Butterfly Template
Print a butterfly template for free. Pick a classic butterfly with rounded wings, a swallowtail with wing tails, a monarch-shape butterfly with pointed wings, a heart-wing butterfly, a simple butterfly for easy cutting, a half butterfly to cut on folded paper, a stitched-edge butterfly for felt, or one of each. Every butterfly is drawn exactly the same on the left and the right. Choose a wingspan from 1 in to a 7 in full-page butterfly, or type any size up to 40 in: butterflies bigger than one sheet are tiled with overlap guides, for a wall or a window. Print as many as you like on a sheet (or tick “Fill the sheet”), make a nested set of sizes, or a butterfly garland that cuts as one strip. Add wing lines to colour, a centre fold line, a dashed outline for cutting practice, a hanging hole or names, one per butterfly. Download a true-size PDF on US Letter or A4, an SVG cut file or a PNG. No sign-up, no watermark.
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Butterflies
Each size is its own piece, labelled with its size.
Pattern
Words on the butterflies (optional)
Runs in your browser with our own code; your words and picture never leave your device, and nothing is saved. Every outline is our own drawing. Shapes bigger than one sheet are tiled with overlap guides. The PDF is true size: print at 100% (Actual size) and check the 50 mm bar on each sheet.
How to print a butterfly template
- Choose what to make: butterflies of one size, a nested set of sizes, or a butterfly garland.
- Choose the style and a wingspan in inches or cm, and how many (or fill the sheet).
- Optional: tick the centre fold line, wing lines, a dashed cutting line or a hanging hole; type names (one per butterfly); pick a colour or a pattern.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size); check the 50 mm bar on each sheet. There is also an SVG (true size, for Cricut, Silhouette or laser cutters) and a 300 DPI PNG, one per sheet.
- Cut along the solid line (or the dashes). For the half butterfly, put the dashed edge on the fold of folded paper and cut through both layers.
What you can use it for
- Spring and science displays, classroom doors and bulletin boards
- Symmetry painting: paint one wing, fold, press, open
- Cutting practice for preschool and kindergarten
- Window butterflies, mobiles and garlands
- Tracing templates for felt, fabric, card and paper collage
Butterfly template sizes
| Wingspan | Classic butterfly (w × h) | US Letter | A4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in (2.5 cm) | 2.5 cm × 2 cm | 72 per sheet | 66 per sheet |
| 2 in (5 cm) | 5.1 cm × 4 cm | 16 per sheet | 20 per sheet |
| 3 in (7.5 cm) | 7.6 cm × 6 cm | 9 per sheet | 8 per sheet |
| 4 in (10 cm) | 10.2 cm × 8 cm | 4 per sheet | 4 per sheet |
| 5 in (12.5 cm) | 12.7 cm × 10 cm | 2 per sheet | 2 per sheet |
| 6 in (15 cm) | 15.2 cm × 12 cm | 2 per sheet | 2 per sheet |
| 7 in (18 cm), full page | 17.8 cm × 14 cm | 1 per sheet | 1 per sheet |
| 10 in (25 cm), tiled | 25.4 cm × 20 cm | tiled: 2 sheets | tiled: 2 sheets |
| 12 in (30 cm), tiled | 30.5 cm × 24 cm | tiled: 2 sheets | tiled: 2 sheets |
| 18 in (45 cm), tiled | 45.7 cm × 36.1 cm | tiled: 4 sheets | tiled: 4 sheets |
| 24 in (60 cm), tiled | 61 cm × 48.1 cm | tiled: 8 sheets | tiled: 8 sheets |
Counts are worked out by the tool for the classic butterfly with 4 mm gaps; tiled sizes overlap 10 mm between sheets. Other styles are a little taller or shorter; the line under the preview shows the exact size.
