How to Make a Basic Sparkle ball

EASY PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS
what you need:

2

1. 50 cups - 9 oz "tumbler"

The right cups are crucial. Please see Plastic Cups 101 before you go buy cups.

Colored cups info here.

 

2

2. 100 mini-lights

 

2

3. soldering iron

2

4. good ventilation

 

5. (optional)

  • clothes pins
  • work gloves
  • materials to make hanger

click on photos for more information
Work time: 1-2 hours (on your first one)

To glue, staple, twist, or solder? Frank staples his. Alan uses a hot glue gun. Erika uses a holepuncher.

 

 

1

 

Melt a hole (approx 1/2 in) in the bottom of all 50 cups. (Test the hole size to make sure you can fit two lights through later.)

Divide cups into two groups of 25. Each group makes half a ball.
  thank you Mary for your help.

2

When the ring is made, strengthen it by melting another hole from inside each cup, near the base, into its neighbor.

 

Arrange 12 cups in a circle.

Join each cup to its neighbor at the cup bottoms. Hold cups in place until the melted part cools and joins the cups together.
 

(Optional)

Avert burned fingers with this brilliant tip from Don Bales --

Clothespins!

Jess suggests attaching 3 cups at 12, 4, 8 o'clock, then fitting the other 6 cups in between.

3

The next layer has 9 cups. Build this ring on top of the first, one cup at a time.

Join each cup to at least two neighbors-- working from the inside and close to the bottom.

There may be small gaps between some of the cups in the second ring.

 

thank you Steve for your camera.
4

 

Fit the last 4 cups into the space left at the top of the dome, then join them. Work close to the cup bottoms and attach each cup to all the cups it touches.

   
5

 

Now reinforce the ball half all over, by melting joints between cups wherever they touch. (I often notch the cup rims.) Do not force the cups to meet-- they may crack or pull apart.
  thank you Trudy and Finley for my first sparkle ball

6

NOTE: Some people prefer to use 2 sets of 50 lights because they are easier to work with during the threading part.

IMPORTANT! TEST THE LIGHTS BEFORE YOU INSERT THEM.

To insert lights: start at the prong end of the cord. Insert the two lights closest to the prong into a cup at the outside rim. (The plug will then hang out when you put the two halves together.)

Put two lights in each cup. Work your way around the ball half, zigzaging from outer cups to inner cups and back. You want to end up on the outer rim, at the cup next to one you started with.

Work slowly, careful not to skip a cup or miss a light. If you crack a cup, that's ok.

 
   
7

 

Set aside the completed half. Build the second half just like you did the first. (Steps 1 - 5)
   
8

 

On the second half, insert lights starting from the opposite end of the cord (the plug end.) Start with any cup but make sure you finish at the outer rim. (But if you plan to hang more than ball at once, make sure the plug end hangs out between the cups, as well.)

The last lights will be the hardest to insert as you juggle the two halves.
   
9

 

Press the two halves together, making them fit nicely. When you join them-- be careful not to burn the lights or wire.

Go over the sparkleball, making sure each cup is joined to at least two other cups. This is one of the most important steps. Take your time.
   

10

NOTE: The hole you make for your "s" hook must be as reinforced as you can make it. You don't want the pressure from hanging to pull cups loose from the ball.

 

I make a hanger for my sparkleballs with a bit of chain and two "s" hooks.

Choose the top of your sparkleball. Melt a hole between two well-connected cups. Insert one "s" hook into the hole and close. Add chain and second "s" hook.

You can also use clear fishing line, ribbon, and wire coat hangers to hang sparkleballs.

   

See sparkleballs in action. Click here for photos from everywhere.

 

Plug

in

and

enjoy!

 

 

Now you're ready to get fancy.

Make a

dancing sparkleball

mini sparkleball

no-melt sparkleball

giant sparkleball

 
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