If you want to collect lightning bugs and observe them close up, try making a creative outdoor home for your pets to live in. Basic materials include window screen or netting for the facing and wood or plastic piping for the frame. Decorate your lightning bug's new habitat to your liking, while trying to use non-toxic paints and varnishes. Hanging a magnifying glass from the hutch or installing a magnifying panel will give you great viewing opportunities. Feel free to add statues of castles, kittens, or gnomes inside your lightning bug's home to add style and humor.
Glow in the dark paint is widely available and can create a stunning effect when used properly. A lightning bug painting is as versatile as a real lightning bug. In the day, it looks like a normal beetle, but come nightfall it glows. Try hanging your picture in a place that gets lots of light during the day so that the paint will properly charge. In the evening, make sure the area where you display the picture is very dark for the complete effect.
Since the late 1970s, video art has emerged as an important form of creative expression. If you have access to a home video camera, experiment with filming lightning bugs as they fly through the night, flicker in the tree tops, or rest in the grass. You will need to use your camera's night setting, or if you have manual controls, you will need to use the smallest F-stop and the slowest shutter speed to let in the maximum amount of light. Once you've taped the lightning bugs, experiment with editing your footage to music or sounds of the night.
Use mirrors, gems, puff paint and fabric paint to create a lasting memory of the beauty of lightning bugs on clothes, bags or other fabric items. Create a stencil or a form by tracing an image of a lightning bug onto sturdy paper or plastic and paint the shape onto the garment that you wish to adorn. Using craft clue or hot glue, add a mirror or gem to the lightning bug's rear to add shimmer and visual impact. To build dimension, try outlining the lightning bug's wings or antennas with puffy paint.