Tutorial :: DIY Butterfly House

When we decided to raise some Painted Ladies in our home, I knew we need a good house from them. I was really set on ordering online but when that didn't work out, I figured I needed to make one of my own. It didn't turn out pretty but it is certainly functional and only cost me $10. Hopefully this tutorial can give you a starting point for your own butterfly house.

 Supplies:
:: two hoops (I used 19in dreamcatcher hoops)
:: ballet tulle (I needed a 38x34in piece)
:: a sewing machine
:: thread
:: sharp scissors
:: rope, cord or ribbon
:: straight pins
:: one diaper pin

Start by laying your tulle out, measure and cut to your desired dimensions. Fold in half and pin along the opposite side (leaving the bottom and top open). I used a tight zig zag to hold the tulle tight. You will have a tulle tube.

 Gather one end with about an inch of tulle at top. Make sure you've gathered it evenly. Here you can tie tightly with twine, tie a knot or stitch the end closed. I went back and forth with a straight stitch several times to close the end.

This part was tricky for me so be patient and butterflies won't mind the odd mistake. Put one of the hoops in your tulle tube. Push it evenly into the bottom with the knot in the center. Pin in place. You can machine stitch or hand stitch the tulle to the hoop.

 At this point, I skipped the second hoop and focused on the top edge. I folded over a 1in hem. Stitch this hem leaving an opening at opposite sides for the cord to pull through. Once I had completed that, I put the second hoop in. I pinned the top with a diaper pin and then got the second hoop in place (I put mine about 13in above the first hoop). Follow the previous step to secure the second hoop (I liked to hold it up as I was getting the second hoop in place to make sure it wasn't crooked).

 Pin the diaper pin to the end of your cord and feed it through the hem at the top and knot. Pull evenly through both openings. Now you are ready to hang it!

 Mine ended up a little bit crooked but I don't mind a bit.  I didn't add any tubing along the sides because I wanted it to be collapsible so we could store it for use year after year.

Garden Joy

The weather has been nothing short of perfect for planting. The sun keeps the soil warm but it's not so hot that I want to pass out after 20 minutes. We still have a lot of work to finish up the big garden overhaul. All the raised beds are built and most have soil. I've been waiting since October for this!

The radishes are planted and sprouting. So are the cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, swiss chard and lettuce. I've been having really excellent luck so far with my indoor seedlings. I decided to use a small heat mat to keep the roots warm this year. My celery, jalapenos and tomatoes are all very happy.

I'm very excited about my herb bed. I've transplanted several of my perennial herbs and started many from seed. I used stones and driftwood to separate everything until they are fully grown. I'm looking forward to making my own tinctures, salves and teas. I decided though not to plant my mint and oregano in the bed since they are so vigorous (they tend to take over). They are very happy in their pots, even this early in the growing season.

I had really hoped we would have a new colony of bees by the time our fruit trees bloomed but we haven't had any luck finding bees yet. So we got a small box of mason bee cocoons. The sun and warmth has hatched them all and it's wonderful to watch them work. They are such hard workers and actually quite beautiful. It's easy to appreciate these bees for all they do for us.

We spend most of our days outside planting, weeding, watering and playing but even when we are inside, we are talking about seeds, plants and flowers. We recently got a beautiful painting of an Linnaeus clock that we often look to for flower inspiration. I avoid cutting flowers because I believe bees and other insects need them outside but from time to time we bring in a few flowers. They are such a joyful thing for us all, it's hard to resist when A asks for some.

A Family Bed

I think I always knew I wanted to share my bed with my children. When I was pregnant with A we bought a side-car cosleeper and never used it. I took her into my bed and it just worked. Sure, we are tired but our children are young. They don't sleep through the night but as I am learning, they aren't supposed to. I sleep better when I can open one eye and see that my child is safely snoozing at my side. A does sleep in her own bed now but as soon as she wakes up she comes into the family bed. We often take our time in the morning. We snuggle, we talk about our plans for the day, F usually nurses. It's our safe place, it's comfort.

