How to Make Butterflies & Roses in April
- 1). Cut the top and bottom from a soda can with a utility knife. Slit the resulting metal tube up one side and flatten it out.
- 2). Draw a butterfly outline on the flat piece of aluminum metal. Cut it out with scissors; work carefully. Cut aluminum edges are very sharp.
- 3). Paint both sides of the metal butterfly with metal primer, letting each side dry for two hours. Paint the butterfly on both sides with the acrylic paint design of your choice. You may study real butterflies for patterns or create your own. Allow the paint to dry overnight.
- 4). Coat your butterfly with clear waterproof glaze or varnish. Allow the varnish to dry overnight. This ensures that your butterfly will not lose its paint job or start to fade from the April rains.
- 5). Hot glue one ceramic magnet to the underside of each wing. Position the magnets on the larger section of each wing, near the top.
- 6). Paint a dowel rod a solid color that complements your butterfly. Drive the dowel into the ground. Place the butterfly on top, centering it so it balances on its own.
- 1). Cut a 10-inch length of nylon ribbon. Roll one end of the ribbon in on itself in a very small, tight cone shape. Glue it fast with fabric glue.
- 2). Gently tug on the wire along the bottom edge of the ribbon, pushing the ribbon up so it gathers into ruffles. Roll the resulting ruffles into a blossom, following the shape of your original glued cone.
- 3). Glue each section of the rose down as you roll, adding a long piece of floral wire to the flower after the third or fourth turn. Allow the rose to dry overnight.
- 4). Spray the nylon rose with fabric waterproofing spray. Spray the inside of the rose particularly well, letting the spray drip into the center of the rose. Allow the rose to dry for 24 hours.
- 5). Push the bottom of the rose's wire stem into the soil. The waterproofing spray will protect it from the rain, though you may want to empty the bloom of water after long storms.