How to Pin a Butterfly

Put your butterfly specimen in a paper envelope. If the insect is freshly deceased and still flexible, skip this step and go immediately to Step 4.

Relax the dead butterfly specimen by putting the insect in its envelope an airtight jar with damp paper towels and 1 tbsp. of either a relaxing fluid designed for the purpose or liquid Lysol.

Wait until the butterfly is thoroughly damp, flexible and no longer brittle, almost as if it were alive. This usually takes between 2 to 5 days. Start checking the specimen daily after 2 days and remove it with forceps or tweezers as soon as it is ready.

Force an insect pin through the body, being careful not to pin either of the wings. You can use a regular sewing pin for this step if you don̵7;t have an insect pin.

Stick the pin straight down into your mounting board.

Insert pins through the wings of the butterfly and use these pins to properly position the wings, then stick these pins into the mounting board to hold the butterfly in a lifelike position.

Place strips of paper gently across the tops of the butterfly̵7;s wings. This will help hold the wings in their proper shape as the butterfly dries.

Remove the pieces of paper and the pins in the wings when the butterfly is thoroughly dried, approximately one week. Use extreme care when removing the pins from the wings to avoid damage or tears.

Keep the butterfly out of direct sunlight in a container with mothballs.