Young House Love

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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

  1. Heather W says

    OK, I am totally dying on this today… no pun intended… I just happened upon a dead butterfly in my garage last week and it is so pretty. Sort of a charcoal grey with bright blue and yellow tips so, I thought this reminds me of Sherry’s butterfly art she did so I put on pretty yellow cardstock and framed it but I kept thinking would Sherry do this to a helpless dead butterfly or am I crazy???? Now I know and am still cracking up on the timing of this post what are the odds?????

    Reply

  2. katalina says

    I don’t know why the posts about slow day seem snarky to me. especially on a friday.

    I don’t know any BLOG that posts every day ( sometimes twice, even from vacation) and answers the comments and diligently as you do. also have never seem a more organized house or blog with resources to look up paint colors and how to accomplish the projects.

    sure I might be a little excited to see the final reveal about some projects—maybe because I have done nothing productive myself but chimed in on posts– paint it grellow!

    on the excited part of sharing– what camera did you get? did not see it mentioned in john’s video tell all post. OK I will wait. patiently. maybe.

    on weird once living over sharing stories: I kept a claw of a crab (really not sure why) way too long when I was very young in my dresser…and a mineral rock collection….

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Katalina! We got a D3200. More details as soon as we’ve used it long enough to say a bit more about it. Haha. And as for the crab claw. I’m in love. And I totally had a rock collection. I was the weird kid who even had a rabit’s foot (and only later realized that it was real, which was totally tragic to me).

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We share it all around here – both big and teeny tiny. It’s just how we’ve always blogged and what we believe has gotten us here. Who knew this post would get twice as many comments as yesterday’s?! If you check out our monthly roundup you can see that although it’s hardly a project-a-day, we definitely get a lot done each month. And here’s a post all about why we share what we do! Hope it helps :)

      xo
      s

  4. Carla says

    I was going to comment about the freezer thing but I see many have already gotten on that. Instead I’ll leave you with this…..”I don’t care if he’s Mr. notorious BIG…can he croon?? Poppa! I like it when you call me Big Poppa!”

    Reply

  5. Molly T says

    Interesting facts that I just heard the other day about butterflies they only live for about two weeks…that was a good find! Super pretty!

    Reply

  7. Tracie says

    If Clara loves butterflies, next you are in Georgia (or on your way to Florida) you have to go to Callaway Garden’s. They have a butterfly house that is amazing. Also down there is a drive through safari. Big hit with the kids, but absolutely the trippiest thing I’ve ever encountered.

    Reply

  8. Lori says

    In New Orleans, you have to do a 200 piece bug collection for 10th grade biology. We froze every bug and they were perfectly preserved and didn’t smell.

    Reply

  9. LeAnna says

    I love that you guys kept the butterfly! We are a nature-loving house too, so anything that brings the beauty of the outside world in, I am all about it!
    Saw these cupcake stands w/ cloche…looks like it could be the perfect size and are a great price:
    http://www.potterybarn.com/products/glass-pedestal-stand/?cm_src=SEARCH_TOPPRODUCT||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-CUPCAKE-_-&cm_re=OnsiteSearch-_-SCHBillboard-_-SEARCH_TOPPRODUCT||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-CUPCAKE-_-

    also, I saw on another comment that the swallowtail is the VA state bug…could be cool if you added some other “VA state” items…like a pic/or preservation of the state plant with it? or a map of VA as a background? I really like it on the coral personally, but i was just sharing some creative thoughts…whatever you do, I’m sure it will look awesome!

    Reply

  10. Katie says

    When I taught 1st grade, we did a unit on butterflies and had the whole caterpillar –> chrysalis –> butterfly thing going on. Unfortunately a few didn’t make it so my team teacher took them home and made tiny shadow boxes for them for each of the 1st grade teachers. Before she put them in she sprayed them with something shiny. Modge Podge sells a spray sealant- I bet you could use that (using your Hob Lob coupon, of course!)

