How to Make a Mason Jar Bug Catcher (2026 Guide)

Saving money on make mason jar bug does not need to be complicated. Here is a clear, no nonsense rundown of what works and how to make the most of it.

Key Takeaways

• My daughter has decided that bugs are highly, highly cool.
• So cool in fact that she hopes to become an entomologist when she grows up!
• For awhile now, she’s been begging to craft a bug catcher so she can trap and observe this special little creatures.
• I figured that surely we could assemble something ourselves without a spendy trip to the craft store.

Getting the Most From Make Mason Jar Bug

Worth noting: i came up with a highly straightforward, but fun solution that I wanted to share with you right now applying mason jars. In fact, I bet you have most of these items lying near your house at the moment!

• Honestly, the only aspects we did not have on hand we picked up from the Dollar Tree!
• For this project, you can apply mason jars of any size.
• More importantly, i actually used a variety of sizes I had on hand for interest. (I figured smaller bugs may prefer smaller jars and larger bugs, larger ones.) The best part is you can reuse the jars later if you’d like after a thorough washing. (So to my canners out there: don’t freak out.

Tips That Make a Difference

No mason jars will be harmed in right now’s post!) The one aspect you may require to acquire is a sieve or splatter screen, like the ones pictured above. I purchased these at the Dollar Tree, so genuinely super affordable.

• If you have an old screen or splatter screen, that’d work fine too.
• Remember that the other aspect we picked up from the Dollar Tree were some decorations!
• We found ribbon, stickers, and even some dragonflies (from the floral décor section of our store).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

You could genuinely go crazy and fun here - and of course, scour your own craft supplies at home, too. As far as fancy tools go for right now’s craft?

• As a rule, nothing too fancy there, either.
• Just a hot glue gun and some scissors.
• I found that the screen was surprisingly straightforward to cut through and regular old scissors did the trick just fine.

Is Make Mason Jar Bug Worth It?

I started by removing the screen from the sieve. In short, this was fairly straightforward to do on the one I picked up at the Dollar Tree, but you may require to cut yours.

• Next, I used the band from one of my mason jars to determine how large to cut the screen.
• As you can see, I’m trying to maximize the screen to make more than one bug catcher, so I started towards the edge of the screen.
• Trace near the outside of the band to ensure the screen will be large enough.

Where the Real Savings Hide

Worth noting: then, cut it out. I should say that even though the screen was straightforward to cut through, it made for some sharp edges and I had little bits of it flying near.

• Nothing horrible, but probably an activity best left to the adults. (You can leave the bug catching to the kids!) Applying the hot glue gun, go near the inside of the band, and then attach your screen.
• Please note that the hot glue WILL come up through those holes, so you may wish to apply the edge of a pen or other similar tool to press down the screen onto the band as shown above.
• More importantly, otherwise, you will have hot, gluey fingers.

A Closer Look at Make Mason Jar Bug

Here’s my completed bug lid! The holes will allow the bugs to get fresh air, but they are small enough to ensure the critter does not make a swift escape!

• I was able to make four bug catchers with that single colander from the dollar store!
• Remember that how awesome is that?
• It probably took me about 10 minutes from begin to finish to complete this.

What to Know About Make Mason Jar Bug

While this post is all about making a bug catcher, I wondered if my fun new mason jar lids wouldn’t serve other purposes too…perhaps an awesome method to store and dry flowers and herbs or store potpourri? That may be another post for another day!

• As a rule, next, my daughter decorated the outsides of the jars with some of the stickers and embellishments she found at the dollar store. (These are entirely optional!).
• After that, we made a quick nature trip out to search for items to go into the jars.
• We found some lichen, sticks, and sticks.

How Make Mason Jar Bug Really Works

My daughter had managed to find a tiny spider as soon as her jars were done! In short, she fast added it to one of the smallest jars (since it was, in fact, a small spider).

• She spent some time journaling about the spider in a notebook she made.
• Then carefully, she released him. (The bug jar will be ready for the next friends to carefully observe!) This was a fun craft to work on with my daughter and I imagine we’ll have more fun this spring and summer applying her jars when the weather is warmer and there are more bugs ready to find!
• I hope you’ll have some fun making bug catchers with your kids, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I save money on make mason jar bug?

Compare prices across a few retailers, look for active coupon codes, and time bigger buys around sales events. In fact, I bet you have most of these items lying near your house at the moment!.

Is it worth shopping around for make mason jar bug?

Usually yes. Honestly, the only aspects we did not have on hand we picked up from the Dollar Tree!.

Smart Ways to Save More on Make Mason Jar Bug

• Check for student, military, or first order offers you may qualify for.
• Time non urgent purchases around major sale events for the deepest cuts.
• Leave items in your cart for a day; some stores send a follow up discount.
• Pair cashback with a coupon so you save twice on the same order.
• Stack a coupon code with an existing sale whenever the store allows it.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line on make mason jar bug: a little research goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is a click away.

Originally published at thecouponproject.com.