How to Make Dancing Firefly Tealight Candles for Backyard Parties

Depending on where you live, you may already be thinking about spring and summer backyard grilling and parties. To make your backyard more festive, you can create these fun and quick tealights. The lights can be added to fences, trees, railings, patio furniture or gutters. On a warm summer evening, the lights add charm and resemble little dancing fireflies.

These dancing firefly tealight candles are a great way to decorate for any party, including weddings and receptions. Since they are made from battery operated candles, this decoration is safe to display indoors around children or pets.

This project is a great one to get your kids involved with cleaning up and beautifying the backyard. Have your kids make a set for mom or grandma for mother's day.

If you cannot find these supplies locally, please see the Online Resources section at the end of this article.

Supplies Needed for Dancing Firefly Backyard Tealight Candles

Battery Operated LED tealight candle
Glass tealight or votive light holder with hanger or chain
Colored marbles, rocks, or other decorative filler
Optional: Craft paint, sealant and paintbrush

How to Make Dancing Firefly Backyard Tealight Candles

1. Clean each glass tealight holder.

2. Decorate the light holder using the craft paint. Have fun experimenting with different designs. You could even paint little fireflies along the upper edge of the holder.

3. Option: For kids, have them dip their fingers in paint to decorate the holders as a creative gift for mom or grandma.

4. Use sealant to protect your decorative painting from the weather.

5. Add marbles or other filler material to the holder to about the half-way mark.

6. Add a battery operated LED tealight to the top of the filler.

7. Pick a spot in your garden or backyard to hang your new dancing firefly tealight.

8. Be sure to turn the light on just before dark (and do not forget to turn it back off when finished to save battery power).

Online Resources: Where to Buy Dancing Firefly Backyard Tealight Supplies

Most major craft stores carry these supplies or can order them for you. If you'd like to order online, check out these retailers:

Tealights: Get a pack of 12 realistic flickering flame tea light candles on Amazon for about $8 plus shipping.

Handing Tealight Holders: Wholesale Flowers & Supplies sells a clear hanging votive holder with a wire hanger for $1.99 each plus shipping.

Decorative Marbles: Gelstuff sells different colors of glass gems in 12 ounce bags for about $2.29 a bag plus shipping.