    Reply

  11. Miss E says

    What a fun find! My brother bought me a beautiful rainbow colored one that is encased in an all acrylic box. It was simply mounted on an acrylic stick, so it looks like it’s floating in the middle of the cube. Just a thought!

    This weekend I will be completing (at least the NEXT stage) of my closet remodel. It’s starting to look so good! Thanks for so much inspiration to step out on my own and share all my design ideas with the world.

    Reply

  14. Kat says

    Yeah, I gotta say that the idea of a dead body on display just icks me out. Very pretty but I probably would have just rested it in a tree or something.

    Reply

  15. nicky says

    i have nothing to add on the butterfly. but i would like to say, “who let the dogs out, who let the dogs out, who let those little mutts goooooo!’
    ;)
    i also crack up when he says Snoopy and Coolioolio. Hilarious.

    Reply

  16. Kelsey says

    I am not sure if someone else already said this, but It is a Tiger Swallowtail, and it is our state butterfly in Virginia. So it is fitting to hang onto it, and teach Clara about it! ;)

    Reply

  17. Sheena says

    Goulet!

    I’m a bug dork (seriously, I have an entomology degree!) so I love it when people look at insects as art instead of just pests! Butterflies ant moths are lovely specimens to preserve, which is why they’re so often at those little nature discovery type stores; although those specimens are often ridiculous glued together frankenbugs, but I’m probably the only one that looks at those things for accuracy! Words of advice: I wouldn’t stick it in the freezer if you are wanting to move its wings or anything later when/if you end up mounting it in a shadowbox or something. The freezer can make bugs brittle and you’ll risk snapping a wing off. I would definitely suggest sticking it in some sort of sealed display too. Butterflies have scales on their wings so you want to minimize dust otherwise you may end up removing scales when you dust. And you also want to stick a mothball or some camphor in your display – Dermestids are insect collection enemies, but there are many other micro critters that will munch on your butterfly if you don’t treat it. Hope this helps!

    And keep encouraging Clara to look at creepy crawlies! You should also check out the Bug Chicks. Sure they’re friends of mine from college, but I think Clara would love them!

    Reply

  19. Kim says

    Butterflies actually don’t need preserved because of their exoskeleton. It is wise to keep them protected by glass or such, but they should be fine.

    That little nugget was still in my brain from 15 years ago in my Freshman Ag Class. I made my sister capture my bugs for me. No bueno.

    Reply

  20. Esther says

    Hi John and Sherry :) This is totally unrelated to butterflies or Clara’s adorable bug fascination, but I just found this pretty cool site, and i was in their kitchen and food section, in ‘tabletop’, and just every product made think of you guys and your taste, the glasses and mugs especially, had to drop by and tell you!
    http://fab.com/ushops/6/?csid=44

    Reply

  21. Cristina says

    We have two large green houses (30’x48′) and bugs are always getting trapped in there. It is like having our own personal butterfly pavillion. So every time we go in there my 6 year old daughter and I will try to find all of the trapped butterflies and release them outside. They are usually kind of worn out so they will sit in your hand for a long time before they finally fly away. We do find dead ones, too. I kept some in a jar for a while, they did start to smell. I haven’t gotten around to trying to preserve some properly. Although I did read that you can set them in a jar on a screen above mouthwash instead of the carbolic acid mixture to sterilize them.

    Reply

  22. Ashleigh says

    Its either Robert Goulet or the “D%$# nature, you scary!” clip from Family Guy. When discussing nature, its always one or the other!

    Reply

  23. Ariel says

    If there are differences between males and females of the same species, then yes, the males are usually the pretty ones. It’s this way because the females are choosy – eggs are much more metabolically “expensive” to make than sperm – so the ladies need to pick the boy that is the best looking/brighter colored/most amazing singer of the bunch so that their kids have the best combination of genes.

    I’m a HS bio teacher and I’ve had to talk about lab safety for the past three days. Let me teach again! Hahaha. :-)

    Reply

  24. Stephy says

    Been through 2 butterflies… The first got brittle & flaked at the slightest touch. For the 2nd, I sprayed with clear acrylic/high gloss & it’s been in our guest room 3 years strong. Good luck & happy nature finding!

