Butterfly Water Gun Painting
- Jessie
- Aug 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 2
All art projects & crafts require adult supervision. This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure policy.
Get ready to make a splash with one of the most magical summer art projects your kids will ever try — Butterfly Water Gun Painting! If you’re looking for a creative way to combine fresh air, colorful paint, and beautiful nature-inspired art, this craft is about to become a favorite. Who knew squirt guns could transform into butterfly wings?
This outdoor painting activity is the perfect blend of art and active play. Instead of paintbrushes, kids get to load up their squirt guns with washable paint and blast their canvases in bursts of bright colors. The real magic happens when they peel away their butterfly stencils to reveal stunning, symmetrical wings beneath the paint splatters!
Kids love that no two butterfly paintings ever turn out the same. Every squirt, spray, and splatter creates a unique pattern of color — just like real butterflies, each masterpiece is one-of-a-kind. It’s a fun way for kids to experiment with color mixing and movement while soaking up the sunshine.
Butterfly Water Gun Painting is perfect for all ages. Younger kids love the silly mess of spraying paint, while older kids enjoy planning out their colors and aiming their shots just right. Plus, it’s a wonderful chance to talk about how real butterflies come in all shapes, colors, and patterns!
This outdoor art project is also a lifesaver when the kids are feeling cooped up or when you want to break up a hot summer day. It’s easy to set up and even easier to clean up — just hose down the backyard and the kids once they’re done. Parents love that part as much as the kids do!
If your kids can’t get enough butterfly crafts, don’t stop here! Pair this painting with a Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft or the Butterfly Coloring Pages to make it a full day of fluttery fun. You’ll have a garden of beautiful butterflies decorating your house in no time.
Butterfly Water Gun Painting also makes an amazing party craft for backyard birthdays or playdates. Set up a painting station, grab some extra squirt guns, and watch the kids giggle as they create their masterpieces side by side. When they’re done, they’ll love showing off their colorful butterflies to friends and family.
So grab your water guns, butterfly stencils, and a few bottles of paint — it’s time to let creativity take flight! This Butterfly Water Gun Painting craft is more than just an art project — it’s a memory-making, giggle-inducing, color-blasting celebration of summer your kids will want to do again and again.
Materials Needed:
Printable Butterfly Template
Scissors
Vinyl Sticker Paper
Tempera paint (washable and non-toxic)
White acrylic paint
Water
Water guns (one for each color is extra fun!)
Canvas (8x10 or larger)
Plastic cups or squeeze bottles for mixing paint
Old clothes or paint smocks (things can get messy!)
Drop cloth or tarp (optional, to protect grass or fences)
Step-by-Step Directions to make Butterfly Water Gun Painting
Step 1: Make Your Butterfly
Start by printing the template provided at the bottom of this post onto 8.5” x 11” vinyl sticker paper. The vinyl works best because it helps resist moisture and holds its shape while your kids are squirting paint all over the canvas. Then carefully cut out the dragon.
Want to create your own template? No problem! You can also draw your own butterfly directly onto the vinyl sticker paper or even onto masking tape and cut it out by hand.
Step 2: Place Your Butterfly on the Canvas
Once you have the shape is cut out, it’s time to get creative! Carefully peel off the backing and place the sticker onto your canvas however you’d like. Play around with different placements — you can place it the middle or to a side. Press each sticker down firmly so the edges stick well — this helps the sticker resist the paint and stay crisp when you peel it off later.
Step 3: Seal the Butterfly with White Paint
Now it’s time for a super important step that you do not want to skip! Once your sticker is stuck down, use white acrylic paint to brush over the canvas — make sure to cover the sticker and the edges all around each side.
Why is this step so crucial? Even though your vinyl sticker is flat, your canvas has a slight texture, which means there will be tiny gaps between the sticker and the canvas. If you skip this step, the paint from your squirt guns can seep underneath the sticker and ruin the crisp shape you worked so hard on!
The white paint acts like a sealer. It fills in any little gaps around the edges of the sticker and keeps the other colors from bleeding through. Once the first layer of white paint is dry, add another coat just to be extra safe. It’s a small step that makes a huge difference for keeping your edges sharp and clean when you peel the sticker off later!
Step 4: Prep Your Paint & Load Squirt Guns
In plastic cups or squeeze bottles, mix the tempera paint colors in different cups with a bit of water until it’s thin enough to squirt easily through the water gun. Each brand of paint is a little different, but a 50/50 ratio of paint to water is usually a good starting point. You’re aiming for a milk-like consistency — not too thick, not too runny! If the water gun is struggling to get the paint out, just add a little more water until it flows smoothly. Be careful not to add too much water though, or your colors might look too light and washed out.
Carefully pour each color into its own water gun. Kids love having one gun per color so they can switch up their designs and create bold, layered masterpieces. Make sure the caps are sealed tight so there are no leaks or surprise splashes! I even like to take a permanent marker and write what color is in each gun — it makes it easy for kids to grab the right shade without any mix-ups.
Step 5: Set Up Your Canvas
Set up your canvas outside. Tape it to a fence, easel, or lay them flat on the ground with a drop cloth underneath. The bigger the canvas, the bigger the blast zone for your little artists!
Step 6: Let the Fun Begin!
Hand over the squirt guns and let your kids go wild! Encourage them to try spraying from different angles and distances. Watch as they layer colors and create amazing splatter effects — no two paintings will ever be the same!
`
Step 7: Let It Dry & Peel Off the Star Stickers
When your little artists are done spraying, set the artwork aside to dry completely. You can clip the canvases to a clothesline, lean them against a fence, or just leave them flat in the sunshine — whatever works best to keep them safe while they dry.
Once the paint is totally dry, it’s time for the best part: peeling off the butterfly sticker! Carefully lift each one to reveal bright, crisp white dragon that stayed protected while the rest of the canvas turned into a beautiful, splattered explosion of colors.
This step is always so satisfying for kids (and adults too!). Watching those bold butterflies pop through the messy, colorful background is so exciting. It’s so much fun and each piece of art is truly unique.
The fun doesn’t stop here! At Artsy Kids Zone, we’ve got a whole bunch of creative projects waiting to be explored. From playful paper crafts to interactive printables, there are hundreds of hands-on activities to keep little artists busy, learning, and laughing.
Whether your kiddo wants to craft a pirate puppet, make a hatching dragon egg, or try their hand at magical crayon resist art, we’ve got something to spark every imagination. Our projects are made with kids in mind—easy to prep, fun to make, and perfect for classrooms, rainy days, or weekend adventures at the kitchen table. So don’t be shy—dig in, get messy, and let your child’s creativity run wild at Artsy Kids Zone!
How To Download Printable Butterfly Template:
Click on the button below to download Butterfly Template. ***These printables are intended for personal and school use exclusively. Unauthorized copying, uploading, republishing, distributing or alteration of these files in any manner is strictly prohibited. If you plan to showcase these printables, please ensure to include a link back to artsykidszone.com.
Comments