DIY Butterfly Release ~ Building An Instant Butterfly Release Container

• DIY Butterfly Release Home
• Before You Start
• Supplies
• Timeline
• Building An Instant Butterfly Release Container
• Catching Butterflies
• Placing Your Butterflies In Your Release Container
• Butterfly Release Day

Before we talk about how to build an instant butterfly release container, lets talk about if you even want to have one. When it's time to release your butterflies you have two main ways to do it. The first way is called a "Mass Butterfly Release". A mass butterfly release is when you have the butterflies in a release container, and have the bride and groom release them. The second way is called an "Individual Butterfly Release". This is when each butterfly is released by a different person. Both methods work well and are great ways to do a butterfly release.

Mass Butterfly Release

Focused on the bride and groom.

Individual Butterfly Release

Focused on the wedding.

We recommend a mass butterfly release for weddings, and an individual butterfly release for other types of butterfly releases (memorial, educational, etc). This choice is all about personal preference, so choose the one that you would prefer.

If you decide have an individual butterfly release, we recommend releasing the butterflies directly from the glassine envelopes. You can make other small containers for the butterflies to be released from, but make sure that anything you use fits tightly against the butterfly so that they can not move their wings. If the butterflies are able to move their wings they can damage them.

Why do you call it an "Instant Butterfly Release Container"?

We call this type of butterfly release container "instant" because when you pull the box open the trailing tissue paper will unfold tossing the butterflies into the air. Before we started using this release method we would have the butterflies in a box and when the lid was removed they would fly away. The problem with that type of butterfly release container is that some of the butterflies would almost always remain in the box. When you use the instant release method you can release all the butterflies at the same time, instead of when they decide to fly away.

Before We Start ~ General Things To Know

If you are going to be painting your butterfly release container, make sure you paint it at least 2 weeks before placing butterflies in it. Fresh paint may harm your butterflies.

Some types of glue may harm your butterflies. Hot Glue is safe, but if you are using any other kind of glue we recommend waiting 2 weeks before placing butterflies in the container just to be safe.

Each butterfly release container can hold a maximum of 4 butterflies per fold (see placing butterflies the release container for more information). Make sure you have enough release boxes for the number of butterflies you plan on releasing.

Before you make your butterfly release container take the time to decorate it. Please remember that if you are going to use any glue other than Hot Glue, or any paint we recommend waiting two weeks before placing butterflies in the release container.

Step One

Stack 4 sheets of tissue paper with the edges lined up. Then place the butterfly release container against the top left edge of the paper, and mark a line against the edge of the release box. Then do the same with the bottom left edge.

Step Two

Using a ruler or other straight edge connect the two lines.

Step Three

Use a knife or a pair of scissors cut along the line marked.

Step Four

Check and make sure the tissue paper fits snuggly against the edge of the release container. It is very important that the tissue paper fit tightly against the edge of the container. If you leave a gap the butterflies may slide into the crack. It's ok if the tissue is slightly folded along the edge.

Step Five

Glue the edges of your cut tissue paper end to end to form a ribbon about 2 to 3 foot long. To do this you first run a line of hot glue down the edge of one piece of the tissue paper.

Then place the second piece of tissue paper on top of the first with about 1 inch of overlap. Then run you finger down the paper pressing the two pieces together.

Step Six

Fill the container to about a 1/2 inch from the top with loosely packed tissue paper.

Step Seven

Place the tissue paper in the box, filling edge to edge. You should not have gaps along the edges.

Step Eight

Fold the tissue paper back from the edge, creating layers of tissue paper. Continue creating layer after layer till only have about 4 inches of tissue paper left.

Step Nine

Using your Hot Glue attach the edge of the tissue paper to the top of the box.

Step Ten

Put the top on the instant butterfly release container.

Test Your Instant Butterfly Release Container

Make sure everything is working by doing a practice run. Hold the bottom of the box in one hand, and the top of the box in your other hand. Then pull the top away from the bottom unfolding the tissue paper ribbon. Fold the tissue paper back into the box and your release container is ready for decorations. We will cover how to place butterflies in your butterfly release container later.