How to Make Hanging Sphere Cup Lights

Punch a hole in the middle of the bottom of several dozen disposable paper or plastic cups with a sharp pencil or awl. The number of cups you need depends on the size of the cups. For example, if you use 9-ounce cups you need about 120 of them.

Hold two cups together and line up their bottoms and rims. Insert a stapler into them so that the two sides of the cups are between the stapler's top and bottom. Staple the cups as near their bottoms as you can.

Place the two stapled cups on the table on their sides. Place another cup on top, making a small pyramid. Place the rim of the third cup slightly behind the rims of the first two. Staple the third cup to the other two cups near the bottoms.

Staple another cup beside the original two. You can see it begins to form an arc. Now staple another one on top beside and lined up with the third cup. Staple it to the third cup as well. Continue adding a cup to the side and one on top until the cups form a complete circle. Staple the end of the circle to the beginning.

Add another layer of cups on top of the second one. Place the rims slightly behind the previous layer. Keep building layers until you form a dome of cups. This is half your light fixture.

Begin at the plug end of a string of LED holiday lights. LED lights work best because they burn coolest. Do not use lights that generate heat because they will come into contact with the cups. Insert two LED lights into each hole in the bottom of the cups in the dome. Take your time and do not skip any cups.

Continue this process to create the other half of the light fixture.

Plug the ends of the strings of lights together and assemble the two domes into a ball. Poke the light plugs inside the ball. Leave the unplugged prong end hanging out of the ball. Staple the domes together near the bottom of the cups. Do not staple any light wires.

Bend a coat hanger or wire into a hook on both ends. Punch a hole through two adjacent cups on the ball near where the plug end hangs out. Hook one end of the wire through the holes. Use the other end of the wire to hang the ball. Plug the light strings in to illuminate the fixture.