The Amazon rainforest in South America is the biggest rainforest on Earth! It stretches across nine countries and is home to amazing animals like macaws soaring through the trees, jaguars prowling the forest floor and thousands of butterflies fluttering high above the rainforest canopy.
Butterflies are super important in the Amazon! As they fly from flower to flower, they help carry pollen so new plants can grow.
The Amazon is also home to many Indigenous communities. Some villages are so remote that people can only reach them by boat! Nine-year-old Kaio Guajajara lives in an Indigenous community in Brazil with the Guajajara people. “Guajajara” isn’t his last name. Kaio just proudly uses the name of his people as part of his name to honor his heritage.
Kaio is growing up surrounded by nature and learning the language, stories and traditions of his people. He loves hearing birds sing and spending time outdoors in the forest. Compassion works with local leaders in his community like Pastor Jairo to help children feel proud of their culture while helping them learn, discover Jesus and dream big for the future.
Now it’s your turn. Bring the Amazon to life inside your own home by creating a colorful butterfly suncatcher inspired by the amazing rainforest butterflies!
Make a Butterfly Suncatcher
Supplies
• Empty paper roll tubes. Paper towel rolls will make big butterflies and toilet paper rolls will make smaller ones.
• Transparent colored gel filters (ask an adult to buy these online or at a craft store) or colored cellophane.
• Plastic googly eyes.
• Pipe cleaners.
• Popsicle sticks.
• Hot glue gun or craft glue.
• Scissors.
• Pen or marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed, Cut your paper roll horizontally into four strips, each about 1 inch wide.
Step 2
Squeeze the ends of each strip together to make a teardrop shape for the butterfly wings.
Step 3
Use one wing as a template to trace onto your colored gel filter or cellophane. Cut out four matching wings.
Step 4
Glue the gel filter or colored cellophane to the paper roll wings. Trim away any extra edges.
Step 5
Glue the wings onto a popsicle stick to make the butterfly body.
Step 6
Glue the googly eyes near the top of the popsicle stick.
Step 7
Twist small pieces of pipe cleaner into curly antennae and glue them to the top of your butterfly.
Step 8
Hold your butterfly up to the sunlight and watch the colorful wings glow! You could even tie a piece of string to the antennae and hang your butterfly in the window.
Tip: Layer different colors of cellophane to create wings in all the colors of the rainbow!
Supplies
• Empty paper roll tubes. Paper towel rolls will make big butterflies and toilet paper rolls will make smaller ones.
• Transparent colored gel filters (ask an adult to buy these online or at a craft store) or colored cellophane.
• Plastic googly eyes.
• Pipe cleaners.
• Popsicle sticks.
• Hot glue gun or craft glue.
• Scissors.
• Pen or marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed, Cut your paper roll horizontally into four strips, each about 1 inch wide.
Step 2
Squeeze the ends of each strip together to make a teardrop shape for the butterfly wings.
Step 3
Use one wing as a template to trace onto your colored gel filter or cellophane. Cut out four matching wings.
Step 4
Glue the gel filter or colored cellophane to the paper roll wings. Trim away any extra edges.
Step 5
Glue the wings onto a popsicle stick to make the butterfly body.
Step 6
Glue the googly eyes near the top of the popsicle stick.
Step 7
Twist small pieces of pipe cleaner into curly antennae and glue them to the top of your butterfly.
Step 8
Hold your butterfly up to the sunlight and watch the colorful wings glow! You could even tie a piece of string to the antennae and hang your butterfly in the window.
Tip: Layer different colors of cellophane to create wings in all the colors of the rainbow!
Supplies
• Empty paper roll tubes. Paper towel rolls will make big butterflies and toilet paper rolls will make smaller ones.
• Transparent colored gel filters (ask an adult to buy these online or at a craft store) or colored cellophane.
• Plastic googly eyes.
• Pipe cleaners.
• Popsicle sticks.
• Hot glue gun or craft glue.
• Scissors.
• Pen or marker.
Step 1
Adult help needed, Cut your paper roll horizontally into four strips, each about 1 inch wide.
Step 2
Squeeze the ends of each strip together to make a teardrop shape for the butterfly wings.
Step 3
Use one wing as a template to trace onto your colored gel filter or cellophane. Cut out four matching wings.
Step 4
Glue the gel filter or colored cellophane to the paper roll wings. Trim away any extra edges.
Step 5
Glue the wings onto a popsicle stick to make the butterfly body.
Step 6
Glue the googly eyes near the top of the popsicle stick.
Step 7
Twist small pieces of pipe cleaner into curly antennae and glue them to the top of your butterfly.
Step 8
Hold your butterfly up to the sunlight and watch the colorful wings glow! You could even tie a piece of string to the antennae and hang your butterfly in the window.
Tip: Layer different colors of cellophane to create wings in all the colors of the rainbow!
