This post is sponsored by Plaid Enterprises.
![](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done4_.690.jpg)
Whether you call them lightning bugs, fireflies, or glow bugs, we can’t help but smile when we spot one flying around on a summer’s night. Have you and your family spotted any fireflies yet this summer? We haven’t caught any in jars, but these DIY painted pasta ones are the next best thing.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done6_.690.jpg)
And we haven’t even mentioned the best part yet – thanks to Folk Art’s glowing acrylic paint, these fireflies’ abdomens will light up just like the real things! Make a whole bunch of these cuties like we did, charge them up under a lamp, and kids will have a blast making them fly around your backyard just after sunset. Who knows, maybe you’ll even attract some real fireflies! Keep reading to see the full instructions below.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done5_.690.jpg)
what you need:
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step8_.690.jpg)
- Folk Art Acrylic Paint
- Folk Art Glow Acrylic Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Googley eyes
- Hot glue guns
- Wooden skewers
- Pasta noodles (farfalloni, large shells, and lumache rigate)
how-to:
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step1_.690.jpg)
Step 1
Paint the farfalloni pasta in whatever shades you like! Let dry.
Note: traditional farfalle (bowtie) pasta also works here, but the jumbo size of these ones works perfectly as the firefly wings.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step2_.690.jpg)
Step 2
Time to paint the fireflies’ heads! Same as before, apply a coat of paint to each lumache rigate shell and let dry. If you can’t find these exact noodles at your supermarket, smaller shells, orrichiette, or similar would be a good alternative.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step3_.690.jpg)
Step 3
Now the most important part – the firefly’s glowing abdomen! Apply a coat of white paint onto the large shells and let dry completely. Then apply a few coats of glow-in-the-dark acrylic paint onto each, allowing to dry between coats. The more coats you apply, the more it will glow!
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step4_.690.jpg)
Step 4
Hot glue two mini googley eyes onto each face.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step5_.690.jpg)
Step 5
Hot glue the head to the wings as shown.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step6_.690.jpg)
Step 6
And then glue the head and wings onto the end of a wooden dowel. Finally, hot glue the glowing abdomen onto the wooden dowel as well.
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.step7_.690.jpg)
Step 7
Repeat until you have a whole bunch!
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done1_.690.jpg)
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.giffy690.gif)
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done7_.690.jpg)
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done2_.690.jpg)
Aren’t they the cutest little fireflies you’ve ever seen?
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done9_.690.jpg)
![Glow-in-the-Dark Fireflies](https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/pastafirefly.done3_.690.jpg)
Happy crafting!