Another Sale, Butterfly Feeder and Family Tree Art

I did not get to paint yesterday, but that is because I was trying to tie up other projects that needed finishing. For our Earth Kids group, I want the kids to make butterfly feeders. I always try to test one out first, because just because something looks like a good idea doesn't mean it will actually work. The first butterfly feeder we tried was a flop. So, then I decided to use some of the jars I had painted on, but that did not make good candle jars or jars for gift giving purposes, to attempt a butterfly feeder. I saw the original idea on Pinterest. So, I got out one of my trusty jars. I then made a hole in the lid. Then you cut thin strips of a sponge and shove them tightly into the hole. You want them tight so the food fills the sponges and does not leak out around them. And I learned from my mistake, learn how to make a hanger for it first. Because, the jar is hanging upside down a traditional plant hanger will not work. So I crocheted one. Well technically it would have worked if I could have crocheted it higher, but you want the butterflies and hummingbirds to be attracted to the bright paint on the outside of the jar. And of course the jar fell over and it didn't work. So I bought 16 gauge colored copper craft wire and wire wrapped the jar. Now it hangs nicely, as you can see in the picture. This will be the project for our next Earth Kids meeting on the 16th. To make the butterfly nectar you mix two parts hot water to sugar. Let the sugar dissolve and cool before adding it to the jar. Be sure you know where you want to hang it and have everything ready before you tip it to hang. The liquid fills the sponge rather quickly and you can end up with a sticky mess all over you. Put it near your garden to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It does attract ants as well. The jar filled lasts about two weeks or so. I also got the first six pictures hung to our family tree. This will be an extended project because the frames are not cheap. Even at a dollar a piece, I have already spent six dollars. I won't buy anymore navy blue ones either. They just don't stand out as much.

Day 10 of #30DOC Butterfly Feeders

Today is day 10 of the 30 Days of Creativity Challenge, and Caitlin and I made a butterfly feeder using a painted recycled sauce jar. This is actually a project for our Earth Kids group, but I wanted to test one first to see how it worked. First the jar was already painted by myself. Then I had to figure out how to hang it. I think in the end I decided a bracket of some sort will work best. But, instead I crocheted a pretty purple hanger. You can see in theory it should work. But, once you add the sugar water it is just too heavy to be held up. Anyway after some thinking I used an old Ticki Torch that is just the shell left over. I put the jar in the Tiki Holder and then using my crocheted holder used that to get the pieces of wood to embrace and hold the butterfly feeder in place. This will suffice for now, until I get a proper bracket. We tried the feeder with the rotten fruit in a pan. That didn't work. The birds and squirrels thought it was theirs. And they just knocked it all over and made a big mess. Then I saw a website where they said to use an old jar. If you paint the jar pretty with bright colors it will help attract the butterflies and humming birds. Then use a nail to put a hole in the top. Then cut a sponge into very thin strips. Put as many of the sponge strips as you can into the hole, making a seal. Then dissolve one part sugar to two parts water and put it in the jar. Hang it upside down and wait for the butterflies and humming birds to visit. At first it dripped very fast and I thought oh no it will be gone in an hour. But, it slowed right down after the sponges were saturated. I was able to fit three sponges into the nail hole. I was going to paint today, something purple, but never did get to it.