Making a Sparkle Sphere is a lot easier than it looks, and is a simple project to create that will add a magical glow to your festive decor.
ITEMS NEEDED:
QTY: 50 “Solo-Style” Plastic Cups – 9oz size (short & squatty)
QTY: 1 50ct set of LED String Lights
– We used Warm White Twinkle LEDs on White Wire – #5MM50WW-T-W
Hanging/Suspension Point
– We used Ribbon, but you can use Zip Ties, Wire, Chain, or anything else you can think of
Drill & 9/32” Wood Drill Bit
– Wood Drill Bits have a point at the tip, which assisted in starting the holes
Plier Stapler & Staples
– Make sure you have the correct staples for the Plier Stapler you are using
Instructions:
Start by drilling a hole in the bottom of each cup
I found that I could stack 6-10 cups on top of each other, and drill them all at once – Be careful thou, as you can crack the bottom ones if you push too hard, or if plastic builds up on your drill bit.
Once all your cups have holes in them, you can start assembling.
STEP 1: Make a ring of 12 cups
Make sure the cup rims are touching, staple the cups to each other, keeping the staples toward the bottom of the cup
STEP 2: Make a ring of 9 cups
Form another ring using the 9 cups, making sure that the cup rims are touching, staple the cups to each other, keeping the staples toward the bottom of the cup
STEP 3: Set the 9 cup ring on top of the 12 cup ring, and staple the two together
Make sure the cup rims of both rings are touching, and make your first staple – If looking at it like a clock, the first staple would be at 12, second staple should be at 6, third staple would be at 3, and the fourth staple would be at 9 – Continue randomly stapling around, until you have secured the two rings to each other.
STEP 4: Make 2 Pairs of cups
Staple each toward the top or rim of the cup
STEP 5: Fit your first pair of cups into the center of the 9 cup ring
Make sure the cup rims are touching, and staple it in place
STEP 6: Fit your second pair of cups into the center of the 9 cup ring
Make sure the cup rims are touching, and staple it in place
You have now completed one ½ of the Sparkle Sphere!
STEP 7: Thread the male plug of your light set, thru the opening between the 2 pairs of cups
These were the last cups you added to the first ½ of the Sparkle Sphere
STEP 8: Add the lights
Push the first bulb following the male plug, into the hole on one of the pairs of cups – These were the last cups you added to the first ½ of the Sparkle Sphere. Continue pushing bulbs into the holes, first filling the other pairs of cups, and then continuing in a circle around the 9 cup ring and finally filling the 12 cup ring.
STEP 9: Repeat steps 1-8 to complete the second ½ of your Sparkle Sphere
When adding lights to the second ½, follow the instructions in step 8, but start with the light following the female plug. This makes adding the lights and placing them where you want a lot easier, as you only have so much wire between the two halves to work with.
We used Twinkle LED String Lights for a little extra Sparkle – When adding these lights we had to take notice of where the twinkling bulbs were ending up, as we did not want all of the twinkling bulbs to end up on one side of the Sparkle Sphere. So, we had to swap some bulbs out after the original placement, to get the twinkling bulbs evenly distributed around the Sparkle Sphere. This is not an issue if you are using steady/non-twinkling strands, and you would follow the instructions above.
STEP 10: Connect the two halves, to complete your Sparkle Sphere
When connecting the two halves, follow the stapling instructions in step 3
STEP 11: Add your Hanging/Suspension Point
We used a hole puncher to punch holes in the cups on either side of where the male plug-end comes out. We then threaded ribbon thru, and tied it, to create a loop that we can hang the Sparkle Sphere from.
STEP 12: Hang, Plug-In, & Enjoy!
Create your own custom extension cord to power the Sparkle Sphere, by using Male and Female Slide-On Plugs, and “Blank” (no socket) Wire – Make it to the exact length you need – Quick & Easy (no tools required) – Get power from your main extension cord or outlet, to the male plug sticking out of the Sparkle Sphere.