    Reply

  26. Annie says

    Our kiddo loves the bugs too. Even now at 8 she tenderly “cares for” each one she finds. So cute! I hope Clara holds on to her love a nature always (plus it makes cute posts, which is a nice bonus for us readers).

    Reply

  27. Jenna says

    Not sure how to “preserve” them for sure. I found one of the front of a car once (still pretty-fied) and put it in a book. The nature of insects encyclopedia. The only downside is when I moved out, my dad gave away my books, which means someone is going to randomly open a book to a butterfly falling out one day!

    Reply

  28. Brandy says

    I like the glass conche display idea. I also like the idea of displaying it in one of those glass jewelry box things. Like this one from West Elm:
    http://www.westelm.com/products/glass-shadow-boxes-c101/?pkey=e|glass%2Bjewelry%2Bdisplay%2Bbox|6|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

    When my sister and I were little, my grandpa used to have shelves full of dead butterflies and huge moths in canning jars. As far as I remember they held up pretty well, but maybe my memory serves me wrong. Probably better to preserve them…just in case.

    Reply

  30. Alecia @ Chicken Scratch NY says

    Based on what I remember from my college ento classes, you don’t need to freeze it (we did that to kill the insects)and you don’t need to worry about spreading the wings (that’s the hard part and the butterfly did it for you). If the body section is ‘meaty’ a few days in a container with a packet of silica gel will do a lot of good, other wise just let it be. Avoid direct sun and you should be good with the color (I’m not even sure the sun would fade it but better safe than sorry I guess) in college the collections were all stored in boxes. Btw mice and some insects (dermestid beetles) will eat dried insects.

    Butterflies have scales on their wings that create the iridescent colors, that’s why you get ‘dust’ on you when you handle butterflies or moths. Because of that I wouldn’t recommend dusting your butterfly. A pin through the chest (technically between the 2nd pair of legs) to hold it up in a shadow box is probably the best method but a cloche might work.

    sorry about science-ing you, I love me some entomology!

    Reply

  32. Erin says

    I seem to remember that hairspray will help to preserve butterfly wings from decomposing? I could totally be wrong. It just popped in there once I read your post!

    Reply

  33. Michele says

    Not to date myself, but the last time I watched SNL was when Eddie Murphy and Dennis Miller were regulars. Just saw “more cowbell” on youtube recently. lol.

    Anyway! I have been amazed by the number of butterflies this year. I don’t know if it is regional or what, but I have seen more butterflies this summer than I ever remember seeing. One mind-blowing aspect about butterflies (and all of nature) is how every single incarnation is unique – each butterfly wing pattern is unlike any other pattern that has ever, or will ever, exist.

    Contemplating this little concept reminds me just how little I know about anything. Your new find, and little collection, is a stunning visual reminder too!

    Reply

  36. Georgia says

    I kept a dead butterfly that I had in my “curio jar” – along with feathers, shells, and seed pods that I like for over 2 years. It is fine, although you have to be soooo careful if you move it once they are really dry.

    Reply

  37. Valenti says

    I actually have a Luna Moth in my freezer, she’s been there for a few weeks now because I haven’t found the time to mount her on foam yet. There’s honestly not much you need to do to keep your butterfly, since he was already dead. If you like the ‘natural’ look of the wings, aka non-spread, you can leave him as is and put him right into a frame or container. I get my equipment from Bioquip; they have a $25 order minimum but you can get a lot of stuff for pretty cheap.

    http://www.bioquip.com/search/DispProduct.asp?pid=1043A

    These boxes are economically priced and simple, but they look really nice. No pins needed, as the foam holds the specimen against the glass front. I imagine you could insert a sheet of scrapbook paper in there to jazz it up, or just a plain white sheet if you want a really smooth, clean look. You could even make a reverse faux-mat and have the edge be fancy, with the middle plain white, so your butterfly isn’t outshone by the paper.

