Turn Empty Jars into a Butterfly Oasis

My inspiration for this project came from  a page I saw  in a home decorating magazine.

The designer had placed preserved butterflies inside a cloche, and placed it on a coffee table. I don’t remember what the article was featuring-I was drawn straight to the butterfly cloche. However, when I went out to my local craft store and priced a cloche…($50.00) I knew I had to figure out a way to make it myself, and less expensively.

I looked around my house to find glass that I already had, turning jars and bottles upside-down in my head.

I was happy to find what I needed from my garage and pantry. A great way to recycle old bottles and jars!

This project was quick, easy, and very inexpensive.

It would make a unique gift for someone- costing pennies. I bet you already have most of the stuff collecting dust  in your house.

Here is what you will need:

• 2.5″ Butterflies in Various Colors (as desired)
• Green Moss
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Wire Cutters
• Twigs
• Chipboard – from a spiral notebook, cereal box or anything else you could recycle from
• Glass Jar(s) that you have on hand

Let’s get started!

I sent my kids outside to gather twigs for my project. They brought in giant branches! I guess I wasn’t very specific. (But I had a lot to choose from!)

You will want to choose sections of twigs that have a lot of “character.” V’s, and knobs and tiny branches for the butterflies to “sit” on.

While they were scavenging outside, I was scavenging inside, gathering my jars.

You can use any jar that has a wide-mouth opening.

You can use canning jars, those clear vases you get with flower arrangements, or old candle jars.

I was surprised how many perfectly-sized jars I found in my pantry.  Spaghetti sauce, salsa, and  jams were a great size.

After you select your jars, remove any labels and wash them thoroughly.

(Goo Gone is wonderful for removing the sticky residue from labels and stickers.)

Using jars of different sizes and shapes makes your display more interesting.

Let’s prep those twigs!

Trim down the twigs to fit inside the jar. Use wire cutters to give the twigs a nice, clean edge.

Then, select the butterflies you would like to use, and arrange them onto your twig as desired. Glue them to the twig using hot glue. Make sure they are really secure, as you will not be able to make changes once they are inserted into the jar.

Insert your butterfly twig into the jar. Do not glue the twig, it should stay fine.

Now, take your jar, flip it upside down, and trace the bottom lip of the jar onto a piece of chipboard.

I used the back of a spiral-bound notebook. You need the chipboard to be sturdy. A cereal box would also work well. Whatever you would like to recycle.

Cut out the traced circle.

Adhere  green moss to the circle using hot glue. Apply the glue generously, and mush the moss into the glue. (Mush is a very sophisticated crafting term.)

Don’t worry if the moss hangs over the edge of the circle.

Then take your hot glue gun, and run a generous line of glue around the rim of your jar.

You will need to work quickly here.

While the glue on the rim is still hot, press your inverted moss circle onto the rim.

Press and hold until the glue dries.

Some of the moss is going to fall down into the interior of the butterfly jar. That is okay. It will settle back down to the bottom when you turn it upright.

That is it!

Repeat for as many jars as you would like for your display.

Enjoy a little spot of Springtime in your home!