Butterfly Bedroom is an adorable arts-and-crafts kit that doesn't have to be complex if times—or attention spans—call for an easy yet satisfying craft activity.
After opening this kit, children are presented with 3 ready-to-decorate butterflies in pretty pastel shades (yellow, soft pink, and baby blue), a set of squeezable sparkle paint tubes, and tiny rhinestones. Decorating the butterflies is an open-ended activity that produces gorgeous results no matter how much, or how little, effort is put forth.
The butterflies are made of tulle and are framed in soft wire so that kids can easily bend and shape them for different and fun "special effects". Their details are exquisite: each butterfly "stands" almost a foot tall, has wire legs and antennae, and plump little stuffed bodies.
It's fun to observe different children personalize their butterfly: Some will "paint" symmetrical designs on the wings, and others will bend the insects' antennae into fun shapes. One tester used the paint tubes to create a little face on her butterfly. The petite rhinestones add a beautiful, sparkling touch to the art, and the included tulle tail can be attached to the butterfly for a streaming effect. A transparent string is already attached to each butterfly so that it is ready for hanging either on the wall or suspended from the ceiling to create the illusion of floating in midair. The designs can range from simple to ornate, but the results are always spectacular.
We were especially impressed with the ease of use of the set, simply because it is a wonderful confidence booster for young children. The paint was easy to squeeze and the tulle "palettes" receptive. The open-ended nature of the kit translates into a no-fuss activity that doesn't require too much effort unless children want to spend extra time on their designs. As such, kids as young as 4 years old (with some supervision) can enjoy the kit along with 10 year olds.
If finances permit, parents might consider purchasing two or more of these kits for an instant, unique, and rewarding party craft on a young child's birthday. Little guests will be proud to take home their craft and use it to decorate their homes.
Unlike many craft kits we evaluate, this one comes with more than enough supplies. This means kids can spend their time enjoying the craft instead of worrying about running out of a particular color. Our testers were happy with the kit—no disappointments. It is important to make sure kids paint the butterflies on the correct side (the one that will be most visible when the artwork is hanging), but once that's established, kids can pretty much dive right in and get started quickly. With a little imagination, this kit produces pretty treasures that can be displayed and admired for years to come.
