5 oz hard cups with shot glasses added for Valentine’s Day
Hard cup sparkleballs require a bit more effort. They take days to make so hotglue can set. The cups crack easily. Drop a hard cup sparkleball, and it’s a disaster. The hard cups are sparklier and come in fun colors. These instructions will work for many 5 oz cups and 9 oz brands. For 9 oz Chinet brand cups the formula is slightly different. (see below)
NOTE: You can also build a Hard Cup Sparkleball with bobby pins (!) or clear silicon caulk.
64 hard solo-style cups
large paper clips
200 mini-lights
gluegun & soldering iron
Formulas:
5oz 14-11-6-1 / 64 9oz Party Essentials 14-11-6-1 / 64 9oz Chinet 14-11-6-1 + middle row of 14 / 78
Click on photos for more information.
1. Clip 14 cups in a ring.
2. Clip 11 cups in a ring.
3. Clip 11-Ring on top of 14-Ring.
4. Clip 6 cups in a ring. Add 1 in the center.
5. Clip 6-Ring on 11-Ring to finish Side 1. Set aside. Build Side 2 the same way.
6. Where cups touch, remove clip. Add dab of hot glue. Reclip.
7. Let glue set overnight for tight bond.
8. DAY 2. Melt 1/2″ hole in each cup with soldering iron.
9. Start lights at plug end. Put 2 in cup on outside edge. Finish on cup next to first cup.
10.On Side2, start lights at opposite end of cord and insert the same way.
11. Clip 2 sides together.
Glue where cups touch. Reclip.Let set overnight.
12. Melt hole between 2 cups and make a hanger.
13. Plug in and enjoy!
Hard cup sparkleballs by Carl Boro, who taught me his technique. Carl prefers clear silicon caulk instead of hot glue. The caulk takes several days to set and requires paperclips or clamps to hold cups in place as caulk sets. Carl uses a |14-11-6-1 + 14 in the middle| formula with Chinet cups.
