Professional Denver, CO on Jun 25, 2012

Make A DIY Butterfly Feeder In 6 Easy Steps

Encourage butterflies to visit your yard and pollinate your plants by making a butterfly feeder. It's easy! You'll need: A small jar (a mason jar or a baby food jar will work), hammer and nails, string, a sponge, sugar, water and construction paper.

The first few steps are below the photo, but for the full tutorial, visit: http://blog.brightnest.com/2012/06/24/attrac...

#Bestof2012

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First, prepare "butterfly food" by mixing nine parts water with one part sugar. Depending on the size of your jar, you'll use either a tablespoon or a teaspoon.
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Let the mixture boil until the sugar is dissolved, and then let it fully cool before putting it in the feeder.
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Using your nail and hammer, punch a small hole in the lid of the jar. You're going to be cutting your sponge and you want your sponge to fit tightly through the ho...
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Cut your sponge into strings about one inch wide, and then pull it through the hole so there is about a half-inch of sponge sticking out from the top of the lid.
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Remember, you want the sponge to stick tightly even when it's wet, so you might need to make it larger than you think.

89 Comments Displaying 25 of 89 comments | See Previous

Mary Beth Marietta, GA

Love the idea for butterflies but the comments about the bees make me remember that last year for the first time in 12 yrs. bees swarmed my hummingbird feeders. My grandchildren have been stung before and were terrified. Took down the feeders, washed them, and after a week or so refilled and put them back out. Bees returned in swarms. Now trying to find local beekeeper.Any suggestions?

on Mar 10, 2013 · Like 0
Valerie Shirkey Jacksonville, IL

We have milkweed plants and the monarchs love them........

on Mar 10, 2013 · Like 3
Kathy Noethen Armenia

need to do this

on Mar 10, 2013 · Like 0
Suzanne D Suffolk, VA

Thanks for this amazing idea! I can't wait to try this in my yard! I am going to make this with my granddaughter, she loves butterflies and so do I!!!

on Mar 10, 2013 · Like 0
Vici Hood Roswell, GA

Go to Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association website for swarm assistance.

on Mar 11, 2013 · Like 1
Tina Valentine Monroe, MI

Those instructions are just about useless. How about some pictures that have something to do with the instructions?

on Mar 11, 2013 · Like 4
Carol Brown Azle, TX

For our yard it is the wasps that go after our feeders any suggestions?

on Mar 11, 2013 · Like 1
Rebecca Johnson Rooney Weston, MO

The photos had nothing to do with the instructions. Confusing.

on Mar 11, 2013 · Like 8
Debby Boyle Necedah, WI

Very cool!!

on Mar 12, 2013 · Like 0
Gayle P. Cantonment, FL

what kind of sponge can you use? For the butterfly feeder? I love the idea and have what I need execpt for some type of sponge.

on Mar 12, 2013 · Like 0
Miss Charming @ Charming ... Pflugerville, TX

Fun idea!

on Mar 14, 2013 · Like 0
Marilee H Youngstown, OH

Confused! There doesn't seem to be a picture of the actual project, just other styles of feeder.

on Mar 17, 2013 · Like 3
Gayle P. Cantonment, FL

I agree.I still don't understand what kind of sponge can go through a nail hole,etc. This coming week end I am going to be off line for a week or so we are moving and I can't wait to get my computer back on and see what;'s new.But till then I will check everyday maybe someone will know the answer to the sponge condrum.......

