Two Methods for Crafting a Homemade Butterfly Feeder Yourself
If you're looking for a fun and easy project to support the local butterfly population in your garden, consider making a DIY butterfly feeder. This simple and cost-effective solution offers a sugary treat that mimics the butterflies' natural food sources, attracting them to your outdoor space.
Here's a step-by-step guide to creating your own butterfly feeder using a glass jar:
- Gather the materials: A glass jar, string or twine, a hammer and nail, petroleum jelly, slices of cucumber, glass beads, a 1/2-inch metal washer, and silk flowers. You'll also need a sugar-water butterfly food mixture, which can be prepared by mixing 10 parts water with one part sugar, heating it until the sugar dissolves, and allowing it to cool.
- Prepare the jar lid by nailing a hole in the center using a hammer and nail.
- Apply petroleum jelly to the rim of the jar or plate to repel ants, and add slices of cucumber to the jar or on top of the plate to repel wasps.
- Fill the jar with the sugar-water butterfly food and seal the lid tightly.
- Thread some glass beads along the strings to catch the light and attract butterflies.
- Tie the strings in pairs at opposite sides of the jar, halfway up and at the top of the inverted jar.
- Insert a sponge soaked in the sugar-water mixture into the hole in the lid, ensuring there is a 1/2 inch of sponge on either side.
- Hot glue some silk flowers to the top of the inverted jar and other points on the jar or along the strings to help attract butterflies.
- Tie the four strings together to a 1/2-inch metal washer, which will be used to hang the feeder.
- Cut four pieces of string that are 48 inches long and tie them around the base of the jar, making four ends of string.
- Hang the feeder on a tree branch using wire threaded through the washer.
For a plate-based butterfly feeder, follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Gather materials: a shallow plate (plastic, ceramic, terracotta, or glass), string or twine for hanging, very ripe fruit pieces (like oranges, bananas, or watermelon), and optionally, a homemade sugar nectar solution (4 parts water to 1 part sugar boiled and cooled).
- Prepare the plate by punching evenly spaced small holes near the edge (if you plan to hang it).
- Cut three equal lengths of string or twine (about 18 inches each) and tie each through the holes, then gather and tie the strings at the top to create a hanger.
- Place the plate in a shady spot by hanging it from a tree branch or any suitable location, or set it on a flat surface just above the tallest flowers.
- Arrange slices of very ripe or overripe fruit on the plate; alternatively, soak sponges or cotton pads in the sugar-water nectar and place them on the plate as landing and feeding spots.
- Check regularly to replace dried out or moldy fruit and clean the feeder to deter pests.
This simple feeder attracts butterflies by offering sugary fruit juices or nectar, mimicking their natural food sources[1][3]. The bright colors and fruit pieces invite butterflies to land and feed safely.
Optional: You can decorate the strings by winding artificial flower stems around them to make the feeder more visually appealing to butterflies[3].
This DIY approach is low-cost, reusable, and effective in supporting butterflies in your garden. Just remember to maintain a saturated but not overflowing sugar-water mixture on the sponge, and avoid using a higher concentration of sugar in the butterfly food mixture as it can dehydrate the butterflies.
[1] Butterfly Conservation (2021). Food plants for butterflies. Retrieved from https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/gardening-for-butterflies/food-plants-for-butterflies/
[3] National Wildlife Federation (2021). How to make a butterfly feeder. Retrieved from https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify/How-To-Guides/How-to-make-a-butterfly-feeder.aspx
Engaging in home-and-garden activities, such as gardening, can contribute to creating a butterfly-friendly lifestyle. By constructing a DIY butterfly feeder using a glass jar or a shallow plate, you can provide a sweet treat that resembles the butterflies' natural food sources, thereby attracting them to your home-and-garden space.
