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Keeping A Dried Dead Butterfly

Am I the only one who thinks of Will Ferell’s Robert Goulet impression from SNL whenever I hear the word nature? Yes? Anyway, sometimes a little toddler discovery turns into a ten second project (free & fast = my jam) and it makes me smile enough to want to share the goods, so here they are. We’ll call this a tiny Friday update in the name of some “all-natural” fun. As many of you know, much like ceramic animals, outdoorsy things make my heart go pitter-patter (I’m a sucker for a framed sea fan or a collection of nature-ish vacation finds in labeled jars from each trip we’ve taken). So when Clara and I were playing outside and we found a butterfly just resting on the ground, it was nothing short of amazing (Clara said “the orange and blue part” was her favorite – that’s how close she looked).

Butterfly1

And then I realized that gal wasn’t among the living anymore. So sad!

But she was too beautiful to leave out there in the grass, so I carefully scooped her up and decided to bring her inside so we could hopefully enjoy her beauty every day. I thought about putting her in a shadow box but we already have a faux butterfly shadowbox…

Butterflies All Glued

… that we made from a butterfly flyer at an exhibit we went to (more on that here).

Butterflies After Close

So I decided to let her be just as nature intended, and “parked” her (or maybe it’s a him? aren’t the guys the colorful ones in nature?) on a piece of coral from a vacation a few years back.

Butterfly2

Yup, just like that he landed there and decided to hang out with us in the dining room.

Butterfly3

Is that weird? Clara loves looking at “her butterfly” (she knows we can wave, but there’s no petting allowed).

Butterfly5

I do wonder if we should do anything to “preserve” the butterfly from eventually turning into dust or something (or getting coated with dust – although I wonder if a quick hair-drying on cool would work from time to time?). Does anyone know what they do when they make shadowboxes with real ones? Are they sprayed with some sort of varnish? Or treated in some other way to keep them looking bright and life-like? I wonder if I could track something down and give ours a little protective (and dustable) shell? Ooh, or what about putting one of our glass domes over the whole shebang (as seen in this old Halloween post) to solve the dust problem?

And since it’s Friday, what are you guys doing this weekend? Any fun plans? We have a crazy overdue dining room update along with some basement stuff on the agenda (as well as a bathroom makeover we’re planning to tackle for John’s grandma in little while), so we’ll be back with a lot of those details next week. Happy Friday y’all!

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner, so click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

  5. Hannah says

    This is completely unrelated, but did you hear that Richmond is the #1 river city in the coutnry according to Outdoors magazine? I’m in Milwaukee, and we’re, like, #17 or something, which is how I heard about it on the radio. Pretty cool! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  6. Dawn T says

    I have no idea, but my mom sent us a Luna Moth that we just kept in a box. It actually started smelling like death after awhile, so definately find some way to perserve it.

    Reply

  7. Jane in STL says

    Our week-end will be DEMO! New bathroom in the works, complete with entire house re-plumbed and new soil pipe (or whatever it is called now). Yes, it will be a mess-and inconvenient. Can’t wait.

    Reply

  8. Kate says

    “That’s why I come up here….Naaaattuuurreee! Goulet. The coconut bangers ball…its a rap”

    One of my favorite SNL skits of all time!

    Reply

  9. Monika says

    Blow drying dust off a dead butterfly = hilarious! The thing would just start flying around the room! You guys are so funny :) I would definitely be scared of the thing decomposing as all living things do, so I am curious what others (more knowledgeable than me obviously) will say.

    Reply

  13. Shannon says

    A couple years ago we found a perfect, dead monarch in the parking lot by our van. We took it home and put it in a small shadow box frame. We love it.

    Reply

  14. Stephanie says

    Here’s what I found online…

    There are a few things you need to do, depending on how the butterfly died and what condition it’s in.
    If you killed the butterfly yourself for a collection, there are certain things you must do to preserve it. If you found it “freshly” dead that’s better than finding it after it’s all dried up, but either way it can be saved and preserved.
    It’s a little involved, but in a nutshell it is this:
    If the insect is dried out you need to put it in a large jar with a piece of window screen on the bottom, and under that screen you put cotton balls soaked in water and a “drop” of Carbolic Acid. The water will soften the butterfly and the acid will keep mold from growing on it and destroying it. You “can” do it without the acid, but you risk it. Tightly seal the jar and put it away for a week or so. When the insect is softened up enough that you can spread the wings and legs without breaking them, you’re ready to proceed. If the butterfly is not dried out all of this can be avoided and you can proceed to the next step.
    You then need either some Balsa Wood or some other soft, yet firm, material that can be cut and shaped. Put two pieces of the wood together with a “slot” running down the middle. You place the butterfly with it’s body in the slit, and spread the wings out over the flat parts of the board on the sides of the slit. Using straight pins, pin the wings down, spread out the wings the way they look normal. Do NOT push the pins through the wings, but put them along the edges and “lean” them inwards to hold down against the wings.
    Set this aside in a dry place (not in sunlight) for approximately one month or so, until the insect is thoroughly dry.
    Get yourself a “deep” picture frame, a Ryker Mount is best, but any deep frame will do. Place batting (fake cotton) within it nice and thick. Put the butterfly on top of this and gently lay the glass on top. Before “completely sealing” it up, put “one” Moth Ball jammed in the corner under the batting. If you do not, Dermestid Lavae “will” eventually get in and destroy your butterfly. Put the back on the frame and seal it up along the edges with tape.
    No other preservatives are necessary, and your butterfly will last the rest of your life this way. Every few years replace the Moth Ball.

    Reply

  16. Vidya @ Whats Ur Home Story says

    That is a very pretty butterfly and of course yellow too to go with your decor. Have no idea about how to preserve it. I think if you do not do anything the wings might turn to crumbs as it gets drier in the winter. You know all the dry air from the heat and less humidity? Maybe you could coat with a spray glaze?

    We’ve been slowly adjusting to the back to school schedule. Got a baby shower to attend this weekend. That’s pretty much it. By the way wanted to let all the YHL fans out here know about the Royal Design Studio Giveaway on my blog! Please do enter to win a chance at a free stencil.
    http://whatsurhomestory.com/royal-design-studio-stencil-giveaway/

    Reply

  17. leslie says

    Great timing. My 4yo found a dead butterfly last weekend. I promised her I’d preserve it for her. I’m curious to see if there is something I should do to preserve too.

    Reply

  18. Kristin says

    I have no idea how to preserve butterflies, so I’m useless there. But I do appreciate anyone who remembers Will Ferrell’s Robert Goulet impersonation. “I’ve got a mind to eat you whole, my friend.” It gets me every time. :)

    Reply

  21. Amber says

    Most of the time nothing is sprayed on the butterfly – you can just put it in the freezer for a few days or let it air dry, but it is definitely recommended that you have it covered with some sort of glass covering/box/etc; to prevent dust, mites, dampness, etc;

    Just like dried flowers, it will probably lose it’s color and beauty over time, but so long as it doesn’t get dusty or damp it should last a while.

    Looks beautiful! :)

    Reply

  23. Emma says

    I found this site about butterflies…but I honestly think I’d be too chicken to be poking at it- I’d hope there’d be a way to do it a little more child friendly…

    http://www.ehow.com/how_5392804_preserve-butterfly-wings.html

    As for us, we are going to try and finish up our dining/family room makeover- I’m so tired of my house looking like a bomb!

    We also snagged some awesome craigslist freebies that we need to refinish this weekend- as it’s going to be in the 50s in Michigan this weekend it’ll be a chilly afternoon in the garage!

    Reply

  24. Nikki G says

    Bahahahahaha – “You win. You always do.” Love that skit.

    I wonder if you called the butterfly exhibit and asked them if they’d give you some pointers on preserving it? I can’t believe you guys found that though – so cool!

    Reply

  26. Kelli from LittleCottageOfMine says

    My three year old loves to go to our local aquarium where they have a butterfly exhibit right now. It’s really neat because they will land all over you. She gets the biggest kick out of it.

    This weekend I will be hittin the yard sales and flea markets for some furniture pieces to redo :). Should be good times.

    Reply

  27. Bonny says

    What I do with my collection is pop them in the freezer in a ziplock bag proofed up with air. Leave for 24-48 hours. Then pull out and leave someplace warm and dry (windowsill Of the sunroom?) once it’s thawed and dried out I use a light coating of hairspray to keep the butterfly dust on the wings and the other dust off.

    Though chances are if it was out on the grass it was dead for awhile so you might not need to freeze and thaw it… Is the back end shriveled?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Bonny! I wouldn’t describe anything as shriveled. I think it looks exactly as it would if it were alive (legs and belly and everything looks so “real”)

      xo
      s

  28. Cheryl Thornton says

    Love the butterfly…they are a sign of re-birth and the symbol of bone marrow and stem cell transplants – of which I am an almost 2 year survivor…Love your younghouse…and look forward to your posts each day – thinking of starting my own blog – my husband and I are very much in sync when it comes to DIY and projects – except maybe me and my McGyver might have to be called “oldhouselove” LOL

    thanks for the great post

    Cheryl from Ontario

    Reply

  29. uthie says

    I found a monarch butterfly over a year ago and it in a mason jar. It still is in tact. No disintegration. I dont think you have to do anything other not a lot of handling.

    Reply

  31. Alison says

    My father is a chemist and took an entomology class when I was in high school. He had to catch, kill and preserve various insects for his final class project. It was quite morbid actually. There were jars of bugs in chemicals all over his study for weeks.

    Despite his best efforts, some went moldy before the project was due. I suspect that is the reason for the chemicals and/or the freezing, both of which could help there. But long-term preservation seems to require a sealed container and a lack of direct sunlight to preserve the color.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Alison! We have heard from some folks who have popped them into a shadow box without doing anything to them and it does sound like a sealed container does the trick. Someone said theirs looked good years later! Who knew?!

      xo
      s

    • Marie says

      Yep, my uncle is an entomologist (aka he has a PhD in bugs) and my sister is working on a butterfly preservation project so we were actually talking about this at our labor day BBQ!

      He says butterflies do ok on their own, but the real long-term problem is other things that want to chow down on the butterfly, so he recommended getting it as well-sealed as possible.

  35. Stefanie says

    Definitely protect it somehow by putting it in a shadow box or covering with the glass dome that you mentioned. They can hold up to beind displayed but WILL NOT hold up to being dusted.

    What a beautiful find though. My son found a dead but perfect dragonfly over the summer that we let sit on a shelf in his room for a couple of weeks. After that I told him it was time for it to go. So maybe even using it as a temporary piece would work?

    I have a BUG FREAK for a kid and for his birthday he recieved all of these things:

    http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3979145

    http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4089570

    http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3142101

    I think the first one would be something great for Clara to do in the Spring. We had such a blast with it in our home…even the adults were into it!

    Reply

  36. kristi says

    I love you guys but I have to give the dead butterfly as decor the side eye. Let mother nature take care of it in nature.

    Reply

  38. Christie Bieber says

    Graded and seeded the yard this week. Have your homes in Richmond ever come with pieces of slate strewn about in as pathways throughout the yard? Seems like all the houses in my neighborhood have them. We gathered up all the slates and are replacing them as a patio today! So excited!

    Reply

  39. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    I used to love finding butterflies growing up! We always had gorgeous orange monarchs in our cow pasture. Oddly enough, they liked to land on the, um, cow patties. Guess that was nature’s way of prettying things up.

    You could do another shadow box and hang it on Clara’s picture wall since it’s “her” butterfly!

