How to Make a Ping Pong Ball Firefly
This ping pong ball firefly craft is SO CUTE! Have fun making these glowing lightning bugs using a ping pong ball and a flameless tealight. Choose your favorite color for the wings and antennae, and follow our step-by-step tutorial to make your own.
Yield: 1 firefly
Cost: $1
Materials
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials
Step 2: Make the wings
- Print our firefly wing pattern and cut out the template.You can find the link in the materials list above, with more information found below the tutorial.
- Then trace the template onto cardstock and cut out the wings.
- To make the wings look more 3D you'll want to create a flat part at the center of the wings.To do this, place a ruler just off center and then bend the wing over the ruler. Repeat with the other wing.
Step 3: Make the firefly body
- Have an adult use a craft knife to cut a hole in one side of the ping pong ball. It should be larger enough for the tealight "flame" to fit in.Ping pong balls have 2 sides that are softer, so cut on one of these sides to make it easier for you.
- Add a line of hot glue around the opening on the ping pong ball.
- Insert the flameless tealight into the ping pong ball. Press the ping pong ball down and hold in place for a few seconds so it sits nice and straight.
Step 4: Add the details
- Add a line of hot glue to the center of the wings.Place them onto the ping pong ball, placing them high up on the back.
- To make an antenna roll a pipe cleaner in on itself a few times. Then cut the pipe cleaner a little bit longer than you want the antenna to be.
- Fold the bottom 1/8 inch of the antenna back. This is what you'll glue to the ping pong ball.
- 10 - Repeat to make a second antenna. Fold the bottom piece the opposite way so the rounded parts face out on both antennae.
- Add 2 tiny dots of glue to the top of the ping pong ball, near the front. Attach the antenna pieces.Once the glue is dry and the pipe cleaners won't slide around, you can gently curve the antennae until you're happy with the look.
- Attach 2 googly eyes to the front of the ping pong ball. Our eyes were self-adhesive, but you can also use the glue gun to attach them.
- Then use a black Sharpie marker to draw a little smiling mouth and a pink Sharpie to add 2 circles of blush.
- Your ping pong ball firefly craft is complete!
- Have fun making your fireflies in different colours! Turn on the tealight and then turn off the lights to watch them glow!
Video
Notes
Looking for other crafts with tea lights? Here's a few of our favourites:
Ping Pong Ball Planets
Ping Pong Ball Snowman Tealights
Halloween Tea Lights