distinct.
6. Use scissors to cut out your butterfly. You can open up the paper to cut it out, or you can fold it back the opposite way, so that your drawing is on the outside, then cut on the fold to yield two perfectly symmetrical sides.
7. Next, use watercolors to paint your butterfly. Th
e crayon will “resist” the paint. Make sure you use the same colors for the equivalent shapes on the opposite side. And don’t use black paint or there won’t be enough contrast for your crayon to show up!
8. Pipe cleaners make great antennae! After your painting has dried, fold one half of a pipe cleaner in half and use your pencil to curl the ends. Then attach it to your butterfly with a couple of staples.
9. A staple or two into your butterfly’s body is all you need to make it “light” on your wall and add a touch of springtime to your room. You can also attach a smaller version of this butterfly to the front of a folded card for a fun “3-D” effect!

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

Default ThumbnailMy Good Shepherd a colorful autumn leaves art project with crayon resist and watercolor - for grades 1 & upAutumn Leaves with Crayon Resist Default ThumbnailWatercolor Fish with Pointillism Default ThumbnailThe Colors of the Rainbow

Filed Under: Butterflies, Crayon, Drawing, Easter, Faith, Holiday / Event, Lessons, Mixed Media, Painting, Watercolor Tagged With: butterflies, crayon resist, Jesus, symmetry, watercolor

Comments

  1. Ms. Julie's Place says

    at

    Butterflies are one of my favorite symbols! I use them frequently in my own artwork. These boards are beautiful.

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    at

    I have awarded you with the “WONDERFUL BLOG AWARD” and the “I LOVE YOUR BLOG” award!

    You can check out this post to see the details:
    http://smmartideas.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-awards-sooooo-nice-it-sure-is-nice.html

    Thanks for your great ideas!
    Lisa
    http://SMMARTideas.blogspot.com

    Reply
  3. Joi says

    at

    I love these! I am going to be making these with my children in the next week. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • TIP #65: 12 Positive Affirmations for Creative Kids
  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt
  • Make a Crazy Crown Craft
  • Use Art Postcards to Teach or Review
  • How to Have an Elements of Art Scavenger Hunt in a Painting

Copyright © 2023 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT