Dead, but darling.
Pretty Dead Things is the beginner-friendly guide to butterfly pinning and insect preservation. Real education, nothing held back, one specimen at a time. Everything here is free.
Not random tutorials. Not just pretty art. Pretty Dead Things is built to feel like walking into a free course — everything connects, everything teaches, designed for the person who's curious but doesn't know where to start.
Free education. Real instruction. Start from zero.
Most of what you find online about butterfly pinning is wrong, incomplete, or buried behind experience nobody should have to fight through. PDT fixes that.
Start the curriculum →The complete butterfly pinning and insect preservation curriculum for beginners. Ten lessons — from sourcing your first specimen all the way through displaying the finished piece.
New lessons drop regularly. Subscribe to the email list so you never miss one.
Get lesson updates free →Learn where to source butterflies, moths, and beetles ethically — trusted farms, what to avoid, and how to verify a seller is legit. Subscribe for the full lesson →
Proper storage keeps your specimens pinnable for years. Wrong storage ruins them in weeks. Here's exactly how to do it right. Subscribe for the full lesson →
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You don't need to be an expert. You just need to start. Here's the sequence.
Find PDT through a question you already had — butterfly myths, common mistakes, or a bug you found outside. That's where most people start.
Work through the Beginner Series in order. Each lesson builds on the last. No jumping ahead — the sequence matters.
Pin your first specimen. Break a wing. Fix it. Ask questions in the comments. This is where the skill actually develops.
Display your finished piece. You've preserved something whose journey deserved to be witnessed. That's the whole point.
Where to find good specimens as a beginner. Trusted suppliers, what to look for, red flags, and how to build a collection the right way. Free — because it should be.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Real questions, real answers — no jargon, no runaround.
Wine. Specimens. A real craft taught by hand. Every session you pin a different butterfly, moth, or beetle — and leave with a finished shadow box you made yourself.
"I preserve things whose journey deserved to be witnessed."
I started Pretty Dead Things because preservation is one of the most beautiful things I know how to do — and most of the information online is wrong, incomplete, or buried in forums and hobby spaces that weren’t built with beginners in mind.
This is the resource I wish existed when I started. Everything free. Everything honest. Built in Orange County, one specimen at a time.
I'm also building hands-on preservation workshops in Orange County. You'll get to watch that come together here.
Follow on Instagram →The curriculum is the foundation. These are the sections being built around it — a full ecosystem for everyone who finds the strange things the prettiest.
Broken antennae. Crooked specimens. Wing repairs. Mistakes are part of the process — here's how to fix them.
Coming soonCommunity Q&A. Real beginner questions answered the way they should be.
Coming soonEverything you need to pin your first specimen, curated so you don't have to guess what to buy.
Coming soonPin-alongs, follower submissions, and a space for people who find the strange things the prettiest.
Coming soonBreeding, life cycles, sourcing from the source. The farm is being built — watch it happen here.
Coming soonHands-on butterfly pinning in Orange County. Build your first dome. Learn in person.
Coming soonPin your first butterfly or moth, post it, and tag @prettydeadthings_studio. No experience required. No perfect spread required. Just your first one — exactly as it came out.
Follow the free curriculum. Grab a Blue Morpho or any beginner species. Pin it. Doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be yours.
Photo or video. Show the spread, the board, the whole setup. The messy ones are the best ones.
Tag @prettydeadthings_studio on Instagram or @prettydeadthingsstudio on TikTok. We feature every single one.
Real beginners. Real first spreads. Tagged @prettydeadthings_studio — and featured here.
Tag your first pin → get featured here.
@prettydeadthings_studio →New lessons, studio updates, and resources — delivered to your inbox. No selling. No spam. Just preservation.
Free forever. Unsubscribe any time.
The website is the curriculum. Social is where it happens in real time — specimens, pinning sessions, mistakes, fixes, and class announcements. Follow both so you don’t miss a drop.
Pinning tutorials, specimen reveals, shadow box builds, and behind the scenes. Where most people find PDT first.
Follow on Instagram →Short-form pinning education, satisfying reveals, and “things I wish I knew” content that makes people stop scrolling.
Follow on TikTok →Wine. Specimens. Shadow box keepsake. In-person butterfly pinning classes in OC — join the waitlist before tickets drop.
Join the Waitlist →
