How To Build a Butterfly House for Your Yard

Introduction

Invite beautiful butterflies to your backyard with this very simple butterfly house project.

Make Your Own DIY Butterfly House

Butterflies like the protection of dark, sheltered areas—whether it’s for months at a time (during long, cold winters), or for just a few moments (when dodging hungry predators). Here’s a simple refuge you can build for them in your garden. This butterfly house will serve as a charming centerpiece for your favorite flowers.

Use smooth or rough-sawn cedar; it’s rot-resistant and weathers to a mellow gray. For durability, assemble the house using moisture-proof glue and galvanized nails. Make sure to hinge and latch one side so you can insert and maintain the long twigs and tree bark the butterflies roost on (Figure A butterfly house plans, in project information below).

To attract butterflies, locate the house in an area with lots of flowering plants, and mount it 2 to 3-ft. off the ground.

Project Information

Figure A: DIY Butterfly House Plans

Family Handyman

Cutting List:

Key | Pcs. |  Size & description

A     |   2    |    3/4’’ x 5’’ x 24’’ cedar (front and back)

B     |   2    |    3/4’’ x 5’’ x 6-1/4’’ cedar (roof boards)

C     |   2    |    3/4’’ x 3-3/4’’ x 22-1/4’’ cedar (side and door)

D     |   1    |    3/4’’ x 3-3/4’’ x 3-1/2’’ cedar (bottom)

E     |   2    |    3/4’’ x 1-1/4’’ x 3-1/2’’ cedar (support pipe stop)

F     |   2    |    1/2’’ x 3/4’’ x 3-1/2’’ cedar (false front roof)

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