Easy Origami Butterfly

For an easy recycled craft idea, make this easy Origami Butterfly! Book lovers will not only enjoy making these butterflies, but also using them as a beautiful bookmark!

Related: Butterfly Template

This is a fantastic way to get some more life out of any used books lying around that are collecting dust.

Or you can purchase some inexpensive used books at the thrift store or a yard sale for this fun craft! These origami butterflies are easy to make and make beautiful and unique bookmarks!

Supplies Needed

Here’s what you will need:

• Old book pages (or you can use regular paper or recycled newspaper)

• Glue Stick

NOTE: We purchased books for this craft from our local library for .25¢ each. If your library doesn’t have books for sale, you can purchase antique book pages for crafts on Amazon. You could also use regular paper, cardstock, or construction paper for this craft. 

How to Make an Origami Butterfly

1. Make sure your paper is a rectangle shape. It needs to be roughly a 2:3 ratio, so 4 inches by 6 inches would be a great place to start.

If your paper is square, trim it to be a rectangle. 

2. With your paper in portrait orientation, fold your rectangle in half on the long edge, from top to bottom. 

The folded edge should be at the top, and the open edge at the bottom. 

3. Fold in half again, but this time from right to left.

Then, open up the right side so you have a mini triangle in portrait orientation, like below.

4. Press this triangle down.

The paper will begin to form a triangle over your finger as you press the top edge of the paper down. Align the centerfold of the triangle with the crease of the rectangle underneath. Press flat. You should have a house shape that looks like the below image.

5. Repeat this on the other side.

Find the other open edge of the rectangle and repeat step 4 for this side.

Slide your finger into the open edge and find the corner at the top. The paper will begin to form a triangle over your finger as you press the edge of the paper down. Align the centerfold of the triangle with the crease of the rectangle underneath. Press flat.

6. On the back side of your triangle, there will be a back flap.

See below the shape you should have now.

7. Open the flap and fold it down to the left side of the triangle.

You should have a triangle at the top, and two wide “legs” at the bottom. In between the “legs” should be a gap.

The figure should be symmetrical.

8. Fold the inner corner of the right “leg” up towards the center of the triangle. 

9. Fold the inner corner of the left “leg” up towards the center of the triangle.

There isn’t a precise measurement here; just make sure the inner corner is pointing upwards and that the spacing is even/symmetrical on both sides. Press firmly on the fold to crease the paper well.

Tip: really make a good crease here because we’ll need this crease later.

10. Unfold each of the folds you just made.

11. Flip the butterfly around.

Put a finger inside the area you just creased and press down, so that crease is now in the fold.

12. Repeat on the other side.

It should now look like this.

13. Turn it around so that the large triangle is facing DOWN (pointing towards you).

14. Fold down the top flap of each of the smaller triangles.

This will form the bottom part of the butterfly’s wings.

The closer you fold to the middle will make the “body” of the butterfly smaller.

15. Add a little glue to keep the wings in place.

16. Press flat. 

Enjoy your new bookmark!

To use, simply fit the triangle on the underside of the butterfly on the corner of the page. 

On the back side of your butterfly is the corner that will fit over the page corner of your book to hold your place.

Feel free to make it unique by experimenting with different kinds of paper or decorating it with markers or colored pencils.

Of course, these butterflies can be used as decoration too!

For another butterfly activity, try making some DIY Butterfly Wings.