Paper craft

Accordion Butterfly

Easy (level 2 of 5)
20 min
11 steps
Ages 5–9 (a guide, not a rule)

Uses scissors
Uses glue
Adult help suggested

Start Making Print

Folding paper back and forth is called accordion folding. Two folded squares, one big and one small, become four fluttery wings, and a thin strip of paper becomes the body and the antennae. Hang it in a window or stand it on a shelf.

Before you start

You need

Square of colored paper for the big wings, 150 x 150 mm (6 x 6 in). Origami paper, or a square cut from printer paper.
Square of colored paper for the small wings, 100 x 100 mm (4 x 4 in). A different color looks lovely.
Strip of paper for the body, 150 x 10 mm (6 x 3/8 in). Cut it from a sheet of colored paper in step 7.
Blunt-tip scissors
Glue stick
Pencil (to curl the antennae)
Ruler

Decorating (optional): Draw dots or stripes on the squares before you fold them; they turn into patterned wings.

No square of colored paper for the big wings? Old wrapping paper or a magazine page makes bright wings. If you have no glue, a small piece of tape can hold the strip around the middle.

For the grown-up: Help cut the thin body strip straight, and hold the pinched wings while the child wraps the strip.

Use blunt-tip scissors and cut away from your fingers.

How to place the paper before the first step — **Your paper:** Start with the big square. Lay it flat with the colored side facing up.

Valley fold: blue dashes. Fold toward you, like a valley.
Mountain fold: pink dash-dot. Fold away from you, like a mountain.
Cut: a thick solid line with scissors.
Glue: a yellow area marked "glue".
Hidden edge: gray dots show paper behind another layer.
Turn over: flip the whole model to its other side.

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

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Result

Step 1 of 11 Valley fold Fold the bottom edge up about 1.5 cm (1/2 in), about as wide as your finger. Press it flat.
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Step 2 of 11 Turn over Turn the paper over from left to right.
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Step 3 of 11 Valley fold Fold the folded edge up again by the same width.
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Step 4 of 11 Valley fold Keep turning the paper over and folding up until the whole square is a thin folded stick.
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Step 5 of 11 Valley fold Fold the small square into a stick the same way. (A new piece: the small square.)
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Step 6 of 11 Place Pinch each stick in the middle. Lay the small stick just under the big stick. (Both folded sticks are shown together.)
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Step 7 of 11 Cut Cut a strip 1 cm (3/8 in) wide from the edge of the colored sheet. (A new piece: a sheet of colored paper for the body.)
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Step 8 of 11 Glue Rub glue on the middle of the strip only.
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Step 9 of 11 Put together Wrap the strip around the pinched middle of both sticks. Press it tight, with the two ends sticking up. (The strip lies under the pinched sticks, glue side up.)
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Step 10 of 11 Open Gently spread each folded stick open like a fan. These are the wings.
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Step 11 of 11 Curl Roll each antenna tip around a pencil, then slide the pencil out. Your butterfly is ready!