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What is a sparkleball? According to Wikipedia, it's an ornament handmade out of Christmas lights and plastic cups, using soldering, staples or cable ties to join the cups. It is a mid-century American folkcraft whose origins are unknown. |
| These folks like sparkleballs: cut
out + keep
|
Making
a light ball out of plastic cups and Christmas lights won't change
your life, but it will make everything a little sparklier. |
photos:
June 24 , 2010
Crestwood IL
For this "Orbi-Glow" Tom K. uses a single 13-watt florescent black light (cooler than incandescent) and neon-colored, heavy plastic cups. To see how it's assembled, roll mouse over photo. [rollover image]
June 24 , 2010
Crestwood IL
Tom K. solders cups (see meld-holes above) and melts the bottom out of one cup. Through that cup he hotglues the black light bulb socket so the bulb glows in the center. The socket cup is attached with zip-ties to be removable for changing bulb. [rollover image]
June 24 , 2010
Video how-to by Deborah (originally on ThreadBanger) for a sparkleballesque light fixture shade.
May 28, 2010
New York NY
Rhode Island Artist Tom Deininger was commissioned to create these sparkleballs for Manhattan's Chelsea Market this past Christmas. Above, this one incorporates jagged sprite bottles inserted into the plastic cups-- reminiscent of another Tom's work. [rollover image]
May28, 2010
New York NY
Another Tom Deininger sparkleball from Chelsea Market, Christmas 2009. Again, you saw the concept first from Tom here. Photos above from Daily Danny. Another photo sent by a reader here. [rollover image]
April 17, 2010
Crestwood IL
A 17-yr sparkleball veteran, Tom K. came up with this very festive summer
model. Ordinarily he uses a stapler, but the only color cups he could
find were too heavy. So Tom mastered the soldering technique even though
the "hard cups I was using would crack if you even looked at them
the wrong way."
April 7, 2010
South Coast NSW, AUSTRALIA
Janine punched holes in the cups and wired them together. (Now I know there are at least three sparkleballers in Australia! Janine meet Rob and Annette.)
March 21, 2010
Jefferson City MO
Andrew created and donated this pink beribboned sparkleball as a fundraiser for his local Susan G Koman "3-Day for the Cure." [rollover image]
January 9, 2010
Douglas GA
Judy makes nightlights out of half-sparkleballs and calls them "Table Tops."
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