    In the end though, just keep it well-sealed and your butterfly will last a long time. Other things eating it are the biggest of your concerns, so if you can keep them out, you’re pretty much good to go otherwise. Lucky to find one dead and in such good shape, though! I had to freeze my girl still alive, and my heart broke a little bit for her.

    Reply

  39. cristina s. says

    I have the same ceramic octopus :) Plasticland website i think is where its from? Our lives in our front entry :D “He” has a thing for octopuses, I just like white ceramic anything!

    Reply

  40. Eileen says

    Just another weekend with our 1 month old. I’m still getting the hang of our routine and being flexible. I didn’t realize the true meaning of that word (flexible) until now. He’s getting better with sleep though. It’s a blessing and a curse with the growth spurts.

    From one Oreo lover to another: Did you hear about the Limited Edition Candy Corn Oreos that will be sold only in Target starting Sept. 10? I was never a huge fan of Candy Corn, but I may have to try it out…

    http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/oreos-launches-candy-corn-flavor-211900796.html

    Reply

  43. Annalea says

    Definitely put your Tiger Swallowtail under glass. No preserving necessary . . . s/he will just slowly dry out. Maybe hide a silica packet (you know, the kind that come in shoes or vitamin bottles) somewhere under the dome to make sure that the little bit of moisture that’s produced as the little insect body dehydrates goes somewhere safe.

    We made a butterfly shadowbox one summer when I was pretty young . . . it was a great learning experience for my brothers and I. (That said, I’m not going to kill any butterflies to show my kids. They can catch them, observe them in a terrarium for a few hours, and then they’re set free.)

    Congrats on such a perfect specimen!

    Reply

  45. M says

    You could check with your local extension office. They support 4H, which has an entomology project (my sister won several high ribbons for her collection when we were kids!). Usually the extension office is affiliated with the state university and has all kinds of free agriculture and nature-related resources. Good luck!

    Reply

  46. Suzonne says

    Forgive me for leaving a link to a post in my blog, but it’s relevant (and there’s no need to publish it), but I thought it might help. (http://urbancomfort.typepad.com/urban_nest/2012/01/winter-butterfly-garden.html)

    I had to rehydrate mine, but I think yours is probably fine the way it is. But you’ll need to protect it from air most of all, excess humidity, and dust. I’ve had mine in the glass cloches for the last 9 months and they’ve even endured an extended power outage last month, with 5 days of high humidity and heat. They still look exactly as they did when I put them in there (and some are even housed next to a window). One other tip – I have occasionally messed with them for one reason or another, and I’ve had a wing break off. But I was able to repair it with the tiniest dab of Beacon 3-in-1 adhesive (get it at Michaels or Jo-Ann) and it’s worked like a charm.

    Reply

  47. Sabrina says

    Off the topic but I know you have mentioned Clara’s big girl room a few times. We are planning on moving our daughter into our master next year and I am having a hard time choosing a big girl room decor. She originally wanted hot pink walls but I persuaded her to a nice pale blue with pink accents. I guess my question is how do I make it look like a big girl room, without looking to old? She will be 5 next year (time flies)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would check out photos and magazine for inspiration! There are some awesome big girl rooms on Pinterest. We love making things feel personal to Clara too, so we hope to bring in some of her favorite colors/patterns/animals so it doesn’t feel too grown up or too chaotic, we’re crossing our fingers for a nice balance. Will keep you posted!

      xo,
      s

  48. Elizabeth says

    A moth ball or two hidden in the coral under the glass dome will greatly help to preserve it. It is actually decomposing insects that you have to worry about the most. I had a stunning collection from my entomology class in college but over the years I forgot to replace the moth balls and my collection was eaten. I still have the beautiful display box and I hope to take it up as a hobby again some day.

    Reply

  49. Ayisha says

    Wow looking so beautiful butterfly. Fantastic collection. Butterfly looking so natural i love it. Thanks a lot for sharing. I’ll visit your site again.

    Reply

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