Butterflies & Parachutes

You just found an extra special - Art & STEAM Project, Well Done!!

Provided by Chango PTA, Mrs Juda & Mrs Proler

Welcome to another Craft-A-Long. This one is a double project.

Clothes peg Butterflies or Maybe Dragonflies & Coffee Filter parachutes.

Both projects are just for fun so unleash some creativity and let's get started.


Don't forget to share your creations @https://www.facebook.com/ChangoPTA

Enjoy this story while you create - Flight School by Lita Judge

The Kit

Every kit is slightly different but you will find (at least):

  • a clothes peg

  • some googly eyes

  • a coffee filter

  • some string

  • some paper doilies

  • 2 x Chenille Stem/Pipe Cleaners

You will need - something to make a hole, scissors, glue and markers


Double project craft-a-long contents

Butterflies and Dragonflies

folding the paper doilies



Let's make a Butterfly/Dragonfly first...

  1. This step can happen afterwards, as we did, or at the start, decorate your 2 paper doilies with colored markers.

  2. Take the 2 paper doilies and fold them, one by one into a concertina.


  1. put them side by side and slide them into the mouth of the open clothes peg.





4. Next take a piece of pipe cleaner - ask a grown up to cut one of them for you, about 1/3 of one is perfect. (Keep the rest we need those for the next project)

fold it in half, to make a V and feed it into the mouth of the clothes peg.

5. Add your googly eyes and spread the wings out gently, display and love!


We could not decide if they looked more like Dragonflies so we will let you decide

Coffee filter Parachutes

Let's make a parachute AND it really works! ...

  1. Take your coffee filter, and as before you can either decorate it now of afterwards, as we did

  2. Flatten it and then fold it in half

  3. Fold it in half again.

  4. Punch a hole along the edge, in the center, straight through all 4 of the quarters.

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 4 - hole position

5. Take the string and cut into 2 equal pieces.

6. Take one piece and thread through the top left hole, tie a knot.

7. Take the other end of the same piece of thread and tie a not in the botto left hole. REPEAT on the other side.

8. You should have 2 loops hanging down from your parachute, now we need a passenger. We experimented with a few brave volunteers around the house! Lego characters are excellent and EXTREMELY BRAVE!

We also used the remaining pipe cleaners to create SUPER STICKMAN he was a HERO!

LAUNCH!!! - We found it easiest to find a high point, off the stairs, deck, low platform and either throw from the top of the parachute or hold the character and thrown upwards! Enjoy...

SUPER STICKMAN

Extremely brave Lego

Learn More and Keep Creating


  1. How Parachutes work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab_g5sLoXoY

  2. https://www.getepic.com/app/read/6106 How Do Parachutes Work? by Jennifer Boothroyd

If you want more projects like this or something else, maybe you have an idea or a topic please let us know.

(Contact Arts in Ed. Chango with your ideas and share your projects)