Jar Butterfly Feeder

 

Introduction

Attract important and colorful pollinating butterflies to your garden with this easy-to-make jar feeder.

What you need:

• A glass jar such as a spaghetti sauce jar, with lid
• Hammer and nail
• Sponge
• Twine or string
• Sugar
• Water
• Colorful silk flowers
• Beads
• A washer
• Hot glue gun

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the jar and remove the paper label. Using a hammer and nail, puncture a hole in the center of the lid. 
2. Cut a piece of the sponge to be ¼ inch thick and 1 inch long.
3. Insert the 1 inch piece of sponge into the hole you punctured in your lid so there is about a 1/2 inch of sponge on the other side. If you have trouble squeezing the sponge through, use the nail to push it through to the other side. The sponge should snugly fit in the hole.
4. Cut two pieces of string or twine so that they are about 55 inches long. With the glass jar turned upside down, wrap each string around the base of the jar and double knot. The two knots should be opposite of each other.
5. Now that you have 4 strings extending from the jar, take 2 strings that are diagonal from each other and tie a double knot about halfway up the jar. Add beads as you go for decoration.
6. Repeat step #5, adding more beads, and now you should have knots at the top of the jar. This macrame-style structure will hold your jar.
7. Tie the 4 strings together and attach the washer.
8. Using the hot glue gun, attach silk flowers to the top of the jar to attract butterflies.
9. Make the butterfly food by mixing together 10 parts of water to 1 part sugar. Heat this mixture until the sugar dissolves. Allow it to cool thoroughly.
10. Add the food to the jar and hang from a tree branch or a shepherd’s hood.