DIY Fluttering butterflies in explosion box- perfect gift for any occasion like Mother's day, Birthday or Anniversary

Make your loved ones' day special with a little surprise like this - DIY fluttering Butterflies. I searched all over the internet and tried pretty much every tutorial to make this fluttering butterfly and finally found a solution that worked. Here I am going to share tips and tricks to make it work. 

Materials Used:

Wire

Pliers

Rubber band/Elastic band - Preferably beige ones

Marker pen

Bamboo skewer

Ruler

Any color paper 

Clear tape

Scissors

Scrapbook/ card stock for explosion box 

Step 1: Measure and cut ~5" for the upper part of the butterfly wing. I am using the wire from the Dollar tree Tool bench Hardware brand. You could any jewelry wire in 22 or 24 gauge. 

Fold the wire in half and squeeze the bend into a long U shape with pliers. The U part will be approximately 0.35". Then use pliers to form the wing part. 

Template for Making Butterfly

Step 2: Measure and cut the wire for approximately 8" in length. Wrap the wire on a bamboo skewer, cross the wire to make it circle, and bend it down to form a circular loop. Remove it from the skewer.

Step 3: Mark 2" on either side of the wire and use pliers to bend the wire upwards in a "U" shape 

Then mark  ~0.5" and bend again using pliers to form another "U" on both sides.

Bend the circular loop to a 90-degree angle using pliers. The center part is now done. 

Step 4: Loop the rubber band to make the spinning part. Take a rubber band and pass it through the "U" shape bend of the upper wing and then pass it through the circular loop. Finally, stretch it and pass it through the "U" shape at the bottom of the center part. The main part of the fluttering butterfly is done. Wind up the butterfly 20 to 30 times and leave it. See if it spins to check whether you have made it properly. 

Step 5: Let's make the wings. Fold the construction paper or make your pattern on a normal white paper like printer paper. I drew rainbow colors using alcohol markers and fold in half. Used the wire construction and marked the size of the wings approximately and drew the wings. Use scissors to cut it and attach it using clear tape. You can draw on both sides of the paper or just one side as I did. 

Step 6: Wind up the butterfly and test it out. To test, keep it inside a card and open it to see if it flutters. If it does, make as many as you wish to surprise your loved ones. 

Make an explosion box for DIY flutter butterflies

Step 7: Fold a 12" X12" scrapbook paper into three equal parts both vertically and horizontally and crease it. Each part will 4" X 4". 

Step 8: Cut each corner squares using scissors. The bottom of the box is now ready. 

Step 9: Take another scrapbook paper and draw a 4.1" square and 1" outline as shown. Cut along the outline and make slits to fold the 1" inch part to make the lid. Use tape to secure the folds. The lid is now ready. Check the video for better understanding. 

Step 10: Now, take the corner squares you cut from step 8 and trim 0.2" on any one of the sides and fold 0.2" and make a crease. Use tape and secure it to each side of the bottom as shown. This is done to create a place for the wind-up butterfly. 

Step 11: Place any small gift or candies in the center or use the template to create a greeting message like Happy Mother's Day or Happy Birthday. Print and cut the template in a circle shape with a small tab to secure it at the bottom. Wind up the butterflies and place it in between the flap and close the box with the lid carefully. Now the explosion box is ready to surprise your recipient. 

Template for Mother's day and Happy Birthday

Notes for successful fluttering Butterfly:

• Use Beige color opaque rubber bands for better results. 
• Wind up the butterflies around 20-30 times, until you see the second layer of rubber band twisting. 
• Use lightweight paper for wings. 
• I personally felt the explosion box was best compared to just putting the wind-up butterflies inside a card. 
• The butterflies only flutter and not fly up as seen in some of the Advertisements. 

Do try these fluttering butterflies and share your pictures in email or through Instagram. I can't wait to see your versions and hear your thoughts. 

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