"Godzilla" the Giant Sparkleball

Step 1 Tools and Supplies Needed

I suggest you go to a store like Smart and Final to buy your cups. You are able to buy in bulk, and their cups are heavy duty clear plastic. We do NOT use or recommend the flimsier cups (aka Solo Cups) as they will not stand up to the weight or abuse of the monster sparkle balls own weight!


You will need:
  *   400 plus 10 ounce cups
  *   A soldering Iron ( a "Gun" will not work)
  *   A pretty good Hot Glue gun, and a good number of CLEAR glue sticks
  *   A selection of light strings. For our Godzilla ball, we used over 500 lights, in various configurations. Some solid strings, some flashing, some with multiple functions, Its your choice!
  *   Some heavy gauge plastic coated wire for hanging the beast when completed
  *   A large round plastic tub to place the ball in as it goes together, This is to provide necessary support to the beast.
  *   Electrical cords to power your Soldering Iron, and your Glue Gun
  *   Good ventilation (outside) or a fan to blow the fumes away from you
  *   Wooden Clothes Pins
  *   Wire Rope Connectors
  *   Lots of elbow room to work

And a couple of hours to construct the Godzilla. It helps if you have some assistance (you will see my grand daughter in some of the pictures).
 

Comments

[drbill]

Myrna and I take pictures of Orbs in Hawai'i. The spirits of the dead.
Funny thing, these look just like them.
You posted a pic on your other site of a church with the lights hanging in the windows if the church..................and a lot of orbs floating around the church.
Lota spiritual stuff going on there.

[ngachit]

big thanks!!!! it is so useful for my coffee shop... thanks..i like it very much...

[vwluvrs]

Sad to announce, but Godzilla was stolen on Christmas Evening from in front of our home...

[zieak]

That's awful.

[AngryRedhead]

That's horrible!  Who the hell does that anyway?!?

 

[applesaucemodifier]

i was driving down north yale avenue the other day and we were all admiring the pretty colors and BOOM, we saw it, the most amazing giantist ball ever. I dont know if it was yours, but it sure was a GODZILLA ball.

[vwluvrs]

Probabaly not, since I live on richmond Ave, in fresno ca.. but thank you!

[adamvan2000]

This is the sparkleball I'm doing for the church dinner we're having next weekend.  So far it's cost about $130 for all the supplies, for about two balls' worth.  I've only got half done, so I'll post more pics when I finish it.

~adamvan2000

[adamvan2000]

Well, I finished it just in time for the dinner at church last Sunday morning.  180-odd cups and about 250 lights, and a metric ton of clothespins later, it is a thing of beauty, and was well-received.  Only thing I'll do different next time is get the completely clear cups, so they don't have the big rims to melt.  Although working with the more flexible cups was easier, as far as 'coercing' things to fit!  Pics to follow!.

~adamvan2000

[vwluvrs]

Looks great Adamvan!

I do find the smoother sided (no lip) cups easier to work with, when it comes to 'welding' the cups with a soldering iron.

I suppose if you used the 'no-melt' method the lip on the frosted solo cups would not be a bother..

Fun project all the same....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQsV27xerjA

[lebowski]

Very nice, I made one last year. I used a whole punch to make the holes, but I'll need a better whole puncher if I'm going to do this again.

[vwluvrs]

Did you punch holes in the 'softer' sided (aka solo) cups?
I would think the harder cups would split. These are a lot of fun to make...

[killerjackalope]

The harder ones that split when you squeeze them can be hole punched, however a few of them will split along the way, it depends a lot on the hole punch.

[sparkleball_lady]

will you tell me what kind of holepunch you used to punch through the rigid cups?  i'd love to get one. . .

[killerjackalope]

It was one of the little single hole ones that looks a little like a stapler, as an alternative you could make the hole using a soldering iron or a variety of other things.

[lebowski]

Yeah, I was using the softer solo cups. I was doing it at night after the girls went to bed and I wanted to be inside. I hung it up outside in a tree on the corner of our street, it was pretty sweet.

[rabbit3]

i used large paper clips to hold the cups

[sparkleball_lady]

I'm gonna link to this, vwluvrs, from sparkleball.com from the section on building gigantic sparkleballs.  you've nailed the process, and your directions are easy to follow.   it really is a major accomplishment, as anyone who's built a regular sparkleball knows.  The sheer weight of it!

[RENATO.ROSS]

belissimo enfeite. meus parabéns. aqui no brasil ninguem conhece ainda. vou tentar fazer um, só não entendi como consigo os copos!!!

[sparkleball_lady]

OMG!  Sparkleball Lady couldn't be prouder!  This is a feat of true manpower!

[Tape-structable]

WOW. The second to last picture looked like a bunch of fireworks going off at the same time! BEAUTIFUL.

[cowscankill]

That is awesome! I love the second to last picture, there are so many!
Great work!

[thecheatscalc]

That's a massive amount of those things!

Very cool effect. The 'Godzilla' sparkleball looks like it's seething power. VERY cool.

[thecheatscalc]

now that I think of it... reminds me of the sun...

[vwluvrs]

Thank you!