Filter Paper Butterfly Mobile

Learn color mixing while creating colorful coffee filter butterflies and later string them together to make a mobile.	Safety Tips Kids 8 years and younger should use child-safe scissors. Watch out for this sign . It means adult help is needed for the particular step.
Materials Filter paper or coffee filter Wooden clothespins Food coloring or crepe paper Droppers or small spoons Pipe cleaner String Hole punch Cardboard, cardstock or transparency film

Steps

	1.	Cut out 3 or more butterflies from coffee filters or any filter paper. The size of the butterflies should be just right for a wooden clothespin to be clipped at each butterfly's middle section.
	2.	Prepare different colors of food coloring. The three primary colors red, yellow and blue are great for learning about color mixing.
		*Here's an alternative to food coloring: Soak (bleeding type) crepe paper in a small amount of water. Wait for 5 minutes or until the water attains the desired color intensity. Remove the crepe paper and use the colored water in place of food coloring.
	3.	Put a few drops of red on a butterfly and then add a few drops of blue. Watch as the two colors blend together. What color is created?
	4.	Repeat this process using other colors on the rest of the butterflies. Primary colors mixed together create new colors called secondary colors: blue and yellow make green, red and blue make purple, yellow and red make orange. Set the butterflies aside to dry.
	5.	Make the butterfly bodies by painting wooden clothespins. Paint on some spots or stripes if you like. *An easy and mess-free way to paint the clothespins is to clip each one onto a cup.
	6.	While waiting for the butterflies and the clothespins to dry, cut out the top shape for your mobile out of cardboard, craft foam or any sturdy material. I cut out mine from transparency film to make a nice sun catcher top.
	7.	Paint or decorate this top shape. Finger painting can be a fun idea!
	8.	Once everything has dried, clip each painted clothespin at the center of a butterfly.
	9.	Make the antennae either from pipe cleaner or paper. Cut the pipe cleaner in half and bend it in the middle to make a pair of V-shaped antennae. You can curl the tips if you like. If you would rather go with paper antennae, simply cut a V-shaped piece from colored paper.
	10.	Use white glue to attach the antennae at the back of the clothespin butterfly, positioning it close to the top.
	11.	Punch a pair of holes on opposite sides of the top shape.
	12.	Cut a string long enough to string all your butterflies. Tie one end of the string through one hole on the top shape.
	13.	Clip each butterfly along the length of the string. Cut any excess string below the last butterfly.
	14.	Loop a piece of string at the top hole to make the handle.
	15.	Finally, hang your butterfly mobile on a sunny spot.

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