Print your butterfly template on coloured cardstock. We used purple cardstock, but you can use any colour.
Decorate the butterfly however you'd like! We used a black marker to colour parts of the butterfly.
Then we used a gold paint pen to colour in the dots.
Cut out the butterfly.
Step 2: Make butterfly backing
On the scrap cardstock draw a rectangle 1-1/4 inches high and 4-1/2 inches long. Cut out the rectangle.
Measure 3/4 inch from each of the short ends and mark with a pencil.
Fold the cardstock on these marks. Then fold the cardstock in half in the other direction so the folded tabs face outwards.
Fold the butterfly in half, and then unfold it again, setting the decorated side face down.
Add glue to the tabs of the cardboard.
Attach the tabs to the centre of the butterfly, lining up the crease in the butterfly with the tabs and fold.
Step 3: Cut and connect straws
Cut off about 2 inches from the straw with the larger diameter (in our case, we cut off the entire bendy part of the straw).
Cut a slit in the straw 2-1/2 inches long. Rotate the straw 180 degrees and make another slit the same length, directly across from the first slit.
Cut a 2 inch slit in the smaller straw. Again, turn it 180 degrees, and make another 2 inch slit, directly across from the first slit.
Open the two flaps in the smaller straw and slide it over the folded backing of the butterfly. Center it and tape it in place on the cardstock.
Slide the larger straw over the smaller straw. Again, separate the two flaps in the straw and push it up as far as it will go on the butterfly's wings.
Take a 3 inch piece of tape and attach the flap of the larger straw to the wing so there's about 1-1/2 inches of tape on the wing and 1-1/2 inches of tape on the straw flap. Then take another piece of tape and wrap it tightly around the first piece of tape on the straw flap.
Repeat the taping on the second wing.
Unfold the butterfly and see how the straws control the movement of the butterfly's wings.Hold the longer (inside) straw with one hand and use your other hand to move the shorter (outside) straw up and down.