To prevent cabin fever, the girls and I used some old materials we had around the house to make our own sparkly little butterfly. Now he hangs on a tree, reminding us that spring isn’t too far away. Interested in making one of your own?
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| I think it’s neat to use flashy, bright materials to contrast natural wood. |
You’ll Need:
Four fan blades (we used Kate’s old non-functioning fan)
Piece of scrap wood or lumber
Spray paint
Wood glue
Flat-backed crafting crystals
Craft Glue (we used E6000–a multipurpose craft glue for the beads)
Galvanized wire (needs to be bendable to hold its shape)
Screws
Polyurethane (optional–to assist in weather resistance)
Tools: Drill, screwdriver, brush
1) Spray paint fan blades
2) When dry, glue the ends of the blades and overlap in a cross pattern. Clamp together or place something heavy (a rock, a book…) on the top and allow to dry.
3) When glue has set, sketch design on blades.
4) Glue a little at a time and fill in design with crystals.
5) When all blades are complete, drill two holes from the underside directly into wood body. Secure with screws.
6) Decorate the body as desired–eyes, mouth part, antennas, etc. Wrap wire around a screwdriver handle to create desired swirls. To secure wire pieces, drill a small hole, fill with glue and insert decoration. Coat entire butterfly with polyurethane, if desired.
7) Drill two holes through blades into tree/post/wall/etc. Secure galvanized screws.
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| Patiently waiting for some sweet nectar! |
