Recycle and upcycled your supplies with this Plastic Easter Egg Lightning Bugs Craft. Using a flameless tea light, create a DIY firefly that really lights up. This Summer craft idea for kids is perfect for small hands and makes a cute handmade night light for their bedside.

Plastic Easter Egg Lightning Bugs Craft

Anyone else STILL picking up plastic Easter Eggs off the floor. If I do not get the kids March Easter basket put away within the first 24 hours, these little suckers end up all over the house.

This year, we twisted it up. We actually kept our plastic eggs. By kept I mean “not put away” (insert finger quotation marks) in the Easter boxes. One child sprinkled a few mismatched in the toddlers room. Another child tossed a few in the toy box. Someone one hid some behind the bathroom toilet. The sprinkling, the tossing, the hiding was not agreed upon by me. Once my little monsters managed to fill the house with broken Easter Eggs, I reached my breaking point… in May.

Plastic Easter Egg Crafts

We moved this year and there have been new excitements watching this house go through different seasons. Bulbs have sprung out of the ground, the creek has risen and lowered, but one very exciting event has been the lightning bugs that have emerged in the evenings.

My husband’s and my bedroom is on the third floor. We are high up into the trees with green leaves in the tree tops right outside our window. The other night falling asleep my husband asked if I “saw that?” Don’t you love when someone says “that” over did you “see those lighting bugs in the tree?” I looked out the window and sure enough, the lighting buts were dancing outside our window. So beautiful and magical. I wanted to wake the kids, but as an outnumbered mother of five, I knew better.

I had been researching Plastic Easter Egg Crafts and decided I had a solution for our family. Upcycled Easter Egg Fireflies.

Why Do a Lighting Bugs Light Up?

Before we began our project, we addressed a few questions about lightning bugs like why does a lightning bug light up?

Fireflies, sometimes called lightning bugs, are a unique insect. They light up and this is seen clearly in the evening sky. did you know, according to National Geographic, this was a mystery for 60 years. In 2015, scientist discovered that the light of a lightning bug is from a chemical reaction caused by an organic compound in their abdomen.

This compound is luciferin. When air transfers to the inside of a lightning bugs’ belly, it reactions with the lucierfin causing a chemical reaction that gives up a fiery glow. The firefly can control the amount of airflow to their abdomen creating a pulsating pattern or flicker of light.

You can extend your lesson on insects with our Bug Booklet Insect Journal.

Lightning Bugs Crafts Materials

Multiply these crafts as needed. The supplies below create two fireflies Easter Eggs.

Supplies:

• 2 Plastic Eggs
• 3 Chenille Stemes (pipe cleaners)
• 4 Wiggly Eyes
• Duct Tape
• Black Permanent Marker
• Battery Operated Tea Light
• Hot Glue Gun and Clear Glue Sticks
• Scissors

Savings tip: Upcycle old plastic Eater Eggs or look for Easter Eggs on clearance at craft stores. Michael’s Craft Stores offers shipping, same day delivery or curbside pick-up.

How to Make a Firefly

It is very easy and safe for small hands to help you make a firefly Easter Egg. Careful with the hot glue gun as that should be parent lead and can burn your skin. This summer craft for kids idea will be something they can keep beside their bed.

Instructions:

First, gather your supplies. Plugin your hot glue gun to warm.

You will begin by opening your plastic egg. Each side will be slightly different. One more rounded, one with a more pronounced point.

Take your rounded Easter egg halves and use a permanent marker to make a mouth. We made a small smile on one and a half smile on the other.

After you create your smiles, cutting two of your pipe cleaners into thirds for a total of six pieces.

Twist three pipe cleaners thirds together and bend to shape the legs. Repeat for the second set of legs. Put aside.

Once your glue gun is warm, hot glue 2 wiggly eyes onto each rounded egg face. Let dry.

While your eyes are drying, cut your antennas. Take your last pipe cleaner and cut it in half. These will serve as your two sets of antenna.

Take one set and fold it in half to form a V Shape. Curl your ends slightly to shape. Repeat for the second set. Set aside.

Take your pointy Easter egg half and insert your tea lights into both eggs. Turn on your tea lights.

Add the antenna in the egg and then and tightly close the plastic eggs halves together.

Glue on your pipe cleaner legs and let dry.

Take a 2 inch piece of Duct tape and fold it in leaving 1/4 inch uncovered so you can stick it to the edge of your bug.

Use scissors and round your folded Duct tape into wings. Repeat for the second bug.

Finally, stick on your duct tape wings.

To watch your firefly glow, simply crack open your egg and turn on your LED tealight. But make sure to seal it back up tightly! You can turn it on and off as needed.

We placed ours by our kids nightstand. A cute little nightlight but have backup lights because they can burn quickly if you get a cheaper set.

We hope you enjoy making these as much as we did.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Lightning Bug & Firefly craft.  Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Take all those old Plastic Easter Eggs and Upcycle into Crafts. Pin to Pinterest.

Love Bugs? Take look at this Insect Journal and Booklet for Kids. Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Last Updated on May 23, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living