Colorful Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids

by Karen & Grace Morris

Let's combine science and art with coffee filter crafts for kids. After the filter dries, your kids can make beautiful butterflies, flowers, and other cute items.

There are four crafts below so you will need at least;

  • Four coffee filters (one for each craft)
  • Black washable marker
  • Eyedropper
  • Small container with water 

Water play can be messy, so have plenty of towels to soak up the excess water.

add lines with a marker

Place the filter on a large piece of paper. Make lines, dots, or spirals on the coffee filter with the black marker. If you make a large spiral, you could make a snail.

add water

Use the eyedropper to drop water on the lines. You want just enough water so that the ink runs. Too much and the ink will soak through the filter.

This would be a fun activity to do in the springtime. You could even draw your picture and place it out in the rain for a few minutes.

See the different colors? You should see blue and some red. Black is a mixture of red, blue, and yellow.  The mixture absorbs most of the light, so we see black.

Try different brands of black markers. Do you see different colors, or are they the same? What happens if you use a permanent marker?

Try other colors of washable markers. Do they change colors when you add water?

Let your filters dry and then make these coffee filter crafts for kids.

Coffee filter Crafts for Kids – What They Can Make

Butterfly

coffee filter butterfly

Some butterflies like the Owl Butterfly have spots on their wings that look like eyes. This butterfly, however, looks similar to a Blue Swallowtail.

You will need;

  • Coffee filter from above
  • Clothespin
  • Pipe Cleaner
fold coffee filter

Fold the filter back and forth to make a fan. Twist the center a time or two. Then clip with the clothespin. 

butterfly antenna

Fold the pipe cleaner in half. Now fold the ends on each side. I did three turns so that it made a small circle on each end of the pipe cleaner.

add clothespin

Place the pipe cleaner under the clip of the clothespin.

You could make several different kinds of butterflies here.

Jellyfish

coffee filter jellyfish

According to Wikipedia, the Aequorea victoria jellyfish produces green fluorescent protein. People use the protein to make Glofish which you can buy and add to your aquarium.

You will need;

  • Colored coffee filter
  • Hole punch
  • Ribbon

Near the edge of the filter, punch some holes with a hole punch.

Thread ribbon through the holes for the jellyfish’s tentacles.

If you want to hang your jellyfish up, add a hole to the center and add string.

Flower

coffee filter flower

Flowers are always pretty and special to give someone. These flowers look similar to Bachelor Buttons with their ruffles and blueish colors.

Supplies;

  • Coffee filter
  • Pipe Cleaner
fold the filter in half

 Fold the coffee filter in half.

pinch the coffee filter

Start to fold the sides to the center and pinch. Twist the center some.

add the pipe cleaner

Twist the end of a pipe cleaner around the center for a stem.

Snail

coffee filter snail

This snail is so pretty! Just like the Blue Ramshorn!

You will need;

  • Colored coffee filter
  • Construction paper
  • Glue stick
  • Wiggly eyes
glue the filter to the paper

Place the dried coffee filter on the top left side of the construction paper. Use a glue stick to glue the filter in place.

With a pencil, draw a thumb shape on the right side of the paper and curve the bottom near the filter.

cut the paper

Cut the shape out. Also, cut off the top corner and any construction paper on the left side.

Add eyes and a red line for a mouth to the thumb shape.

Learn about colors with coffee filters crafts for kids.

More Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids

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