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!
On ne peut pas allumer à l’intérieur car la chaleur des lumières fait fondre la colle
I hung a Sparkleball on a tree in my front yard two nights ago. So far I have heard from three neighbors thanking me for making their life a little brighter. One was the daughter of our 80 year old neighbor, one was the wife of a man in the ICU. With that response in mind, I have begun to make new Sparkleballs to give to friends so they can brighten up their neighborhoods. I just have one caveat for my friends–if I give them a Sparkleball they have to promise to hang it up outside.