Am I the only one who hears Will Ferrell’s Robert Goulet impression from SNL whenever someone says the word “nature”? Maybe that’s just me. Still, small discoveries with a toddler can turn into tiny, joyful projects — quick, free, and satisfying — so I wanted to share this little Friday moment with you. Like a lot of people, I’m a sucker for nature-inspired home décor: a framed sea fan, a collection of labeled vacation finds in jars, or anything that brings the outdoors inside. Those bits of nature make my heart skip a beat.
Clara and I were playing outside recently when we spotted a butterfly resting on the grass. She peered so closely she pointed out “the orange and blue part” as her favorite, and it felt like a small, perfect moment. Unfortunately, the butterfly wasn’t alive anymore. It was sad, but its colors were so beautiful I couldn’t leave it on the ground. I carefully scooped it up and brought it inside so we could enjoy its beauty for longer.
At first I considered a shadow box, but we already have a faux butterfly shadow box that we made from a flyer at an exhibit. Instead, I chose something simple and natural: I placed the butterfly on a piece of vacation coral and set it in the dining room. It looked right at home, like it had landed there to visit and stay awhile. Clara now checks on “her butterfly” frequently — she understands we can wave at it, but no petting allowed.
That got me thinking about preservation. Will the butterfly slowly fade, become brittle, or collect dust? How do people display real butterflies in shadow boxes and keep them looking lifelike for years? From what I know, museum and hobby displays often use careful drying, mounting techniques, and sometimes protective coatings or sealed cases to prevent dust and deterioration. Some people place specimens under glass domes or inside airtight frames to limit exposure to air and dust. Others use gentle desiccants during the drying process to help preserve structure and color. I’m leaning toward a simple protective option: either a glass dome to keep dust off while preserving the natural look, or a shallow frame with a cover that keeps it safe but visible. If anyone has practical, hands-on tips for preserving a butterfly without harming it or making it look unnatural, I’d love to hear them.
Keeping natural objects in the home can be a lovely way to celebrate a moment or memory. Whether you choose to let a find remain as-is on a piece of coral, place it in a frame, or protect it under a dome, the goal is the same: to honor the beauty of nature while making it part of your everyday space. For us, this little butterfly has become a quiet piece of dining room art and a tiny reminder of a day spent outside with my daughter.
It’s Friday, so what are your weekend plans? We’ve got a long-overdue dining room update on the schedule, plus some basement projects and a bathroom makeover we’ll be tackling soon for John’s grandma. We’ll share the progress next week and hopefully offer some practical tips and photos as we go. Wishing you a happy, restful weekend filled with small discoveries.
Psst — we announced this week’s giveaway winner; check the giveaway post on the blog to see if it’s you.