In this fun and easy tutorial, we'll show you how to create an adorable Halloween garland with Moth & Myth paper bat specimens! This project takes under an hour to complete, is appropriate for all ages, and requires just a few supplies!
Follow along with the video and written steps below!
Supplies:
* Halloween Bat Multi-Pack
* Black 2mm Rope
* Black Acrylic Beads 2mm Hole
* Black Tassels
* Hole Punch or Exacto Knife
* Scissors
Start by making holes in the wings of the bats for the rope to go through. You can do this with either the hole-punch or Exacto knife. We recommend placing the hole on the vein on the paper bat wings - this doesn't need to be exact!
Next, we're going to cut three pieces of the rope. The first one will be 6' long - this one will be used as the main part of the garland. The other two will be 24" long - these will be the tassel ends.
We'll work with the shorter lengths first! We'll string 6 beads on each of the shorter lengths of rope. We lightly singed the ends of rope first, to make threading the beads a little easier.
Once we've threaded all the beads, we'll tie one tassel on each end of the shorter ropes with a simple knot.
Fold the shorter lengths of rope at the middle point and separate the beads (3 on each end).
Now that we've completed the shorter ropes, we'll move on to the 6' long one! We'll start by threading 3 beads on one end, and adding one tassel with a knot.
With one end complete, it's time to start threading the bats! We'll thread them from the opposite end of the rope. You can play around with how you would like your bats to be positioned, and remember that they can alternate between facing forwards and backwards if you'd like!
Once all the bats are strung on the garland, it's time to complete the other end of the long rope. Add three more beads and one tassel.
Next, we'll tie our shorter lengths of rope onto the long rope to complete the tassel ends. We like these to be at varying lengths to make the tassel ends more dynamic, so play around with how you like it and then tie the shorter ropes onto the longer one with a knot.
All that's left now is to style the bats to make them appear even more life-like! We'll gently curl their wings & ears around our fingers to give them a bit of shape and really bring them to life.
And that's all there is to it! The bat garland is a fun an easy piece of decor that's perfect for the Halloween season. You can pack it away and use it again in future years!
We can't wait to see how you'll decorate for Halloween with Moth & Myth paper specimens, and hope you've enjoyed this tutorial!
We are incredibly thrilled to share the first ever Moth and Myth pop-up installation at Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle! The vision for this dreamy space covered in swirling clouds of butterflies had been many years in the making, and we felt beyond lucky to have such a stunning venue to bring our whimsical dreams to life.
For this installation, we used the brand new Mint Morpho Butterfly Set, which features the same butterfly (Morpho catenarius) in various sizes, giving depth and volume to the flurry of butterflies. Once our team had styles the wings, we spent all week covering the gallery in a flock of thousands of butterflies, which fluttered up the walls and windows and across the high ceilings.
At the centerpiece, holding our large-scale bell jars, is the fanciful Moth and Myth 'ice-cream' cart, which we can't wait to take to events and conventions!
All you need to create a wall of butterflies at home is paper butterflies, and a bit of double-sided photo tape! To create this look, we gently shaped the butterfly wings by curling them around our fingers, adhered a bit of double-sided photo tape to the back (which features an alternate gold design!), and pressed them firmly to the gallery walls.
This installation will be up for the rest of December 2021, and runs in conjunction with two fantastic art shows. Roq La Rue gallery is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday 12-5pm
We were so delighted to meet everyone who was able to come to the opening reception - it's one of our greatest pleasures to meet the artists and creators who are inspired by the realistic vegan specimens we create! We hope to see you again at future Moth and Myth events!
To learn more about Roq La Rue Gallery, please visit roqlarue.com and to see more photos from the installation, visit instagram.com/roqlarue/
Making shadowboxes is a fun and easy craft project to do at home, and a wonderful way to create new art for your walls. Using our lifelike paper specimens makes it sustainable and vegan! While there’s many different styles of shadowboxes you can make (including one we've already shared!), today we’ll walk you through how to put together a Kaleidoscope Shadowbox with our paper Monarch and Viceroy butterflies.
Fun Fact: Did you know that a group of butterflies is called a Kaleidoscope?
To start, we got a Keepsake Box from a craft store. These boxes are great for displaying memorabilia and curiosities. The one we chose is 11”x14” with a 1.5” depth, and features a back wall covered in felt.
To adhere our butterflies to the box, we used one-sided velcro with sticky adhesive on the other side, which we cut into small pieces to fit the butterflies. This strategy worked well given the material of our shadowbox, but you can also use small pins to pin the butterflies, as you would with real specimens.
While working with hot-glue is a great way to make your shadowbox durable, we suggest finalizing your layout before using such a permanent option!
Starting with the center of your design is a great way to make sure the kaleidoscope spirals out evenly. We decided to work outwards from small to large, but the opposite looks great as well!
To make your butterflies appear more lifelike, bend them at the crease between wing and body, and gently curve their wings with your fingers.
Continue working outwards with your design. We made many adjustments along the way depending on what looked and felt right. There’s no right or wrong - just have fun and play with the placement!
Look at what you're doing from different angles to get a new perspective!
When you’re happy with your butterfly kaleidoscope, simply put your Shadowbox frame on the backing, and enjoy it!
We chose the Monarch and Viceroy butterflies for this project because they are available in three different sizes in our shop (Life-sized, Mini, and Micro), but you can create wonderful kaleidoscopes using just regular sized butterflies or minis as well!
If you would like to order any style of butterfly in bulk, as we used in this project, please email us at wholesale@moth-and-myth.com
Named for their cryptic underwing pattern, the Giant Owl Butterfly (Caligo memnon) is found throughout the Amazon rainforest all the way up to Mexico. These wing patterns include eyespots evocative of owl eyes, which are believed to be a form of mimicry to deter predators.
Featured in our limited ’Witching Hour’ Collection, the giant owl butterfly is perfect for the spooky Halloween season. While many butterflies are day-flying, the owl butterfly prefers to fly at dusk. Their Latin name “caligo” means darkness.
While all of our paper specimens are double-sided, the Giant Owl Butterfly is one of just a few that features a distinct reverse side, which is no less striking than the owl-like underwings.
Front and back of the Giant Owl Butterfly and White Witch Moth
Owl butterflies are very large, ranging from 3”–8”, and our papercut specimen is approximately 5” across. A tiny version of this giant insect can be found in our ‘Halloween’ Mini Collection!
How will you use the Giant Owl Butterfly in your art and decorating?
Its easy to make a Vegan Shadowbox with Moth and Myth paper moths! All you need are paper specimens, a pen and paper, glue dots, and a box.
Elegant wall-hangings by resin artist The Moon Indigo, featuring Moth and Myth paper moths and butterflies. Pressed flowers accentuate the colors of the cruelty-free specimens so nicely! For availability and more information, please visit their shop!
Images and objects by The Moon Indigo (IG @themoonindigo)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/moonindigojewelry
Featuring the work of jewelry artist Earth and Metal. Their beautiful hand-made jewelry features Moth and Myth paper moths, butterflies, minis, and holographic stickers. We love how delicately our specimens are suspended in these intricate creations! For more information and availability, please visit their shop!
Images & products by Earth and Metal (@earth_and_metal)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/earthandmetalshop
