A Hanging Light Fixture Made of Paper Cups

Dip the rims of the paper cups in paint if desired. You can use an accent color that is found in other items in your room.

Poke a hole in the base of each cup. Holes may be centered or askew. Keep holes at least 1/2 inch away from the walls of the cup.

Hold two cups side by side so that the rims of the cups are touching. Glue the sides of the cups in place or staple them together 1 inch from the rim union. Repeat to add another cup to the bundle. The spherical shape of the light fixture will be created automatically by the angle of the cup walls.

Add cups until the desired shape is reached. The light fixture may be spherical or a partial sphere. Leave an opening that is large enough for one hand to enter.

Feed the light string into the body of the cup fixture.

Reach into the fixture and place the light at the end of the string into the cup at the center of the light fixture; the light will fit through the hole in the base of the cup and show on the right side of the fixture.

Repeat, filling in the cups in a spiral pattern radiating from the central cup to ensure the entire length of the light string is being used. Tape the cord of the light strand to the interior of the cup structure with electrical tape to hold it in place.

Attach the chain to the dowel by drilling a hole into the center of the dowel and connecting the last ring to the hole.

Turn the dowel so that it is vertical and insert it into the cup structure. Rotate the dowel so that it is horizontal once it is inside, locking it in place like a toggle clasp.

Wrap the wire of the light strand around the chain of the fixture. Use jump rings to hold the cording in place where necessary. Open the jump ring, fit it over the cord and a nearby link, and close it.