This craft activity is one that I have been putting together since last year, but with Spring upon us again, it felt like the right time to share it.

This felt butterfly pairs beautifully with a transformation story about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

The process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly is a story that children love. The transformation story is an important one for them to experience, as it will have parallels to their own life; it signifies the changes that they will experience throughout their development and the transformations they will undertake as they move throughout the various life stages.

Waldorf Storytelling

Waldorf storytelling is known to have numerous benefits for children’s development and imagination. One of the key advantages is that it promotes active listening and enhances language skills. Children are captivated by the vivid and engaging narratives, which encourages them to listen attentively and comprehend complex ideas and themes. Through the use of sensory-rich language and imaginative imagery, Waldorf storytelling sparks the child’s imagination, stimulating their creativity. Waldorf storytelling encourages children to engage in open-ended play, as they recreate and expand upon the stories they hear, fostering problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Why handmade toys?

Handmade toys are one of the most precious gifts we can offer our children. They are often more simple than store-bought toys which stimulates imagination and encourages open-ended play. Handmade toys are usually made from natural materials, minimizing the exposure to harmful chemicals commonly found in mass-produced toys and plastics. They also foster a sense of appreciation for craftsmanship and sustainability.

This story was shared with me during my Steiner early years training at Steiner Seminar. It is a simple and effective story.

Brown Caterpillar

By Kim Preston

Adapted by Erica Russell

One day a brown caterpillar lay on a leaf. Chewing and chewing, munching and munching.

He crawled around the garden until he came across a beautiful rose.

“Good morning Rose, I wish I was beautiful like you, all soft and pink. I’m just a plain brown caterpillar.”

He continued on his way, chewing and chewing, munching and munching, until he came to a bright yellow daisy.

“Hello Daisy,” he said. “I wish I was bright and yellow like you, I’m nothing but a plain brown caterpillar.”

He continued chewing and chewing, eating and eating until he grew very sleepy. He wrapped himself up in a cocoon and slept for a very long time.

When he woke, he stretched and wriggled inside the blanket which had hardened in the sun. He wriggled and pushed his way out.

He felt quite different, he was different.

He had changed into a beautiful, colourful butterfly. He fluttered from flower to flower, sipping on nectar and felt very happy.

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I use simple props to tell this story. A green cloth to set the scene. A brown stick to represent the caterpillar. Some flowers cut out of felt. A few pine cones, gum nuts or rocks and a felt butterfly which remains hidden under the cloth for most of the story.

At the end of the story the butterfly can be slipped onto your finger and fly from flower to flower and even onto the children’s heads.

Felt Butterfly Tutorial

– Step by step Instructions

This felt butterfly craft is simple enough for beginners to make and is a quick project to put together.

Let me know if you try it, I would love for you to share it with me via Instagram.

Materials:

• One 20cm x 45cm piece of felt. We use a pure wool felt from Purely Felt Craft
• Cotton in a similar colour to your felt
• Needle
• Craft scissors
• Pattern template printed out (get a downloadable version of the template here)

Directions:

Carefully cut out the template. Then use the template to cut out the large and small butterfly and finger loop from felt.

Using blanket stitch, sew around both edges of the butterfly pieces. You can see an example of blanket stitch here.

Sew the smaller butterfly on top of the large butterfly with running stitch.

Sew the finger loop onto the back of the large butterfly using blanket stitch.

Sew in any ends to finish.

Enjoy your finger puppet butterfly!