DIY Make your own butterfly net

Summer is here! This is the time of year I love to be outside all day long. Cycling, walking, or just sitting down and watching all the life around me. Sometimes I take my flora (a book about wild plants) with me and try to figure out all the names of the wild plants I find. And other times I take my butterfly net with me to catch some insects and try to figure out their names. I mainly catch dragonflies (Odonata), which are pretty easy to bring to name.
For quite some years now I have a 'professional' butterfly net, which can be folded. But before that, I used to make my own. Today I will share my 'recipy' for making butterfly nets.


You will need:
- an old badminton racket
- tule or even better, lace curtains (simple ones, with tiny (<1mm), but not to tiny holes)
- scissors
- needle and thread

Take the cords out of your racket.
Cut out a piece of the tule or curtain, that is al little wider than the circumference of the racket and about as long as your arm.
Fold the fabric in half.
sew along the bottom and side of the fabric, leaving about 2,5 cm of the side from the top and the top open (this is one of the sides you made a little wider than the circumference of the racket). I prefer to sew rounded edges on the bottom of the net, but straight workes also fine.
Cut of the excess of fabric.
Fold the top of the net around your racket and sew it. You can make a nice tunnel to go around the racket or simply fold the fabric round the racket and use the holes that are left after you took the cords out to sew through.
Your butterfly is ready to use.

Please be carefull with the insects you catch. Make sure you don't harm them and they don't hurt you.