on Mar 17, 2013 · Like 0
Jeannie DiMauro Spring, TX

I think I see what happened. Go to the top of this article & click on the FULL tutorial (you'll also notice it states partial directions FOLLOW the photos). I think somehow the layout automatically formatted the written instructions to the unrelated photos. Anyhow... click the full tutorial... you'll see a link ('Home Training Tools') IN the full tutorial directing you to select that link to see a picture of this butterfly feeder along with suggestions for other easily made feeders. In ...»
fact, they also suggest exactly what my Grandmother used to do... back in the 50s & 60s! She had a small peach orchard. ALmost every summer day she'd cut a few of the overripe and/or rotting peaches and lay them on warm rocks around her garden. We'd see tons of butterflies feeding at those rotting fruits! Of course, there were lots more butterflies then... and she was out in the country. Many other fruits work too... I usually leave bananas, watermelons, and oranges out especially when they're a bit overripe... and I usually add a little water to keep the fruit a bit moist. Good luck... the photo in the second link really clears up most of the questions abt making the feeder.

on Mar 19, 2013 · Like 2
Gayle P. Cantonment, FL

Thank you Jeannie.

on Mar 22, 2013 · Like 2
Melody H Maxwell, CA

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/butterfly-f...

on Mar 31, 2013 · Like 0
Anne D Canada

have to try this for sure..Thanks so Much for the post :)

on Apr 05, 2013 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

I finally put sliced tangerines in my bird bath (for butterflies) & in the morning all of the tangerines were gone. I have 5 lb feeders that were empty every few days. I looked at my security cameras & there he was: bear eating birdseed & drinking from the birdbath. Now I take the bird feeders in each night.

on Apr 07, 2013 · Like 3
Dana Shuster San Antonio, TX

if you want "butterfly magnet" plants, go to your local nursery and watch the butterflies carefully. If they are quickly flitting from flower to flower without lingering, that plant, no matter how bright or beautiful, holds no nectar for them. Many of the newer cultivars like the new lantanas have the nectar bred out of them. Stick with the old standbys instead.

on Apr 16, 2013 · Like 0
Lyle Larkin San Marcos, CA

None of these pictures match the notes? Really bad directions!

on Apr 16, 2013 · Like 1
Tina Hawkins Vassar, MI

http://blog.brightnest.com/2012/06/24/attrac... for those of you who are saying that the directions are bad or horrible obviously didn't read the whole thing .. this is the link for the full tutorial... really? open your eyes before you open your mouth to say something neg... thank you have a blessed day.

on Apr 19, 2013 · Like 0
Jeannie DiMauro Spring, TX

TINA: Sorry... the comments are accurate. This is a very nice group of helpful people. It would be BEST if all could keep their negative comments civil. I explained the problem about one month ago:
"Jeannie DiMauro Spring, TX I think I see what happened. Go to the top of this article & click on the FULL tutorial (you'll also notice it states partial directions FOLLOW the photos). I think somehow the layout automatically formatted the written instructions to the unrelated photos. ...»
Anyhow... click the full tutorial... you'll see a link ('Home Training Tools') IN the full tutorial directing you to select that link to see a picture of this butterfly feeder along with suggestions for other easily made feeders. In ...» fact, they also suggest exactly what my Grandmother used to do... back in the 50s & 60s! She had a small peach orchard. ALmost every summer day she'd cut a few of the overripe and/or rotting peaches and lay them on warm rocks around her garden. We'd see tons of butterflies feeding at those rotting fruits! Of course, there were lots more butterflies then... and she was out in the country. Many other fruits work too... I usually leave bananas, watermelons, and oranges out especially when they're a bit overripe... and I usually add a little water to keep the fruit a bit moist. Good luck... the photo in the second link really clears up most of the questions abt making the feeder."

on Apr 26, 2013 · Like 1
Lyle Larkin San Marcos, CA

this is NOT the link for that project, it's the link to the home page of BrightNest

on Apr 28, 2013 · Like 0
Evelyn McMullen Montgomery, AL

Going to bury the pedestal top to my dead solar fountain for the butterflies when I find the right spot, the bottom is now just a birdbath in my iris bed.

on Apr 28, 2013 · Like 0
BrightNest Denver, CO

We've updated our post to include step-by-step photos! Here you go: https://brightnest.com/posts/attract-butterf...

6 days ago · Like 0