How pretty are these butterflies that look like they just happened to land on some wonderful crisp white gift bags? They couldn’t be easier to make! You can browse endlessly, and find your own butterflies from the Biodiversity Heritage Library  – an amazing resource of incredible natural history and botanical digital libraries. Once you’ve glued the butterfly bodies on, be sure to gently fold back the wings to create the three-dimensionality!

Materials needed: color printouts, scissors, small white favor bags, hot glue, mini clothespins

Step 1: Go to the Biodiversity Heritage Library Collection and scroll through the vintage butterfly pages – choose which ones you’d like to use. Download them and print them out if you have a color printer, or send them to your local office supply store to print out for you.
Step 2: Carefully cut out the butterflies just inside the edge of the illustration.
Step 3: Apply a tiny dab of hot glue to the body only of the butterfly. Adhere it to the paper bag. Once cool, bend the butterflies’ wings forward to create a 3-dimensional effect. Fill bag, fold closed, and secure with a pretty clothespin.

Photography by Benton Collins.