How To: Easy DIY Sparkle Ball Decorations for the Holiday Season

With the new year just around the corner, it's a time we all reminisce about the year that was. In the midst of families fighting over white elephant presents and the financial stress that comes with holiday gifting, you may also be dealing with the stress of hosting parties and get-togethers as well as the decorating that goes with it.

If you're one of the brave souls who plan to throw a Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve, or just a general "holiday" party, save yourself some much-needed dough with this fun sparkle ball decoration piece from Robeson Design. It's cheap and easy to make, and looks great.

What You'll Need:

• String of lights
• Fifty 10-ounce Solo clear cups
• Long stapler
• Automatic drill
• Clothespins

How to Build

With all your materials gathered, lay everything out of a table or countertop, and let's get to building! You'll be building two halves and connecting them together at the end.

Step 1: Drill Holes into the Cups

Put the cups in stacks of five and drill a hole through the bottom, making sure to use a drill bit that creates holes big enough for your lights to fit through.

Step 2: Start Stapling

Before the actual stapling starts, put the cups in stacks of 12, 9, and 4. Now take the stack of 12 cups and staple them together, side by side. Get the staples as close to the bottom of the cups to allow for some flexibility.

Once you've made a complete circle with the cups, take the stack of 9 and repeat the process.

Step 3: Staple the Circles Together

Stack the circle of 9 cups on top of the circle of 12, then use four clothespins on opposite sides of each other to hold the circles together. Staple the stacks together in order to bond them permanently, then use the stack of 4 cups to staple in the top holes.

Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 for the second half of the circle.

Step 4: Add the Lights

Start putting a light into each cup's hole. Start with one half of the ball, stringing the lights on the farthest end away from the plug—go from top to bottom.

For the second half, add the lights closest to the plug, going from bottom to top, making sure the power socket sticks out of the ball.

Step 5: Secure Both of the Halves Together

Use clothespins to hold the two halves together, then staple the halves together to secure them permanently.

Now just place the ball in a good spot, light it up, and get ready for friends and family to marvel at your craftiness! These decorations are a beautiful, subtle addition to your winter celebration.

Try multi-colored lights for an added twist, or even longer, sturdier cups for a bigger ball. Let us know how it goes in the comment section below.