Making a Butterfly Suncatcher Using Uniquely Shaped Lids

By Sandi/Poor But Proud [940 Posts, 2,968 Comments]

Page Making a Butterfly Suncatcher

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - hanging in window

I have a storage room. During every season, I need to eliminate the moisture. So I buy these as the Dollar Tree. They are called, simply enough, Moisture Eliminators.

I have noticed for a while that the lids looked like half of a butterfly. That was all it took! This is a great craft for kids. If you have a separate bead for each of the 36 holes, that would be awesome, too!

Total Time: About 3 hours

Yield: 1

Supplies:

2 Moisture Eliminator lids ($0.00)
small amt. of epoxy glue ($0.05)
3 ft ribbon ($.25)
36 beads ($.25)
1 darning needle ($0.00)
1/2 of a chenille stem ($.02)
2 yd crochet thread ($0.05)

Steps:

The lids have little holes above most of the sections. I used that to hang the beads. You need beads that catch the sun and can still take a needle big enough for the thread to go through in the eye of that needle.

Butterfly Suncatcher Using -Unique Lids - lids laid out on work surface

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - lid and needle to attach beads

As you can see, not every lid section will let you hang a bead. Some are too small or don't have the tiny "hang hole". I picked 36 spaces, 18 on each lid, and went to work.

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - hang beads where possible

You will need to leave a longer tail then normal on each bead, as tying it is tedious. But once you have tightened it a bit, you can make sure the bead has enough slack to hang down. Then tighten it and cut the tails close. Fill all 18 holes as shown. Then do the other side.

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - adding more beads

When the beads are strung, you can lay the "wings" down and glue the center together. If you use regular epoxy, it will take about 24 hours. Don't rush it. When it is cured, glue one end of the ribbon on the back and wrap some of it around the "spine" or "body" of the butterfly and and glue the end.

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - after glue has dried wrap ribbon around body

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - wrapping

Butterfly Suncatcher Using Unique Lids - glue ribbon in place

Fold 1/2 of a chenille stem in half, glue it to the back and then curl and shape it for antennae. Glue some ribbon to the back of the lids for a hanger. N-JOY!!