How to make a quilled butterfly

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Holly Spanner

Published: February 7, 2022 at 7:27 am

Learn how to make this quilled butterfly with our easy step-by-step tutorial! Have fun experimenting with different colours and patterns but make sure the wings are the same on each side or it will look unbalanced. If giving as a gift, why not personalise the shades of the butterfly for the recipient's favourite colour?

How to make a quilled butterfly.

Here are some top tips for making your own quilled butterfly:

Depending on how tightly you roll your strips, you may need more or less quilled shapes to fill the butterfly.
Use needle-nosed tweezers to arrange the quilled pieces, ensuring that you are happy with the placement before securing in place.
Squeeze some tacky glue onto a plate and use a toothpick to add glue to each quilled piece.

If you like this article how to make a quilled butterfly, why not check out some of our other quilling tutorials, right here on Gathered? Learn how to make quilled flowers, or browse our brilliant quilling ideas for beginners.

If you’re in a crafty mood, why not check out the best glue gun and best die-cutting machine. Thinking about buying a craft printer for all your digi papers and printable cards? Check out our review of the best printer for card making.

How to make a quilled butterfly

How to make a quilled butterfly

You will need

Tweezers
Standard Needle Tool
Quilling Strips
White box frame
Embossing folder (optional)
Coloured card
Ribbon

Step 1

Cut a square of white card to fit your frame and emboss if you wish.

Layer this onto a square of turquoise card.

Trace the quilled butterfly template onto some white card and cut it out. Mark the details lightly.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 1

Step 2

For the head and body, roll a 225mm aqua strip into a tight coil.

Roll a 450mm strip into a 10mm coil; pinch into a rectangle.

Attach two 450mm strips together, roll to a 20mm coil, pinch to an eye and flatten one end.

Add to the base.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 2

Step 3

For the wing tips, join two 450mm aqua strips, roll into a 20mm coil and pinch into a half moon. Repeat.

Roll a 450mm aqua strip into a 15mm coil, pinch into a half-moon and repeat to make four.

Attach to the base, as shown in the picture.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 3

Step 4

Roll a 225mm light blue strip into a tight coil; repeat to make four.

Roll a 450mm light blue strip into a 15mm coil. Pinch to an eye; repeat.

Roll a 225mm light blue strip into a 10mm coil. Pinch to an eye; repeat.

Set aside.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 4

Step 5

Attach two 225mm light pink strips on either side of a 225mm magenta strip, to make a long strip. Tightly roll and repeat.

Join a 225mm light pink strip and a 225mm magenta strip and roll tightly, starting with the light pink end.

Repeat.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 5

Step 6

Tightly roll eight 225mm yellow strips.

Roll twelve 225mm yellow strips into 10mm coils.

Pinch 10 loose coils into eyes.

Pinch the two extra coils into triangles.

Roll ten 450mm yellow strips into 15mm coils; pinch into teardrops.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 6

Step 7

Arrange all the elements on one wing. Check positioning before securing the pieces in place.

Repeat for the other wing.

Attach an aqua strip around the outside of the butterfly and trim any visible edges of white card.

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 7

Step 8

Add two small aqua strips to the base, as shown.

Take a 100mm aqua strip, fold in half and roll each end into a scroll for the antennae. Attach.

Secure the butterfly in place using sticky fixers and insert into the frame, to finish. Congratulations – you’ve finished your quilled butterfly!

How to make a quilled butterfly – step 8

How to make a quilled butterfly

We hope you’ve enjoyed our tutorial on how to make a quilled butterfly. If you like this – check out how to make quilled flowers, learn how to make bluebells, tulips and daffodils!

Staff Writer, BBC Science Focus

Holly is the Staff Writer for BBC Science Focus and looks after the popular Q&A section. She holds an MSc (distinction) in Geoscience (Space and Climate Physics) from UCL, and specialises in astronomy and earth sciences. Before joining Our Media, she worked as a geoenvironmental consultant and engineer, informing on ground risk and remediation in the north of England, while hunting for exoplanets in her spare time. Alongside this, she was regional editor of a popular theatre website for nine years, and has a solid background in curating and developing content for the digital space. Holly is also an artist and illustrator, and regular contributor to the craft website, Gathered. She has previously worked with the RSPB, English Heritage, Disney, Pilot and Brother, as well as on BBC Good Food magazine, Home Style magazine, and Papercraft inspirations magazine. She enjoys photography and has a sustained interest in antiques.