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Sparkleball VideosSynchronized Sparkleballs in Trees Making a Sparkleball with Mickey Sparkleball Symphony of 1 Billion Colors Sparkleballs in the Roundabout Stan and Barb's giant sparkleball
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What is a sparkleball? Wikipedia says 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. |
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| These folks like sparkleballs: cut
out + keep
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Making
a light ball out of plastic cups and Christmas lights won't change
your life, but it will make everything a little sparklier. |
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HOME - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
January 20, 2012
Alexandria EGYPT
This Alaa's first sparkleball and the first known sparkleball in Egypt.
She used 175 cups and 180 lights. ahlan wa-sahlan, Alaa.
January 1, 2012
Berkeley CA
Thanks to Shannon for snapping this sparkleball tree.
December 27, 2011
Fredericksburg TX
Spotted by Juliet while driving down the street, on a visit to her grandmother.
December 27, 2011
Sonoma CA
From Carole, a good friend of sparkleballs.
December 24, 2011
Davis CA
Jessica at UCDavis School of Medicine scores one more for California as the leading sparkleball state.
December 24, 2011
Fullerton CA
Sparkleball portrait by photographer Evangeline Sheridan, daughter of Brian Sheridan (below.)
December 24, 2011
Fullerton CA
Another rainy sparkleball portrait by Evangeline Sheridan.
December 24, 2011
Fullerton CA
After years of visiting N Yale Ave ("Sparkleball Street") in Fullerton, Brian finally got brave enough to start his own sparkleball collection. Frito the dog and Brian's great nephew Eli are impressed! (Brian's daughter Evangeline's photos above.)
December 24, 2011
Fullerton CA
Brian's new sparkleball collection includes a mini-sparkleball made with shot glasses. [rollover image]
December 23, 2011
a pretty town on the east coast
Wade and Danielle (below) made their first sparkleball using a plier stapler. See more photos and a video of the finished product on their blog.
December 23, 2011
a pretty town on the east coast
Check out Danielle's Etsy shop Crown + Flora for her unique handmade (anytime-of-year) wreaths.
December 18, 2011
Inverness FLORIDA
Those are sparkleballs hovering above the Williams family home. Mike and son Blake mounted them on rods, on the roof. Mike's story of how the family's Christmas decorations came to be is one of the happiest stories you'll read this holiday season. Also, see more great photos of Blake and the family lights, including clever candy canes made of plastic cups.
December 17, 2011
Lewisville TX
Ben's video will nudge you through every step of making a basic sparkleball. (You may have seen Ben on Gordon Ramsey's Master Chef. He's a travel writer, beer brewer, chicken wrangler, "pseudo celebrity chef," and a fellow native Texan.) We actually learned a thing or two watching Ben's video. Best of all, he makes it look like fun.
December 15, 2011
San Diego CA
Stef and Lena are southern Californians by choice but forever Swiss at heart. (Hometown is Lucerne.) Stef is former Swiss National ice hockey team member and former WCHL player-- which just proves that real men love sparkleballs. Stef and Lena's is made of Chinet hard crystal plastic cups and 50 multi-solar-led lights. UPDATE: Sadly, the solar lights stopped working on the second day. So be wary of solar lights, and maybe test them outside a day or two before using them in a sparkleball.
December 12, 2011
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CANADA
Daren blended the melt and no-melt techniques on his first sparkleball. He used a woodburning tool to make the holes, and zip-ties to join the cups. You'll notice the cups aren't 9 oz tumblers, so Daren had to modify the basic sparkleball design. [rollover image]
December 9, 2011
San Diego CA
A Solar Sparkleball! Made with 110 solar mini-lights and powered by the daytime sun. The lights came from Target online. (The website says they also have them in stores.) [rollover image]
December 1, 2011
North Canton OHIO
After Larry threw out their old sparkleball by mistake, what else could he do but help wife Valarie make a new one? (Their former sparkleball provider had passed on.) Congratulations Valarie and Larry!
November 26, 2011
Columbus INDIANA
Stanley leaves in a few days for Kuwait, and his mom Barb is grateful for the evening they spent making Christmas decorations together. This is their first sparkleball-- made in just 30 minutes using a plier stapler.
November 26, 2011
Columbus INDIANA
Stan also built a giant sparkleball out of larger cups from Sam's Club. See a video of it on their front porch here.
November 26, 2011
Columbus INDIANA
Stanley and Barb (above) also made garlands out of plastic cups and lights on their Christmas craft evening. [rollover image]
November 20, 2011
Graham WA
Irelynn and mom Melissa made this no-melt sparkleball together. Eight year old Irelynn christened it "My Pet Moon," which might just be even better than "sparkleball."
November 16, 2011
Charlotte NC
If you absolutely positively won't try to make your own sparkleball, then check out the listings for made-to-order sparkleballs. These people will do the work for you, like Jennifer, who makes and sells the sparkleballs above.
November 1 , 2011
Sunnyvale CA
Halloween Sparkleball Spider! Crafty clever mom Sara made this spidey guy out of pvc pipe legs, a 1/2 sparkleball body (chinet cups), and a disco ball head. A light controller makes him flash menacingly off/on. Sara used Terry Kull's Instructable to make the Half Sparkleball. [rollover image]
November 1 , 2011
Atlanta GA
Stacey's husband found their sparkleball with orange lights hanging in the attic of their new home. Was it left behind by mistake, or as a mystery gift? Check out Stacey's blog for more photos and the story of her family's mysterious "Halloween disco ball."
August 14 , 2011
Tunbridge VT
A vintage sparkleball spotted at a pig roast in Vermont. Thanks, Juliet!
March 2 , 2011
Trudy Richardson 1951 - 2011
That's Trudy, by my side at my 10th birthday party, to make sure the candles get blown out. Trudy loved champagne, fireworks, Texas, helping others, and making life more fun -- which is how I came to love sparkleballs. The story of Trudy, me, and our first sparkleball adventure has always been part of this website. I miss you, Trudy. [rollover image]
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