How to make a no-melt sparkleball

50 SOFT plastic cups - 9 oz The right cups are crucial. Please see Plastic Cups 101 before you go buy cups.

100 mini-lights or chasing lights

drill, scissors,and hole-punch

200 zip-tie fasteners (cable ties) or pre-cut lengths of #20 coated copper wire

Drill a hole (approx 1/4-1/2 in wide) in the bottom of all 50 cups. You can stack and do several at a time.

Divide cups into two groups of 25. Each group makes half a ball.

thank you, Erika for these instructions!

Start with 12 cups. Punch 4 holes in tops of each (just under the raised lip) with equal distance between holes. Each hole has a hole opposite it.

Just eyeball placement of the holes. They don't have to be perfect.

Fasten each cup to its neighbor, by inserting a zip-tie through two holes. Pull the zip-tie closed but DO NOT TIGHTEN IT ALL THE WAY. (see photo at left.)

When the cups are ALL connected, cinch zip-ties tight, one by one, making sure that the cups stay flat in a circle. Trim zip-ties.

OPTIONAL: Erika adds beads on Step 3. She threads a bead on each side of the wire, twists, then tucks the ends inside the bead.

You can also string beads on zip-ties.

Layer Two has 9 cups. Punch 4 holes in each cup.

Lay one cup on top of the circle. Line up the holes and zip-tie it to the bottom cup. DO NOT PULL TIGHT.

Go all around the circle, adding one cup at a time and zip-tying it to the cup it sits on. When all 9 cups are in place, then attach each cup to the one next to it. Every cup in the second layer will be attached at three points (to cup below and cup on either side.) Keep the hole punch handy: you may need to repunch if holes don't line up.

When Layer Two is set, cinch tight zip-ties and trim.

thank you Steve for your camera and for introducing me to zip-ties!.

Punch four holes in the last 4 cups.

Fit the 4 cups into the space open at the top of the dome, then join them to neighboring cups. Each cup will be attached at four points to adjoining cups. Do not tighten the zip-ties all the way until all of them are in place. Then cinch tight and trim.

Half the ball is done! Now you're ready to start threading lights. . .

IMPORTANT! TEST 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 1 or 2 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. It's important NOT to skip a cup or miss a light. If you crack a cup, that's ok.

Set aside the completed half.

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

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. (IFf 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.

Press the two halves together, making them fit snugly. Line up holes and attach with zip-ties. Pull tight and trim.

Make a hanger for your sparkleball. I use a bit of chain and two "s" hooks.

Choose the top of your sparkleball. Punch holes between two cups. Insert an "s" hook into the hole and close. Add chain and second "s" hook.

You can also use zip-tie loops, clear fishing line, wire coat hangers, or ribbon to hang sparkleballs.

Erika improvised on this sparkleball, using two different sizes of cups. Click here for morephotos from everywhere.

Plug

in

and

enjoy!