They Carry Me: Butterflies & Feeder Tutorial
Our butterfly feeder was featured on Parents Magazine Website!
I have only this breath
and this presence
for my wings
and they carry me - David Whyte (House of Belonging)
A video of our butterfly release...
And here's a nifty tutorial on how to make a butterfly feeder:
1. Cut 4 loops of string at least 3 x the length of your jar
2. Tie each string around the neck of the jar making sure the knots are opposite each other
It should look like this...
3. Now flip over the jar and knot the adjacent strings approx 1 inch up from the mouth of the jar. Then repeat a second row of knots near the base of the jar. Kind of like the macrame plant hangers I used to make in the 70's. I'm dating myself, right?
It should look like this...
4. Wrap the ends of your string together tightly with a piece of masking tape. Thread the strings through your wooden petals and wood bead. Tie the strings around a ring for hanging or just make a big knot.
5. Thread a cotton ball through the hole in the lid to form a wick. Fill your jar with sugar water. Cap tightly. Hang in garden. (Yes, the jar will be upside down)
(1 Tbsp sugar + 9 Tbsp water, bring to boil, then cool)
You did it! In truth, I prefer my feeders with just cord and perhaps a few glass beads, but the flowery bits are a big hit with kids.
Our bedtime favorite, The Story of the Butterfly Children, has new meaning now and we'll think of our Painted Ladies every time we read it. The illustrations are exquisite and the story is oh so enchanting.
I have only this breath
and this presence
for my wings
and they carry me - David Whyte (House of Belonging)
A video of our butterfly release...
And here's a nifty tutorial on how to make a butterfly feeder:
1. Cut 4 loops of string at least 3 x the length of your jar
2. Tie each string around the neck of the jar making sure the knots are opposite each other
It should look like this...
3. Now flip over the jar and knot the adjacent strings approx 1 inch up from the mouth of the jar. Then repeat a second row of knots near the base of the jar. Kind of like the macrame plant hangers I used to make in the 70's. I'm dating myself, right?
It should look like this...
4. Wrap the ends of your string together tightly with a piece of masking tape. Thread the strings through your wooden petals and wood bead. Tie the strings around a ring for hanging or just make a big knot.
5. Thread a cotton ball through the hole in the lid to form a wick. Fill your jar with sugar water. Cap tightly. Hang in garden. (Yes, the jar will be upside down)
(1 Tbsp sugar + 9 Tbsp water, bring to boil, then cool)
You did it! In truth, I prefer my feeders with just cord and perhaps a few glass beads, but the flowery bits are a big hit with kids.
Our bedtime favorite, The Story of the Butterfly Children, has new meaning now and we'll think of our Painted Ladies every time we read it. The illustrations are exquisite and the story is oh so enchanting.
*Featured on C'e 'Crisi C'e 'Crisi and The Crafty Crow
26 Comments:
Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave today [12 Jul 01:00am GMT]. Thanks, Maria
Thanks so much for this tutorial, Wendy! My girls are gonna love this!
Thanks for this tutorial!
We raised butterflies last year and plan to again.
I'll keep this page bookmarked :)
Sibylle Von Olfers is a favourite in our house too!
Thank you so much for this tutorial, your photos are wonderful. The monarch migration is happening early in my my parts. I hope I will be able to work on this project this weekend.
Found you via the Crafty Crow and I am so glad I did.
Love the video when he says "I've never done that before!" - such a perfect thing to say during such an awesome experience. Delightful. :)
This is wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Followed a link from the Crafty Crow here and I'm so glad I did. Thanks for the great tutorial! How often do you need to change the sugar water and cottonball? I'm guessing similar timing to a hummingbird feeder, but thought I'd check with you.
Hey there, Mary. My rule of thumb is...if it looks funky, change it :-)
such a sweet project! i just saw this link on the crafty crow, but have been led to your site before through my sister... i have one of your very sweet nest necklaces around my neck as i type... and i absolutely love it!
you have a wonderful blog! thanks for sharing :)
wear it well, happy wanderer, and "teach it to your heart"
xo
i love your blog and this post! beautiful and a good snack for the butterflies that have been passing through our yard like crazy lately! thanks!
i also really liked going through your sidebar : )
-stephanie
Gorgeous idea re the butterfly feeder. We hatch out butterflies every year, isn't it amazing!
What a beautiful post! I adore butterflies, this is a great project :)
I run Fun Family Crafts, a site similar in nature to Craftgawker and Spotlight, but different in that it's a library of craft tutorials geared only at kids. I would love it if you'd stop by and submit this to be featured! (I link to you, I don't post your tutorial on the site) Feel free to submit as many kid friendly craft tutorials as you like! http://funfamilycrafts.com/
Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea. My 3 y/o and I made one together, it was fun! We haven't caught any visitors to it yet, but she keeps checking. :) If you'd like, you can see ours here:
http://thejuicery.blogspot.com/2011/08/butterfly-feeder.html
i can't get the pictures so show all I get is exclamation marks. I NEEEED to see this.
Hi. I can't access the photos either. Have they been removed? Thanks.
Dear Anonymous, All my photos went missing over the holidays. I'm told it was glitch with blogger/google/picassa. Many years of work gone. I have to re-upload every photo and try to remember where they go. It's slow and tedious. I don't know how long it will take to restore.
thank you very much for adding the missing pictures. great job... and my grandson - 3yrs - wanted to see the Butterfly release 3 times!!!
asa I'll be back in my garden I'll try to make a butterfly feeder! it's too nice!
wonderful connection with you, mette! warm regards from virginia to palermo :-)
Where is the best place to hang this stellar feeder? in the shade? sun? near water? certain colored flowers?
Dear Anon, I hung my feeder in the flower garden.
Thank you. I'm Making some for my family. <3
Hi there! My daughter and I made this tonight. But our nectar just keeps dripping out through the cotton ball...any ideas? Thank you!
Not sure, Rachel, we didn't have that problem. Perhaps the hole is too big. Our cotton was very tight inside the hole. It actually took some work to pull it through.
Rachel, I'm having the same issue..... I'm going to do a bit of research, but I'm thinking a wick from a tiki-torch type-thing may be the way to go....
I like your DIY Butterflies & Feeder, I think I could make one for my garden.It will be fun!Thank you for sharing this DIY project.
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