Butterfly Drawing: Free Printable & Easy Step-by-Step
Need a butterfly drawing to print? Download the one below for free, ready to color, trace or copy. Want to draw it yourself? Draw a beautiful, symmetrical butterfly with big wings, curly antennae and spotted patterns. Six easy steps for kids, plus a free printable practice sheet.
- Printable
- 2-page PDF: the drawing to color + all 6 steps and a colored example on one page (US Letter / A4)
- Worksheet
- 3-page PDF: all steps, a tracing page and a coloring page
- You need
- Pencil, eraser, crayons or markers
- Ages
- 5 and up
More butterfly drawings to print and color
All flower coloring pages →
How to Draw a Butterfly: step-by-step instructions
The new lines in each step are shown in red.
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Step 1
Draw a long, thin oval for the body and a small circle on top for the head.
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Step 2
Draw two big upper wings, one on each side of the body.
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Step 3
Add two smaller, rounder lower wings underneath.
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Step 4
Give your butterfly two curly antennae with little balls on the ends.
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Step 5
Draw a smaller wing shape inside each wing to make a border.
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Step 6
Decorate the wings with circles. Remember: both sides should match!
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Now color it!
Color the outer wings orange, the inner panels yellow and the spots blue. The body, head and antennae are brown. Use the same colors on both sides so the butterfly stays symmetrical.
Free printable drawing worksheet
Print all the steps on one page, then practice on the tracing sheet and finish with the coloring page. Perfect for art class, homeschool or a rainy afternoon.
Download the worksheetTips for a better butterfly drawing
- Draw one side first, then copy it on the other side for symmetry.
- Fold a paper in half to check if both wings match.
- Make the upper wings bigger than the lower wings.
4 ways to make your butterfly drawing unique
- Draw patterns like stripes, dots and swirls on the wings.
- Put your butterfly on a flower.
- Draw a caterpillar and a chrysalis next to it to show its life cycle.
- Make the wings look like a rainbow.
Coloring your butterfly drawing
Once your drawing is finished, go over the pencil lines with a black marker or fine-liner and erase any leftover pencil. Then grab crayons, colored pencils or markers. Start with the biggest areas first and finish with the small details. Not sure which colors to use? Look at the colored example under the last step: it also prints on the steps page of the PDF. Not in the mood to draw? Print our ready-made butterfly drawing at the top of this page and jump straight to coloring.
Fun facts about butterflys
- Butterflies taste with their feet.
- Monarch butterflies can fly thousands of miles when they migrate.
Your butterfly drawing is complete!
Great job! Every time you practice, your lines get smoother and your shapes more confident, so try drawing it again from memory tomorrow. Print the free worksheet to practice with the tracing page, and check out our other easy drawing guides below.
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