sparkleheart

Supplies and method are the same as for a basic sparkleball, but you'll need 100 red mini-lights. These are available online from Christmas light websites like christmasdepot.

1. With a hot soldering iron, poke a 1/2" hole in the bottom of all 50 cups. Divide cups into two groups of 25.

2. Arrange 13 cups in a circle. How you join cups to each other turns them into a heart-shape, so the next steps are crucial. When you burn through one cup to the next, hold cups in place until the solder joint cools completely. Go slow. Be patient.

There's a diagram below to show you how to build the first layer and start the second.

3. Join the 2 cups at the top of the circle (cups #1 and #2) at top rims only. This makes the top of the heart. Join the next 6 cups-- adding 3 on each side of cups #1 and #2-- at their bottoms only. You will have 8 cups forming an arc (almost half the circle.)

If you can find red plastic cups, they would make an awesome sparkleheart!

4. Join #9 and #10 to #7 and #8 at tops and bottoms of cups. Join #11 and #12 at the tops only. The final cup, #13, is the last cup and the heart's point. Join it at the bottom to #11 and #12. Make sure these joints are strong.

5. The first layer should now resemble a heart. The joints must be strong enough to keep the shape as you add the next layer.

6. The 2nd layer has 9 cups. Add Cup #14 at the top. Nestle it into the space between cups #1 and #2. It may almost point upward. This forms the heart's center dip. Now place the other 8 cups on top of the first layer, continuing the heart shape. They will not necessarily touch each other but will attach to the layer below.

7. Fit the last 3 cups into the open space left. When you're happy with the fit, join them in. This first half will look now like a fat, smashed heart.

8. Thread 50 of the red mini-lights into the heart half. Each cup will have 2 lights inserted into the one hole. IMPORTANT: Start threading at Cup #13, the heart's bottom point, with the pronged end of the cord.

9. Build the second half exactly like the first. When you're ready to thread lights on the second half, please NOTE that on a heart-shaped sparkleball, you must begin and finish threading lights on Half 2 exactly as you did Half 1-- at Cup #13. (This is different than a sparkleball, where it doesn't matter since it's round.) You want to be able to join the heart halves perfectly, and the lights must match up.

10. Join the two halves securely, taking care not to burn the wires or lights. The finished sparkleheart will be 2-dimensional (not 3 like a sparkleball) and looks best hung against something so you can really see the heart shape. It doesn't work as well if it's free-hanging.

This is a work in progress. I'll add photos as soon as I can. Any improvements you make I hope you'll share with us!

Happy Valentine's Day!