Framing a Butterfly

Don't worry, this  butterfly died of natural causes

The Needed Supplies:

• A shadow box (a display case for your beautiful butterfly)
• pins
• butterfly

I found a shadow box that was big so instead of just putting a butterfly I have added a few personal touches.  You first need to have a dried out butterfly.  After having my butterfly dry out, I stored it pinned in my freezer. Pin the butterfly in the thorax.  Pin the butterfly down on to the shadow box  and feel free to add what you want.  It is optional to  to add whatever you like!! Feel free to make your butterfly to live in a wonderful world.  If you find your butterfly dead with the wings not spread out, there are ways to open them.  What you need to do is rehydrate the butterfly.  Place damp paper towels at the bottom of a container and place the butterfly on top not touching the paper towel (you can place the butterfly on something hard over the paper towels) to moisten the body.  Also add Listerine to the mix to keep your butterfly from molding.  Leave the butterfly in the container for a few days then take it out holding the thorax and use tweezers to gently spread the wings.  Take the butterfly and pin the thorax to cardboard or styrofoam.  Cover the wings by taping wax paper around the wings.  Finally!, wait a week for it dry out in the placed position.

What I did was take a picture and covered the pin-able board (if your shadow box is not able to have pins placed inside, I would put styrofoam or cardboard inside that cover it) with the sketch.  I then placed the butterfly by pinning the thorax.  Some intriguing butterfly facts; Scales are on butterflies wings that reflect light giving its color.  Butterflies sometimes go puddling by drinking from mud puddles.  Here is the finished work!