Things You'll Need
- Photograph album
- Display case
- Styrofoam
- Colored paper
- Pen or marker
- Paper towels
- Pins
- Index cards
Instructions
Place a wet paper towel into the bottom of a plastic container. Then place the butterfly on the wet towel. This creates a relaxing chamber so that the butterfly's body absorbs the water and becomes pliable. Let the butterfly sit for 12 to 24 hours. After this time period, it should feel as soft as if it was alive again.
Hold onto the thorax of the butterfly and pinch it so its wings open up. Place a pin halfway up the thorax. Pin the butterfly onto a piece of Styrofoam.
Adjust its wings and antennae using a spade tip forceps. Cut thin strips of an index card and set them on top of the wings so they stay in place. Let the butterfly dry for a day or two.
After the butterfly has dried, pin it onto a display case. Or you can place the butterfly in a photograph album. However, this will press the butterfly and make it flat. If you put it in a photograph album, cut up colored paper for the background of the photograph slots and notate t he category to which the butterfly belongs.