How To Make A Layered Butterfly With Cardstock

Please Share

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy for full details.

Four colorful butterflies made from cardstock.

Butterflies are so pretty and can be almost magical. They remind us of spring and summer and sometimes memories of loved ones gone too soon.

In this post, I’ll be reviewing how you can cut and assemble my newest layered design, this cute layered butterfly on a Cricut Joy! The file can also be cut on bigger machines. This design is perfect for anyone to work with—kids or newbies as well as experts.

This design has six layers that stack to create a colorful butterfly.

I don’t mind if you use these designs for personal or small business commercial use up to 200 items, but please do not re-sell or re-distribute the files. I’d ask that you direct your crafty friends here to download the files themselves.  Also, I don’t allow my designs to be used in print-on-demand shops or on transfers that will be sold. Click HERE for complete Terms of Service.

Click the image above to link to the Special Heart Studio Free Facebook group. We’d love to have you join us!

Materials Needed To Make A Layered Butterfly

How To Cut And Assemble A Layered Butterfly

Below you’ll find a short video tutorial or scroll down a bit further for written step-by-step directions.

Once you’ve downloaded unzipped the design (#125) from my Freebie Vault, upload the SVG file to Cricut Design Space. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my email list, you may sign up (and receive the Freebie Vault password) at the bottom of this page.

New to Design Space and looking for help with how to upload? Click HERE to find directions to get started.

For this project, let’s first focus our attention on choosing colors. You may select each layer and change the color to closely match the cardstock.

Next, size your project. Because I cut the butterfly on my Cricut Joy, I set the height to 4.25″ as I will be using a light grip mat with cardstock. 4.25″ is the maximum width the Joy will allow when using a mat.

Using a brayer to adhere cardstock to your mat will ensure the paper is firmly on the mat and help reduce tearing while cutting.

Once cut, turn the mat upside down and place on your work surface. Remove the mat from the paper by gently bending the mat away while holding the paper flat on the work table. This helps reduce curling and ripping when removing paper from cutting mats.

To adhere the bottom layers, I start with the second from bottom layer and place Tombow Foam Tabs on the backside, avoiding cut out holes. I then expose just two of the top pieces and adhere them to the bottom layer. Use the table to line up the layers so they’re perfectly aligned.

Next, turn the two layers (still just adhered by two tabs) over to expose the remaining uncovered tabs. Remove the backing and here the remaining tabs. Repeat this step with all layers except the very top layer.

Because the size is smaller, I choose to glue the top layer in place instead of cutting foam tabs. This was personal preference as you really could glue or use foam spacers.

The purple butterfly is the one cut on the Cricut Joy. The pink and yellow were cut on my Maker. It’s difficult to tell in the photo, but the pink butterfly has foam tabs between all layers, including the top.

Please Share Prior To Downloading

Please share! If you enjoy this project/design, please share it on your social media platform or your favorite Pinterest board. I greatly appreciate it!! That helps my blog continue to grow and enables me to continue to provide free designs. 💕 Thank you!

Download My FREE Layered Butterfly SVG File By Subscribing Below To Get The Password To My Freebie Vault

DOWNLOAD the Layered Butterfly SVG – Design #125 by entering the password to my Freebie Vault. Click HERE to go to the freebie vault, my library of free downloads. To sign up for a password to my free designs, enter your name and email address below. ⬇️

Please Share

37 Comments

  1. This is so adorable. Incredibly cute. Thank you for sharing. Love it 🥰

  2. Gjoa, I love your layered designs. I made the Angel from the Maker Academy. Then I was hooked. So far I think the Shamrock is my favorite. This is the most relaxing activity I have done in a very long time. Thanks for the tip about the sale on the Adhesive Foam Tabs. I ordered three packages. I have been looking into trying to make some layered designs on my own but once I get past three layers, I need more education. Thank you for sharing your beautiful designs.

      1. Hi, do I have to enter my email everytime I need to access your files? I don’t know where to get the password. I can’t find it anywhere! Thanks!

        1. Hi Rosa,
          You don’t need to enter your email each time. Once you have signed up and received the password to my freebie vault, you may just enter it to access the file you’d like to download. There is a link to the vault in the materials list of each post or on the main menu of my site.

  3. A friend and I are decorating our church toddler room and thought these would be fun to make and hang from the ceiling.

    1. Love this! Yes, that would be really cute. You could put a short verse on the back or assemble two back to back so it’s on both sides. Enjoy!

  4. Very cute. Colors make all the difference when layering & you have done a fantastic job.

  5. Love it even more that you used the joy. I’m really trying to teach my 11 year old to cricut and the Joy works better for her. She can make some for her room.

  6. Love this butterfly and can picture my grandkids having fun with this one. Appreciate all of your wonderful free files. Thank you for sharing your creativity so generously.

  7. These are so adorable! Thank you so much for always sharing your creativity and talent with us. Mahalo and God bless!

  8. This Butterfly is amazing the colors you used just makes it pop I will be making a few of these thank you for all of your wonderful projects you share.

    Brenda

  9. Thank you so much for sharing these, they are amazing and I cant wait to make them for my Grandchildren

  10. Hello Gjoa,
    Tes créations sont toujours superbes. Merci de partager tes fichiers avec nous. Bonne journée

  11. First time working with my Maker and cardstock. Made this layered butterfly and it turned out fantastic!! Thank you for the easy to follow pattern and instructions. I will definitely be making more of the layered projects and placing into Shadowbox frames, and using vinyl for words across the glass as gifts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *