DIY A Beautiful Butterfly Feeder With The Help Of An Empty Mason Jar

Stepping out into your backyard and watching as a flurry of butterflies take wing can be a magical moment. With their vibrant colors and intricate patterns, these little pollinators can bring natural beauty to your garden — all while helping your flowers and plants thrive. If you feel like your yard is lacking butterflies, there are various ways to encourage more to visit, from adding plants that attract colorful butterflies to recreating this simple DIY butterfly feeder from an empty mason jar.

When you think of a butterfly's diet, you likely think of the sweet-smelling flowers and nectar they seem to favor. However, depending on the species, butterflies can actually have a diverse diet that includes some meals that may be strange to think about (like rotten fruit or even carrion). While you may want to skip on leaving your overripe fruit out in the sun for such species, you can use this mason jar DIY to offer butterflies sugar water.

If you want to try your hand at building your own DIY butterfly feeder, here's what you'll need to get started: A mason jar, a hammer and nail or drill, some twine, homemade nectar, some twine, and cotton or a small sponge.

Along with safety when using your tools to puncture the lid, one of the most important things to keep in mind is cleanliness when creating your DIY butterfly feeder. Clean and sanitize your mason jar with hot water and a 10% bleach solution. Once you've finished your butterfly feeder and have it hanging, you can use this same method to clean it every few days as well. Just make sure to rinse and dry your jar completely.

This is a project that even beginners can enjoy, but it will take some knot skills. Start by using your hammer and nail or drill to puncture the top of the lid, creating a hole you can feed cotton or sponge wick through. This will allow the contents of the jar to seep out of the jar to where butterflies have access. Because butterflies taste with their feet, it's important that they're able to land on their food source before taking a sip. Hang the jar upside down, using twine to create a simple macramé-style holder, like this macramé bird feeder holder that adds style to your backyard.

Before tightening the lid, add your nectar solution. Butterfly nectar is similar to your average homemade hummingbird nectar recipe in that it uses sugar and water. However, the ratios are different: For butterfly nectar, use 1 part sugar for 10 parts water rather than the 1-to-4 ratio you might use for hummingbirds. With your nectar added, all that's left is to hang up your new butterfly feeder from a repurposed mason jar. If you want to take this project a step further, you can add a hook to the twine cradle and instead hang your feeder with fishing line to help deter ants.