Some of my fondest summer memories as a little girl were catching fireflies in my backyard. Once darkness was upon us, my friends and I would each grab our converted bug-collecting Mason jars my Dad made for us. Running barefoot through the freshly mowed lawn, we would dance like fairies running to each little blinking light in the air. Sometimes they’d land on our shirts. It was magical. Once we had caught a few, we would perch the jars upon the picnic table and admire our new friends and their blinking light. Some nights, we’d even be lucky enough to make a temporary home in our jars by tucking in grass, fresh leaves. We would spend the night with our firefly jars at our bedside. They made the perfect nightlight as we drifted off to sleep.

The other night I caught a glimpse of our first firefly. There just aren’t as many as I remember as a little girl.  I told my daughter the story that I shared with you about when I was a little girl. She wished for a jar just like mine, so we made one.

Begin by cutting out small wings from the lacy fabric. Hot glue them to the backside of each of the lights on the LED string of lights.

Apply a drop of glow-in-the-dark paint to the back of each light on top of the wings. Use a hairdryer on low warm heat to aid in speeding up the drying process. Work with a couple lights at a time to apply the paint and dry.

Next, flip over the lights and apply the glow-in-the-dark paint to the front of the bulbs using the same process as the back. Allow the lights to dry completely before assembling the jar.

Decorate the outside of the Mason jar. With the glow-in-the-dark paints, we added some grass at the base. Try adding some swirls, dots or even a moon to the jar. Set it aside to dry.

Once the light strand is dry and if the battery fits in the lid of the jar, hot glue it into the jar's lid with the switch facing out. (Battery changes are easy. Peel the case from the dried hot glue lid. Replace the batteries and re-hot glue it into place.) If the battery doesn’t fit, feel free to simply place it into the bottom of the jar.

Wait for nightfall and enjoy! This Mason jar light adds the perfect touch to evening gatherings, relaxing on the porch or drifting off to sleep as the sounds of summer fill the nighttime air.