Holepuncher Sparkleball

Colorful sparkleball perfect for Easter project or spring bacchanal. Also perfect project for kids. You holepunch and drill. They can join cups and add lights.

• 50 soft 9 oz tumbler-style ("solo") cups
• mini-lights, white or color
• coated electrical wire or zip-ties
• hole-puncher
• clothespins, clamps or paperclips
  
• drill with 1/2" bit (or soldering iron or xacto knife)

• Drill, melt or cut 1/2" holes in cup bottoms. Two lights should fit through snugly.
• Test lights to make sure they work
  
• Punch 4 holes around the top of cups. Each hole should have a hole opposite it. Doesn't need to be exact.
• If using wire, cut it in pieces 2-4" long. You'll need about 200 pieces.
  

• Thread a piece of wire through two holes to join cups.
• Join 12 cups in a ring. (If this doesn't make a nice circle, your cups aren't right.)
• Set aside. Join 9 cups. This ring will be a bit wonky and loose.
• Set aside. Join 4 cups.

• Clip the 9-cup layer on top of the 12-cup layer. Join with wire.
• Slip the 4-cup layer into the opening at the top. Join it to the 9-cup layer.

• Start at plug end.
• Insert two lights (if you're using 100 mini's) in a cup on the outer rim.
• Add lights, cup by cup, working into center and back out to rim.
• Finish the 1st side by ending up at cup next to cup you started with.

• Build 2nd side the same way.
• Start lights from opposite end of the cord, so they meet in the middle.(I used two 50-light strands and plugged them together.)

• Clip two sides together.
• This makes joining them easier.

• Trim your wires. (I like them wild and crazy, so I leave them)
• Holepunch a hole and insert a hanging wire or ziptie.
• There you go! An easter eggy, daffodilly, springtime sparkleball that's as pretty unlit as lit.

More fun ideas on sparkleball.com.