Make a bug hotel from reused materials 02. June 2022

Cut up the big bottle so the bubbled bottom is one part, the straight cylinder in the middle is one part, and the rounded part at the top is one part. Split both the cylinder part and the rounded part at the top into equal parts. Rinse the bottle pieces well and wipe them dry.

Cut out the butterfly parts. The big cylinder shape is to become the top part of the butterfly wings and the rounded part from the bottle top will be the shape of the bottom part of the butterfly wings. Shape the wings by bending them in several places.

Paint the tin white and let it dry. Now, paint the butterfly wings pink or any other colour you like. Let them dry. Paint the bubble-shaped bottom part the bottle black. Take leftover parts of the butterfly wings with a nice bend and paint these black, and let them dry.

Using a marker, mark the white tin where the butterfly body will be and how the legs will look. Paint these parts black and let them dry.

Cut a small hole in the middle of the tin where the butterfly body is with a tool knife. As a tool knife, use an old knife that can be worn and that you do not use in the kitchen. Bring a piece of jute twine through the hole and tie a few knots so the tin can hang by the twine.

Now, split the bottom part of the bottle into parts with a bubble in each part. Two of them should be the same size as they will be the eyes of the butterfly. The rest will make up the body, so they can vary in size. Cut out feelers from the remaining parts of the black-painted bottle.

Now, glue eyes and feelers onto the head of the butterfly. Then, glue the wings together in sets and glue them onto the body. "It requires a bit of patience. You might have to hold each plastic part firmly on while the glue dries," Clara says. When the wings are attached, glue the rest of the body on. Make sure to keep the jute twine for hanging clear of glue.

Paint eyes on the two bubbles which make up the eyes of the butterfly.

Fill the bug hotel with bamboo pipes and possibly other little twigs and grass.

Hang the bug hotel in the garden. The best placement is a sunny location protected from direct wind and rain. It would also be good for the bug hotel to become moist, however, as moisture is important for the well-being of the bugs. Hang the bug hotel approx. 1.5 - 2 metres above ground so the entrance is clearly visible for the bugs. "If you want to make your garden extra inviting for bugs, you shouldn't clean up so much. Leave piles of leaves and twigs laying about for the bugs to hide in," Clara adds. "The perfect excuse to lean back with a cold glass of lemonade and a book on the terrace," Anna says with a smile.