Grab Clothespins To Make Rustic Dragonfly Decor For Indoors Or Outside

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Did you know that dragonflies can fly up to 35 miles per hour? One early dragonfly relative, Meganeuropsis permiana, which lived during the Paleozoic era, had a two-foot wingspan! Today, there are over 3,000 species of dragonfly worldwide, with 327 of these species residing in North America. Who wouldn't be fascinated by these speedy, gem-like insects? It's not surprising that they've inspired many DIYs, like turning an old kitchen whisk into the cutest backyard dragonfly decor. There's one such project you can easily complete to add a little flair to your dining room, kitchen, bedroom, or outdoor living space. Simply stick deconstructed wooden clothespins together with wood glue to form the body and wings of a beautiful dragonfly.

You'll need about 28 wooden clothespins for this project. You can pick these up from a local craft store or online. These Mr. Pen Large Wooden Clothespins come in a pack of 50, so you'll have a few extra for all the other amazing ways you should be using clothespins in your home and garden. You'll also need some wood glue — Titebond Ultimate Wood Glue could be a good option — or hot glue. If you're putting your dragonfly outside, use wood glue instead of hot glue. Next, grab some wax paper, a popsicle stick, and some wooden beads. You'll need four ⅝-inch beads and one 1-inch bead. Finally, get some brown paint and a sponge brush to paint your dragonfly. Let's get flying on this DIY decor project!

To get started, take apart the clothespins by removing the metal clip in the center. Then lay down some wax paper to prevent your creation from sticking to the table. You'll make the body of the dragonfly first. Take two clothespin halves and glue them back to back. Use the popsicle stick to scoop up the wood glue — it's less messy. Then glue the 1-inch bead to the top of the glued clothespins and one ⅝-inch bead to the bottom. Take two more clothespin halves, glue them back to back, and then glue them to the bottom of the ⅝-inch bead. Finally, take the three remaining ⅝-inch beads and glue them to the bottom of the dragonfly's body in a row. Allow everything to dry before moving on to crafting your dragonfly's intricate wings. Wood glue can take 30 to 60 minutes to dry to the touch, but it can sometimes take up to 24 hours to dry completely.

Lay out each of the wings on your worktable before you start gluing the clothespins together. Starting from the top of each wing, you'll have two clothespin halves, flat side facing down, then two halves glued back to back. After that, you'll have a half with the flat side facing up, followed by another two halves glued back to back. Finally, you'll have two more halves with the flat sides facing up. If you haven't already, glue the back-to-back halves together first, and then you can start gluing all of the pieces of each wing together. Again, starting at the top, glue the tapered ends of the clothespins together so the pieces fan out naturally. Attach the wings to the body with a liberal amount of wood glue.

After you've built your wooden clothespin dragonfly, it's time to paint it. You could paint it rustic brown using a sponge brush, like YouTuber Patti J. Good did in her tutorial. But you can also use this as an opportunity to get creative. Arguably, the easiest way to make this dragonfly your own is to paint it a fun color. What about blue or green instead of brown? You could use some nail powder, like Artdone Chrome Gold Mirror Nail Powder, to add some shimmer.

If you are planning to mount this dragonfly outdoors, it's a good idea to use some kind of sealant to protect it from the elements. This Mod Podge Outdoor Waterbase Sealer could be a great solution. Or you could opt for a wood stain instead of paint — something like this Ready Seal Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer is a good all-in-one option. It comes in eight hues, and Mahogany or Redwood would be nice for a dragonfly.

Once this new piece of insect-themed art is decorated, glue on a stake and stick it into a garden bed. It would also look right at home next to some cute DIY ladybug decor for your planters. Alternatively, attach it to your fence using floral wire or Command Outdoor Strips. If you prefer to keep your dragonfly inside, it would look lovely mounted to a wall or propped up on a bookshelf for a little added character. Make more than one dragonfly to place throughout your home and show off your crafty skills.