This Matisse butterfly art project for kids is a lovely way to celebrate the colors and creativity of spring and summer.
Inspired by Henri Matisse’s cut-paper technique, children can have fun layering bold, organic shapes to create their own unique butterfly collage.
It’s also a great opportunity to introduce kids to abstract shapes, bold color blocking, and free-form creativity.
Simple to set up and full of color, this activity works beautifully at home or in the classroom and encourages artistic experimentation and self-expression.
What Is Matisse’s “Painting with Scissors” Technique?
Later in his life, Henri Matisse developed a new way of creating art that he called “painting with scissors.”
Rather than using a paintbrush, Matisse painted large sheets of paper with bright, bold colours and then cut shapes straight from the paper.
He used these colourful cut-outs to create beautiful collages, full of movement and life.
This playful, hands-on technique gave Matisse a new way to explore colour, shape, and composition — and it’s perfect for children, too.
By simply cutting and arranging shapes, kids can create their own wonderful works of art, just like Matisse.
How to Make a Matisse Butterfly Art Collage
Materials You’ll Need
- White Card Stock
- Backing Card Stock
- Paper
- Paint
- Scraper Tool (Squeegee, Scrap Cardboard)
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Matisse Collage and Butterfly Templates (members will need to log in to access the templates).
Not a Member?
The template set includes three different butterfly outlines and a Matisse-inspired shape guide. Children can colour the shapes directly, trace them onto painted or colored paper, or simply use them as inspiration to create their own designs.
Join the Arty Crafty Kids club to access the butterfly and Matisse templates and 100s more Art and Craft templates, How to Draw Guides, and Coloring Pages.
Color and Create Your Matisse-Inspired Shapes
This project includes a printable page of typical Matisse-style shapes ( flowing leaves, coral-like forms, curved triangles, and playful blobs). These bold, organic shapes capture the spirit of Matisse’s cut-paper art and are a great starting point for children of all ages.
The shape sheet can be used in lots of different ways. Children can simply color them in and cut them out. The larger shapes are especially helpful for younger children developing their scissors skills.
For an extra splash of creativity, try using painting techniques like sponge painting or even layering watercolours to add texture and colour before cutting.
Another fun option is to use the paint scraping technique to create interesting, tonal papers. Once dry, children can either trace the Matisse shapes onto their painted paper, draw their own, or, if they feel confident with scissors, cut out their shapes free-hand, just like Matisse did!
How to create painted paper with the paint scraping technique:
Step 1: Apply small blobs of paint to the Matisse template.
To start, squeeze small blobs of paint directly onto your paper. You don’t need much – a few dots of two or three contrasting colors is plenty.
Step 2: Scrape the paint.
Using a squeegee (or even a piece of stiff cardboard), gently scrape the paint down the page in smooth strokes. The colors will mix and blend as they go, creating lovely tonal effects and unexpected patterns – perfect for cutting into later!
Once children have tried basic scrape painting, they might like to explore the technique in a different way.
Instead of using lots of contrasting colors, encourage them to pick similar shades, such as different blues, greens, or warm sunset tones.
By gently scraping the colors across the page, children can create soft blends and beautiful gradients. These tonal papers are perfect for collage projects, offering ready-made backgrounds filled with interesting textures and colour combinations.
Any leftover painted papers can be kept for other creative activities. They work beautifully for more collage art, handmade cards, bookmarks, or even as a colorful base for new Matisse-inspired designs.
Creating Matisse-Inspired Butterfly Art
Step 1: Trace and cut the Matisse-styled shapes for collaging.
Place the Matisse shape over the painted paper and, using a pencil or black marker, trace around the shape.
There’s no need to be too neat or exact — the beauty of Matisse’s style is in the loose, flowing lines and playful shapes.
Step 2: Encourage Arty Crafty Kids to draw their own shapes!
Alongside tracing the Matisse-inspired shapes, children might like to have a go at drawing their own.
Encourage them to think about the shapes they’ve seen and create their own versions directly onto the painted paper.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this.
The aim is to be bold and free, experimenting with different shapes and sizes.
Step 3: Color in the butterfly.
Before adding the collage shapes, children can color in the butterfly wings using bright, solid blocks of color.
This step is a lovely nod to Matisse’s iconic style, where he often used bold, flat colors to make each shape stand out.
Encourage your Arty Crafty Kids to choose colors that contrast or complement the shapes they plan to add later.
They can use paints, coloring pencils, or pastels.
Step 4: Cut out the butterfly and Mattisse shapes.
Cut out the butterfly and all of the colorful Matisse shapes.
Place the butterfly onto a contrasting background. We’ve used black card to make the colors pop, but any bold color will work beautifully.
Step 5: Begin layering the Matisse shapes onto the butterfly.
Arrange the Matisse shapes across the butterfly’s wings.
Experiment with symmetry by matching shapes on both sides, or explore asymmetry for a more free-form design.
Layer different shapes and colors to create depth and movement.
Once happy with the layout, glue the shapes in place.
Step 6: Glue the butterfly wings to the backing card.
Apply glue just to the center of the butterfly and the bottom of each wing.
Press it onto the background, leaving the tops of the wings free to lift slightly.
This creates a simple 3D effect, adding movement and depth to the finished collage.
Step 7: Complete the collage by affixing the butterfly’s body.
Glue the butterfly’s body into place to finish the collage.
At this point, the artwork is complete.
Children can leave their butterfly as a stand-alone piece or imagine creating a whole display filled with colorful Matisse-inspired butterflies.
Grouped together, they make a striking and joyful collection.
Step 8 (Optional): Draw a simple design around the butterfly.
To add even more contrast and interest, invite children to draw a simple design around their butterfly.
Using a white gel pen or chalk marker, they can add loose leaves, flowers, swirls, or abstract shapes.
Keep the lines simple and flowing to match the bold, playful style of the collage.
This final step helps frame the butterfly, making the colors and shapes stand out even more against the dark background.
This Matisse butterfly collage is a lovely introduction to shape, color, and creative play. Once children have made one, they might like to explore different color palettes, layouts, or even create a whole wall of butterflies in every shape and size.
Encourage them to keep experimenting with collage, layering, and painted paper – there’s so much fun to be found in the process.
Similar Art Ideas to Try:
If your arty crafty kids enjoyed this Matisse butterfly art idea, they might also like exploring more projects inspired by famous artists.
For something bold and playful, try our Andy Warhol-inspired Flower Pop Art or the Easy Sugar Skull Art for the Day of the Dead.
For a more painterly approach, take a look at our Van Gogh Sunflower Painting and Collage, or explore color and shape further with the sweet Love Bird Collage Art.
