Insect cups for bees & insects

Would you like to do something good for your garden and realize a creative DIY-Project at the same time? With these step-by-step instructions, you can easily create soft clay insect chalices that attract bees and other beneficial insects. The handmade chalices are not only an eye-catcher in the garden, but also provide a welcome landing place for insects. They are sturdy, weatherproof and a great way to give back to the nature . Read on to find out how to make these pretty flower calyxes yourself.

Insect cups for bees and insects: Creative handicraft instructions

Preparations

Before you start your project, protect your workspace with a wipe-clean surface. This will make it easier for you to clean up afterwards and keep your workspace tidy.

Cut out the template

Print out our free template and cut it out carefully. This template is the basis for your insect goblets and will help you to achieve the desired shape

Prepare the soft clay

Cut a piece of soft clay and knead it until it is soft and malleable. When the clay is pliable, you can roll it out with the modeling roller to a thickness of about 5 mm.

Cut out the shape

Place the cut-out template on the rolled-out clay. Take a modeling tool or a knife and cut along the template. Make sure you work precisely to get the shape of the flower right.

Shape the calyx and leave to dry

Carefully detach the cut-out flower shape from the base. To achieve a natural shape, place the flowers on a polystyrene-egg. Model the blossom petals slightly outwards to achieve a realistic effect. Shorten a round stick and insert its small ends into the flower as placeholders for the longer round sticks later on. Leave the flower to dry for about 6 hours.

Refining the flowers

Carefully remove the flower from the polystyrene-egg. Moisten your hands lightly with water and smooth the edges of the blossom petals by gently stroking. This will give you smooth edges

Shape and attach the balls

Shape small balls from the clay and place them in the center of the flower as a decorative element. Moisten the area lightly, place the balls on top and press them down gently.

Allow the flowers to dry completely

Allow the flowers to dry completely for several days to ensure a long shelf life.

Seal the flowers

Coat the dried flowers with clay sealant. This coating seals the pores of the clay and makes the flowers weatherproof.

Paint the flowers

Use the craft paints to paint your flowers as desired VBS Craft paints to paint your flowers however you like. You can let your creativity run wild here.

Attach the wooden round sticks

Once the paint has dried, attach the longer wooden round sticks to the prepared holes in the flowers using a little handicraft glue . Allow the glue to dry well.

Apply protective varnish

Finally, you can coat the flowers and wooden round sticks with Decopatch outdoor paint to make them weatherproof and UV-resistant.

With these insect cups, you can bring life to your garden and support biodiversity at the same time. Why not get started right away and order the materials from our online store? Your DIY-Calyxes are waiting for you to bring them to life!