Coffee Filter Dragonfly Craft

Make summer crafting with kids a breeze with this Coffee Filter Dragonfly! It’s a super fun and simple project that only requires a few basic craft supplies.

Get ready to bring vibrant dragonflies to life by tie dyeing coffee filters with washable markers and using plastic spoons.

This craft is great for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school age children. It’s an excellent way to practice fine motor skills as well as express their artistic creativity!

For more projects like this, don’t miss our entire list of coffee filter crafts for kids.

Additional Summer Crafts for Kids

If you’re looking for even more fun and easy summer crafts, here are a few of our favorites:

• DIY Homemade Kaleidoscope
• Campfire Popsicle Stick Craft
• Shark Clothespin Craft
• Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft

Who Can Make This Dragonfly Craft?

I adore the simplicity and joy of coffee filter crafts, a delightful activity for kids of all ages.

In just 30 minutes (plus drying time), you can effortlessly create these charming coffee filter dragonflies, with the little ones lending a helping hand.

This arts and crafts project is particularly ideal for preschool and kindergarten children, as even toddlers can assist in tie-dying the filters!

The kids are captivated by the mesmerizing blend of colors. For older children, minimal guidance is needed to bring these dragonflies to life.

Benefits of This Coffee Filter Craft

Young children can enhance their fine motor skills and foster creativity by engaging in activities such as coloring the filters, blending colors by squeezing the water bottle, and stringing beads onto chenille stems.

These enjoyable tasks not only promote dexterity but also encourage imaginative expression.

Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to delve into color theory and blending, but this dragonfly craft can also be transformed into an educational experience by researching interesting facts about these fascinating creatures.

You can also use it as part of an insect unit study along with other bug themed activities like this insect dice game.

Coffee Filter Dragonfly Supplies:

Here’s everything you need to make a flight of dragonflies!

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• Round White Coffee Filters (1 per dragonfly)
• Washable Markers 
• Googly Eyes (2 per dragonfly)
• Green Plastic Spoon (1 per dragonfly) – any color will do if you don’t have green spoons
• Chenille Stems in assorted colors (1 per dragonfly)
• Pony Beads (2 per dragonfly)
• Water Spray Bottle
• Low Temp Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (or tacky craft glue)
• Scissors
• Gallon zip top bags or cookie sheet or wax paper (to lay filters on for drying)

Dragonfly Coffee Filter Craft Tips

For enhanced durability, I highly recommend utilizing a hot glue gun when working on crafts, particularly for decorative purposes. Additionally, it offers the advantage of quicker drying time.

However, if you’re creating these crafts with younger children, it may be wise to consider an alternative to hot glue.

One suggestion is to use this tacky craft glue, which happens to be my personal favorite. Keep in mind that you’ll need to allow for additional drying time with this option.

Once completed, these dragonflies can be hung in windows or used as decorative embellishments atop gifts.

How to Make Coffee Filter Dragonflies

Lay out and flatten your round coffee filters. Draw random patterns, like circles and stripes with a rainbow of washable marker colors. You will need one coffee filter per dragonfly.

Place your colored coffee filter papers on a cookie sheet or plastic zip top bag and mist with water to watch the magic as the colors spread and blend!

TIP: Wax or freezer paper will work as well in place of a cookie sheet, but place an old towel underneath to protect your work surface.

Set them aside to dry. Depending on the humidity, it will take about 1-2 hours for the filters to air dry. Some readers have suggested using a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.

Glue two wiggly googly eyes to the back of the spoon. (If using tacky glue for the eyes, you may want to save this step for last.)

Next, bend a chenille stem (aka pipe cleaner) in half and wrap around the handle of the spoon.

Then pinch it into a “V” shape and curl both ends to create the antenna. Secure the chenille stem to the spoon with a dab of glue. 

Slide plastic pony beads onto the end of each antenna and wrap the chenille stem to secure the beads in place. 

Once dry, fold the coffee filter in half and trim to create an oval football shape for the wings. (When unfolded, it looks like a triangle was cut out from each side.)

Now unfold the coffee filter and create the wing by pinching the top and bottom into the center. 

Glue the coffee filter wings to the plastic spoon handle to complete the dragonfly.

Fun Bug Crafts for Kids

Are your little ones curious about the world of insects? Dive into our exciting list of bug crafts that are not only fun but also great learning tools.

These creative, hands-on activities are an excellent way to introduce preschool and elementary school children to the enthralling world of bugs.

• Coffee Filter Bumble Bee
• Popsicle Stick Dragonfly from Simple Everyday Mom
• Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
• Spider Craft from Living Life & Learning
• Coffee Filter Ladybug

From butterflies to beetles, we’ve got a range of projects that will spark their imagination and enhance their fine motor skills. So, let’s get crafting with these fun, bug-inspired artworks!

Interesting Books About Bugs

We all know that reading helps to open up a world of knowledge and possibilities. With that in mind, why not pair a simple bug craft with one of these interesting books about insects?

 Bugs: A Stunning Pop-up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies Insects & Bugs for Kids: An Introduction to Entomology (Simple Introductions to Science) Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids) Are You a Dragonfly? (Backyard Books)

 

To wrap things up, let me tell you about these amazing bug crafts! They’re a perfect blend of fun, learning, and creativity.

Whether your kid is making a Coffee Filter Dragonfly or diving into bug-themed books, these activities offer endless entertainment while building important skills.

But here’s the best part – it’s not just about the final product. It’s about the journey – the joy, the learning, and the memories created along the way. So, grab some glue, gather your little ones, and let’s have some fun!