I've recently been handed down a brightly-colored beautiful quilt made by my Great-Aunt made almost 50 years ago. It makes me cheery every time I lay it on my bed. When I was making things for A's nursery (that we never used) I was given a lovely hand painted piece of fabric from my aunt. I turned it into a star scene pillow that I still use. I've surrounded the bed with a few special things. We all love the gentle light of our Himalayan salt lamp. When I was pregnant with F, I struggled to sleep well. I started dreading the night. I found a beautiful, nature-inspired dreamcatcher. In the summer, I love how the feathers lightly float in the breeze from the open window. I've slept better since hanging it. The last touch that brings me such joy are prints by Nikki McClure.  They remind me of my favorite moments of motherhood. Days get stressful but there are moments that I would never trade for all the riches in the world.

Easter Weekend

 

 

It's been a wonderful weekend. The sun was shining and we had lots of time with family. For a week before we have been working on special little things for this weekend. A has been painting eggs of all sorts, she made a wreath for our door, we planted some flowers seeds and I busied myself with stitching felt eggs and dying eggs with natural dyes.

I do feel bad that I didn't get to hand make something for my children's baskets. I decided to keep them simple. I got each of them a little story book, sidewalk chalk, homemade playdough with a spring cookie cutter, bubbles, a silly straw and I was so glad to find some organic, fair trade dark chocolate bunnies. Even with these fun little things, their favorite item this to play with this weekend were the baskets and the wool felt Easter eggs I made a few years ago. They have been hiding and finding eggs all weekend.

We closed our weekend with a beautiful and delicious dinner with my parents. My children love their grandparents so much so a dinner with them any time is special. We dressed up, used the nice plates and made all those amazing dishes that are too time consuming to make on weeknights. I'm looking at these pictures and smiling. It was such a lovely weekend.

Learning Lifecycles

It's spring and new life is popping up everywhere. It was the perfect time to start talking about life cycles. A is very interested in nature and biology so this grabbed her attention immediately. We frequently visit the butterfly gardens in town and observe chrysalis there. We also have chicks we are observing go through the changes to chicken. We have painted lady larvae we will be raising coming next month and we are hoping to raise a couple tadpoles to frogs as well. It's such a fascinating topic. There are so many processes of development in nature.

 We made sure to stop by the library and stock up on books to help us answer all our life cycle questions. While information books are really helpful, I was glad to find some story books that we could read a bedtime that tied into what we had been discussing. Hurry and the Monarch and Tale of a Tadpole were great stories for us and beautifully illustrated.

One more place we are observing life cycles is in the garden. Seeds are sprouting, bulbs we planted in the fall are blooming, trees are blossoming. I asked A to draw me a life cycle and she drew the life cycle of a tree. On the left under the dirt is a green seed (like the green acorns we find in September) that has sprouted, then it becomes a seedling before finally growing into a tree. She made sure to tell me about the sun and how the plants need the sun. I love when she shares her knowledge with me.

Round One

This weekend we brought home our first pair of chicks. We are planning to get a couple different breeds this year so we have to pick them up from different farms. These are a pair of Columbia Rock chicks. Needless to say, they were instantly adored. We don't have a lot of space for a cage of chicks, especially a place where small hands can't grab at them, so our chicks call the laundry room home. It's warm and it's the only room in the house with a gate. Little F likes to just sit with by their cage. I'm really proud of how gentle he is. He can be really rough with the grown chickens but he's been very sweet to the chicks.

Anew

Yes, it's still grey most days but the temperature is rising and spring is making itself known. There is something so magical about this time of year. There are new buds on the trees, the smell of blossoms in the air, crocuses popping up everywhere and the cheery yellow of daffodils all around. Now if we could have a bit more sun so it's not so muddy out, it would be perfect!