Butterflies are a wonderful way to embellish any project, whether it be a card or a layout. I’ve used a number of ways to add a little zing to the butterflies in my August A la Tarte kit. I’ll explain what I’ve done along the way.

Layering:

Here I’ve cut out two identical butterflies , glued their bodies together, and folded their wings up a little to give dimension. This technique can be equally effective using butterflies punched from patterned paper.

Adding bling:

I’ve added some adhesive diamonds, in graduated sizes along the body. Pearls can be used too, for your shabby chic projects. Don’t forget, diamonds and pearls can be coloured to suit your project using Copic markers (note: I find colours ending in 7, 8 or 9 give the best results).

Rolled paper body:

This is a very easy way to add some dimension to a butterfly. I’ll explain step by step:

Step 1
Cut or punch out your butterfly:

Step 2
Measure the length of the body. Mine is about 2cm long:

Step 3
Cut a rectangle of contrasting paper that is 2cm wide:

and about 6cm long:

Step 4
Cut out a long triangle from this piece of paper:

Step 5
Roll the triangle of paper, starting from the widest end.

Try to keep it all centred. When you get to the pointy end, use some glue to stop it from unrolling:

Step 6
Glue the coil over the body of the butterfly:

And there it is, ready to go onto a project. This type of coil is pretty strong, and should even survive being stuck on a card being sent through the post!

I hope you’ve found this useful.