Butterfly styles
| Style | At 4 in wingspan (w × h) | Per Letter sheet | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic butterfly (rounded wings) | 10.2 cm × 8 cm | 4 | Classroom displays, cards, colouring |
| Swallowtail butterfly (wing tails) | 10.2 cm × 9.5 cm | 4 | Window butterflies, mobiles |
| Monarch-shape butterfly (pointed wings) | 10.2 cm × 8.2 cm | 4 | Painted wings, garden signs |
| Heart-wing butterfly | 10.2 cm × 8.7 cm | 4 | Cards, gifts, party tables |
| Simple butterfly (easy cutting) | 10.2 cm × 7.8 cm | 4 | Toddler crafts, easy cutting |
| Half butterfly (cut on the fold) | 5.1 cm × 8 cm | 9 | Symmetry cutting: one fold, one cut |
| Stitched-edge butterfly | 10.2 cm × 6.6 cm | 4 | Felt butterflies (sewing guide), lacing cards |
Each outline is drawn by our own code for the right half and mirrored, so the left and right wings match exactly. The half butterfly prints 5.1 cm wide for a 4 in wingspan: it opens out to the full width.
Butterfly garland lengths
| Wingspan | 6 butterflies | 10 butterflies | 16 butterflies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in (5.1 cm) | 27.9 cm long, 2 Letter sheets | 46.2 cm long, 2 Letter sheets | 73.7 cm long, 3 Letter sheets |
| 3 in (7.6 cm) | 41.9 cm long, 2 Letter sheets | 69.3 cm long, 3 Letter sheets | 110.5 cm long, 5 Letter sheets |
| 4 in (10.2 cm) | 55.9 cm long, 3 Letter sheets | 92.5 cm long, 4 Letter sheets | 147.3 cm long, 6 Letter sheets |
With the standard join (neighbours overlap by a tenth of their width, and the tool checks that every pair really touches). Tape the sheets together on the overlap guides, then cut the chain out.
Nested butterfly sets
| Wingspans | Butterflies per set | US Letter sheets (1 set) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in (2.5 cm) to 4 in (10.2 cm), steps of 1 in (2.5 cm) | 4 | 1 |
| 1 in (2.5 cm) to 7 in (17.8 cm), steps of 1 in (2.5 cm) | 7 | 3 |
| 2 in (5.1 cm) to 10 in (25.4 cm), steps of 2 in (5.1 cm) | 5 | too big for one sheet |
Every butterfly in a set is its own piece, labelled with its wingspan and packed onto as few sheets as possible: stack them largest to smallest, glue at the body and lift the wings for layered butterflies.
Butterfly craft ideas
- Hearts in the same sizes for a spring garland: Heart Template.
- Hang butterflies between flags with the Bunting Template.
- Another fold-and-cut craft for the window: Paper Snowflake Template.
- Fill a butterfly with strips of coloured paper: Iris Folding Template.
- Cut a butterfly stencil for a wall, a bag or a T-shirt with the Stencil Maker.
More free spring printables
Making a spring display?
Hearts, bunting, snowflakes and gift tags: free printable templates that run in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
What sizes can I print?
Any wingspan from half an inch to 40 inches. The presets go from 1 in to 7 in (one sheet) and 10, 12, 18 and 24 in, which are tiled over several sheets with overlap guides.
What does the size mean?
The wingspan: a 4 in butterfly is 4 inches from wing tip to wing tip. The height depends on the style; the line under the preview shows both.
How many butterflies fit on one page?
It depends on the size: tick “Fill the sheet” and the tool fits as many as it can. The size table on this page shows the counts for US Letter and A4.
How does the half butterfly work?
It is one half of the classic butterfly with a dashed fold line on the straight side. Fold your paper, put the dashed line on the fold, cut along the solid line through both layers and open it out: the two halves match exactly.
What is the centre fold line for?
Tick it to print a dashed line down the middle of each butterfly. Fold along it to lift the wings for a 3D look, or paint one wing, fold, press and open for a mirror-image print.
How do I make a butterfly garland?
Choose “Garland (joined chain)”: neighbouring butterflies overlap at the wing tips, so the whole chain cuts as one strip. Long garlands are tiled over several sheets.
Can I use it with a Cricut or Silhouette?
Yes. Download the SVG: it is true size in millimetres, with the cut and fold lines on their own layers.
Can I sell things I make with these butterflies?
The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.