Ready to give your party favors a fluttery upgrade that’s both easy and budget-friendly? Coffee filter butterfly favors are not just adorable, but they’re also a creative way to use transform inexpensive household items into something magical.
Whether you’re planning a buzzing birthday bash or an enchanting baby shower, these handmade treasures are sure to spread smiles as wide as their wingspan.
Why You’ll Love these Butterfly Favor Bags
- Budget friendly. Perfect for anyone looking to save some money on party favors.
- Simple enough for the kids to help make them.
- No need for expensive tools or equipment – just some basic household items and a bit of creativity!
- Easily customizable for any party color scheme.
What You’ll Need:
Snack bags: I used regular snack bags from the grocery store, but you can also use wide cellophane treat sacks if you like.
Filler: We used mini marshmallows but any small, lightweight candies will work. (Check out some ideas below)
Coffee filters: These are the decorative wings of the butterflies. I dyed my coffee filters with food coloring, but you can feel free to incorporate one of the decorating techniques discussed below.
Twist ties: You can also use ribbons, pipe cleaners, or string.
Clothespins: Plain clothespins are simple and easy to find, but if you need to save some time, you can also grab these green clothespins
Green paint & a paintbrush: Makes the cute and colorful butterfly body!
Black Felt Marker: Used to make the face of the butterfly. If you’re extra talented, you can also paint a face.
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before starting to avoid any potential mistakes.
- If you clip the clothespins to an old jar or a disposable cup, you can paint both sides at the same time.
- Folding the zip top down is optional, but makes the bags look much nicer when they’re finished.
- Be careful not to overstuff the snack bags or they won’t fold properly.
- Gently squeeze a bit of air out of the bag before you close it. This will make it easier to adjust the amount of filler on each side and twist the bag without it popping back open.
- Make sure you leave enough space to twist tie the center.
Fun Ways to Adorn Your Butterfly Wings
- Add some sparkle and shine to your butterfly’s wings with glitter glue or glitter paint.
- Use stickers or washi tape to create unique patterns.
- Self adhesive rhinestones or gems can add some bling to your butterfly’s wings.
- Use markers to draw on fun designs and patterns.
When to Use Coffee Filter Butterfly Favors:
These butterfly favors are perfect for a variety of celebrations and occasions, such as:
- Butterfly themed parties (obviously)
- Children’s birthday parties
- Baby showers
- Spring or garden themed parties
- Mother’s Day brunches
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can also use any small and lightweight candy like M&M’s, Skittles, jelly beans, robin’s eggs…the possibilities are endless.
How much filler will depend on the size of your bag. As a general rule, fill the bag about 2/3 full so you have enough space to manipulate the bag into butterfly wings.
Absolutely! This is a fun and easy craft for kids to help with, under adult supervision. They can have fun decorating the coffee filter wings and choosing their favorite snacks to fill them with.
Looking for more inspiration?
Feel free to check out these resources:
- This fluffy, colorful coffee filter wreath is the perfect compliment to your sweet butterfly favors
- Check out these garden party ideas for your spring or summer parties
- Want to decorate with everything butterflies? Take a look at these butterfly party ideas.
Or you can check out all my party crafts here.
Step by Step Directions:
How to Make Coffee Filter Butterfly Party Favors
Create whimsical butterfly favors with coffee filters! It's the perfect budget friendly DIY craft for parties & showers. Easy, fun & utterly charming – get crafting now!
Materials
- 1 Snack bag
- Filler of your choice
- 2 Dyed coffee filters
- 1 Twist tie
- 1 Clothespin
- Green paint*
Tools
- Paintbrush
- Black Felt Marker (optional)
Instructions
- If using plain clothespins, start by painting them with two layers of green paint. Allow the paint to dry completely.
- Use a black marker to draw a face on the clothespins.
- Fill a snack size bag with treats. Leave a little bit of empty space so you can manipulate the bag into a butterfly shape.
- Use your hand to eyeball the center of the bag and separate the filler into two halves.
- Use a twist tie to pinch the center together, creating a butterfly shape.
- Layer 2 dyed coffee filters. Twist them together in the center to create a bow shape.
- Clip the twisted coffee filters on top of prepared snack bag with the green clothespin. Make sure the side of the clothespin with the face is on top of the coffee filter wings. Carefully spread the two sides of the clothespin a small distance apart to create the look of antennae.
Notes
Remember, the Tips and FAQ in the tutorial post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- Folding the zip top down is optional, but makes the bags look much nicer when they're finished.
- Be careful not to overstuff the snack bags or they won't fold properly.
- Gently squeeze a bit of air out of the bag before you close it. This will make it easier to adjust the amount of filler on each side and twist the bag without it popping back open.
- Make sure you leave enough space to twist tie the center.
- Only spread the clothespin sides a small bit, otherwise they may pop out of their coils.
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