    Reply

  40. Claire H. says

    Hahah my favorite was when Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet was trying so hard not to crack up when a fake deer showed up behind his car! And, the butterfly is beautiful :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahahahaha, my friend actually recorded himself saying ‘dinga dongle dina dongle someone’s calling you’ and it’s his ringtone. Makes me laugh every time!

      xo
      s

  43. Melody says

    There are probably a lot of people more qualified to answer the butterfly question than I am, but I think it’s pretty important that the butterfly is in a sealed area to protect it from minute bugs that get in there and eat (ack!) the butterfly. I have a shadowbox that I made, and I sealed it around the edges using a hot glue gun. I’m also told that putting it in the freezer from time to time will kill the little carnivorous intruders. You’ll know you have them if you see a fine dust under the butterfly. You really found yourself a beautiful insect, and I hope it stays nice and healthy (despite being dead)! :)

    Reply

  44. L says

    Hello! What a beautiful Papilio glaucus (male)! I am an entomologist and can help you out here! The reason you would put him in the freezer is to kill any parasites that may be living within him… unfortunately you’d need a freezer that went to -80*C (you don’t have one of those hiding in the basement… do you?). These types of pests typically live in the abdomen (the third, large segment that starts right after the wings are done attaching to the thorax). For artistic preservation most folks snip off the abdomen with sharp dissecting scissors (or sharp crafting scissors) and this 1) reduces the likelihood of parasites to emerge and destroy the specimen and 2) reduces the “death” smell. I did something similar with another Papilio on my blog (http://honeywithoutflowers.blogspot.com/2012/04/cloche-with-bugs-and-moss.html) but the butterfly was pinned first using #2 insect pins from BioQuip. I then bought foam covered in moss from WalMart and then inverted a vase on top of them… a real glass dome would be much more aesthetically pleasing! I hope this helps! If you really want to be safe, you can hide a little moth ball under the dome with the butterfly and it’ll keep any Dermestid beetles at bay… (those are the little beetles that feed on dead bugs…). Leaving insects “out” on display isn’t ideal, but that BioQuip site also has Ryker mounts and other ways to display insects! I would definitely encourage Clara to play with bugs… they are way too much fun!

    Reply

  45. Sarah S says

    Sherry my mom has been collecting dead insects ( mainly bumble bees, butterflies, and dragonflies) that are “too beautiful to not keep” since I was a little girl. She just places them in our family china cabinet. She has some that are probably 5 years old and she does nothing to “preserve” them and they look great still. Love that you’re doing this with Clara- it is one of my fondest childhood memories!

    Reply

  46. Elesea says

    Color Me Rad is coming to Ft. Worth this weekend! I have a team entered. It’ll be the first time I’ve seen 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday in a looooong time. Y’all have a great weekend!

    Reply

  47. Melissa Gray says

    You will be busy this weekend! We will be picking up our craigslist furniture purchases, re-upholstering 6 chairs, painting a stairwell and hopefully completing our move. Oh, all while our dining room/kitchen/laundry room is being re-tiled:) Thankfully I have an amazing mother to come from out of town and babysit the kiddos! Lucky for her, she gets to get in on all the house work action this weekend!

    Reply

  48. Jackie E. says

    I work at a university in the Entomology Department and you really don’t have to do anything to preserve the butterfly. The wings are already spread out and it looks relatively dry already. Over time you may have issues with other very small insects chewing on it and it may start to look a little ragged. The students in our classes, just put a pin through the body (after it dies) and spread the wings on a pinning board where they dry. That way you can see the beautiful patterns on their wings. I think it looks great where you have it. And I just love that Clara is interested in insects. There are certainly a lot of them out there.

    Reply

  49. Katie says

    My husband was Robert Goulet for Halloween a couple years ago! I know I’m in the minority but I am a little freaked out at the thought of a dead bug on display in my house…good thing it’s on display at your house!! haha

    Reply

  50. Kim says

    Speaking of preserving dead things (trying to make my post relevant, haha), I like to pick up baskets at goodwill, or in the case of the other day, the occasional trash pile. A friend told me she washes them in the dishwasher if they are dirty at all, which often times they are. I tried it and it totally worked! Took care of the mildew on one of them! Who knew?

    Reply

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