This Monarch butterfly craft is an easy homemade wooden toy and gift idea for children. Butterfly dolls are a cute DIY toy for kids made with wooden peg dolls. Wooden butterfly peg dolls are an open-ended toy for pretend or imaginative play that also look lovely displayed on shelves and nature tables.
This butterfly craft is an easy homemade toy for kids. My daughter loves to fly her monarch butterfly dolls around the house and bring them outside to pollinate the flowers.
Make this simple DIY toy for kids with wooden peg dolls today!
Related: DIY Butterfly Tree
Related: Butterfly Sensory Bottle
Monarch Butterfly Dolls for Children
These DIY monarch butterfly dolls are surprisingly easy to make. All you need is a few inexpensive butterfly craft materials and a free afternoon.
My 2.5-year-old daughter helped me paint the bodies of the butterfly dolls, while I did the rest of the detailed work. An older child or teen will be able to make this butterfly craft from start to finish on their own.
Monarch butterfly peg dolls also add a lovely summer element to your home decor and are perfect for displaying on summer nature tables.
Related: Angel Peg Doll Ornaments
Monarch Butterfly Craft Supply List
- Peg dolls
- Orange monarch butterflies or multi-colored monarch butterflies
- Black pipe cleaners
- Black acrylic craft paint
- Paintbrush(s)
- Incredible nib or extra fine point black paint pen
(optional) - Craft glue or glue gun with glue sticks
- Scissors
(optional)
Related: DIY Rainbow Peg Dolls
Monarch Butterfly Craft Step by Step Tutorial with Pictures
Use the butterfly craft tutorial below to make butterfly dolls for children.
Step 1 – Paint the Wooden Peg Doll Bodies to Start Butterfly Craft
First, paint the wooden peg doll body of each butterfly craft. Don’t paint the neck or head just yet, we will get to that next.
Tip: If you have a young child assisting you, put painters tape
around the butterfly dolls heads. That way you can invite children to help paint the butterfly peg doll bodies.
Have a look at our Elf Peg Doll Ornaments Tutorial if you would like to see photos of this step.
Step 2 – Paint the Neck of the Butterfly Dolls
Next, paint the neck of each butterfly doll.
First I had my daughter paint all the wooden peg doll bodies for this butterfly craft. Next, I took off the painters tape and then painted the neck and head of each butterfly craft.
Step 3 – Paint the Head of Each Monarch Butterfly Craft
- Look at the head to determine which part you would like to be the face of the butterfly craft.
- Paint a line right in the middle of the head from one shoulder of the wooden peg doll to the other shoulder. Don’t worry about how messy it looks just yet. (Have a look at the photo tutorial below to see how to paint the head–This step is shown in photos a & b.)
- Fill in back of the head of the butterfly craft. (photo c)
- Narrow the butterfly face and clean up your line to make it nice. (photo d)
Step 4 – Paint the Face of Each Butterfly Craft
Originally, I used a tool called the incredible nib to do the details on each butterfly dolls face. It’s a pen you can dip in any paint color you like and use to dot a simple face on a wooden peg doll toy for kids.
Paint pens today are magnificent craft tools. If I were to make this butterfly craft again, I would use an extra fine point black paint pen
to make a simple face for each butterfly peg doll. You can also use a regular paintbrush if you prefer.
Step 5 – Make and Attach Antennas to Butterfly Dolls
How to make antennas for each butterfly craft:
- Use craft scissors to cut black pipe cleaners in half. You will need one-half of a black pipe cleaner for each butterfly peg doll.
- Overlap pipe cleaner so the circle is large enough to fit around each butterfly doll head. (photo a)
- Tie once around. (photos b & c)
- Use the base of a paintbrush to curl tips. (photo d)
- Place antenna on the butterfly head. (photo e)
- Glue butterfly antenna in place. (optional)
to cut 
in half. You will need one-half of a black pipe cleaner for each butterfly peg doll.
Step 6 – Apply Monarch Butterfly Wings to Wooden Peg Doll Craft
Attach one butterfly to each peg doll to complete Monarch butterfly craft.
First, cut the wire and antenna off of each monarch butterfly
. Next, glue it to the back of the wooden peg doll and allow it to dry if needed.
Related: Best Flower Art Projects for Kids
More Peg Doll Crafts and DIY toys for Kids
- Acorn Peg Dolls
- Autumn Fairy Peg Dolls
- Winter Fairy Peg Dolls
- Elf Peg Dolls
- Angel Peg Dolls
- Rainbow Peg Dolls
Butterfly Craft and DIY Toy for Kids
Monarch butterfly peg dolls are a wonderful butterfly craft and DIY toy for kids.
They are a wonderful wooden toy for pretend or imaginative play. Our daughter loves to fly them around the house and right out the door to help pollinate the flowers in our yard.
Butterfly dolls also add a lovely summer element to your home decor and are perfect for displaying on nature tables.
Don’t forget to have a look at our spring or summer bucket list for more fun seasonal ideas and activities for kids.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE.
If you Liked DIY Butterfly Peg Dolls You May Also Like:
- How to Start Your Own Fairy Garden
- DIY Butterfly Tree
- All Season Hand and Fingerprint Tree
- Butterfly Sensory Bottle
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