In-person pinning experiences. Beginner kits. A free curriculum. Pick your entry point — everything leads to the same place.
A small-group butterfly pinning experience in Orange County. You'll spend an evening learning to pin a real butterfly, moth, or beetle by hand — and walk out with a finished, framed piece that's entirely yours.
Beer, wine, and soft drinks are included. Snacks are on the table. Every specimen is sustainably farmed and changes session to session. Rae teaches every class herself. No experience required.
Every session is different. See what you'll be pinning.
Relaxing, positioning, pinning, setting. Step by step.
Guided the whole way. You do the actual work. That's the point.
Finished, framed, yours. The shadow box leaves with you that night.
No public ticket sales until the waitlist is filled. Groups are small on purpose — once a session sells out, it's gone. Leave your name and we'll reach out directly when dates drop.
No spam. You'll hear from us when dates are set — nothing else.
The biggest mistake beginners make is buying the wrong supplies — the wrong pin size, a spreading board that's too small, forceps that damage the specimen. The PDT Beginner Kit is curated so you start right the first time.
Free shipping. Sustainably sourced specimen options sold separately. Kit ships with a QR code to the full beginner curriculum so you have instruction from day one.
◈ Notify me when it dropsKit waitlist only. No lesson emails unless you want them — separate list.
The free Starter Sourcing Guide covers everything a beginner needs to know before they buy anything. Trusted suppliers, what "A1 quality" actually means, red flags in listings, and how to build a collection the right way — sustainably sourced, every time.
A curated list of ethical farms and sellers. Not random Amazon links.
A1, A2, spread vs. papered. What it means and what to pay for each.
Listings that look good and deliver garbage. How to spot them before you buy.
Free forever. No strings. Also gets you lesson drop notifications.
The website is the curriculum. Instagram and TikTok are where the process happens in real time — specimens, pinning sessions, mistakes, fixes, and everything in between.
Pinning process reels, specimen reveals, finished shadow boxes, and the behind-the-scenes of building this from scratch. Where most people find PDT first.
Short-form pinning education, satisfying reveals, "things I wish I knew before I started" — the content that makes people stop scrolling and start pinning.
New class dates and kit drops go to the email list and social at the same time. Follow both so you don’t miss anything.
Classes are pop-up experiences in Orange County, CA — in and around Huntington Beach. Exact location is announced to waitlist members when tickets drop. Join the waitlist above to be first to know.
Pricing is announced to the waitlist when tickets drop — get on the list to be first to know. What’s included: your specimen, all pinning supplies, beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, and Rae’s instruction from start to finish.
Zero. These classes are designed for complete beginners. You'll be walked through every step — rehydrating the specimen, placing the body pin, positioning the wings, arranging the shadow box. If you've never touched a specimen in your life, that's exactly who this is for.
Pretty Dead Things is the only dedicated butterfly pinning pop-up experience in Orange County, CA. Most California classes are one-off museum events (South Coast Botanic Garden, Museum of Natural History) without drinks, a social atmosphere, or a shadow box keepsake. PDT is the only experience in the state that includes all three.
The PDT Beginner Kit includes insect pins (sizes 1, 2 & 3), an adjustable spreading board, stainless forceps, relaxing chamber supplies, glassine paper for pinning, a beginner specimen to pin, and a quick-reference instruction card. Everything a beginner needs — nothing they don't. Kit drops are announced by email — join the waitlist above.
Yes. Free, no strings attached. It covers where to buy butterflies and moths as a beginner, how to evaluate quality grades (A1, A2, spread vs. papered), red flags in listings, and which suppliers are actually ethical. Enter your email above and it lands in your inbox immediately.
Yes. The full beginner pinning curriculum at prettydeadthingsstudio.com is free — 10 lessons in order, from sourcing your first specimen to displaying the finished piece. No course fees. No paywalls. New lessons added regularly. Instagram and TikTok at @prettydeadthings_studio and @prettydeadthingsstudio also have real-time process content.
Yes — groups of 2–5 are ideal. Note your party size on the waitlist and we'll do our best to book you together. Private group events may be available for larger parties — include a note when you join the waitlist.
