Stained Glass Butterfly

I was looking for a technique to make an easy stained glass butterfly using wax paper.  Here is what I came up with.  

I used the butterfly drawing page in my ABC Art Book. 

First I laid the wax paper over my drawing and traced it with a black Sharpie marker.

Then to seal the marker in, I laid another piece of wax paper on top of the Sharpie lines and ironed them together.  You can sandwich the wax paper between two blank pieces of paper, or iron directly on the wax paper with the lowest heat setting.  Experiment to find the right setting.  When doing this with students, the ironing could be done between art classes (maybe by a parent volunteer).

When you are finished ironing, the wax paper will be stiffer and easier to use.  It won't want to curl up. It will also be less waxy and more receptive to art media.  

Here are 3 techniques that would work to add color to the stained glass design. 

Sharpie markers work great and made the brightest colors.  The down side is that they are expensive, and might be a little less appropriate to use with young students due to the permanent nature.  

They also take a little longer to color in completely. 

Tip: Rubbing alcohol is really good at removing permanent markers from surfaces, if students accidentally mark on something. 

Another that worked well is coloring with oil pastels and then blending it smooth with a finger or tissue.  The reason why rubbing the oil pastel works best is that the thicker oil pastel is not as transparent and lets less light through.  

Colored pencils will also work on the wax paper (after it has been ironed).  

If you would like the colored pencils to have a smoother texture, use a little oil (like baby oil) and a Q-tip to blend it smooth.

Once you've added color.  Turn the paper over and go over the black marker lines again.  You can do the black Sharpie lines on the front, back, or both. 

After cutting the wax paper down a bit, I taped it on the window and it look great!

See what media works best for you.  For older students, you could give them a choice.  With younger students, I'd recommend just trying one or two.  Sharpie markers and colored pencils would be the neatest supplies to use. Students need to be careful when using oil pastels so that they don't accidentally drop and step on them, or accidentally wipe their messy hands on their clothes. 

My ABC Art Book has a fun activity for each letter of the alphabet that teaches art concepts.  It is perfect for K-1 students.