Sparkleheart

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• Step 1

  Before you begin, look over the steps and photo tutorial for a sparkleball. The materials and method are much the same.

  With a hot soldering iron, poke a 1/2" hole in the bottom of all 50 cups. Divide cups into two groups of 25.

• 

  Step 2

  Arrange 13 cups in a circle. How these cups are joined together will turn them into a heart-shape, so the next steps are crucial.
  At left is a diagram I made of the first layer, with arrows showing where cups will be joined. The red dots are where lights will go. To see a larger diagram, go to my sparkleball website. (Google sparkleball.)

  Be patient and let each solder joint cool completely before moving on.

  Join the 2 top cups, #1 and #2 at top rims only. This forms the top of the heart. Join the next 6 cups-- adding 3 on each side-- at cup bottoms only.

• 

  Step 3

  Cups #9 and #10 are different. They're joined top and bottom to #7 and #8. Join #11 and #12 at tops only. The final cup, #13, is the heart's point. It's joined at its bottom to #11 and #12.

• 

  Step 4

  The first layer should now resemble a heart. The joints must be strong enough to keep the shape as you add the 2nd layer.

  The 2nd layer has 9 cups. Add #14 at the top, first. Nestle it into the space between #1 and #2. It may almost point upward. This forms the heart's center dip. Now place the other 8 cups around the 1st layer, continuing the heart shape. These 9 cups probably won't touch each other but will attach to the layer below.

• Step 5

  Fit the last 3 cups into the open space before you solder them. When you're happy with the fit, then join them in. It should now look like a fat, smashed heart.

• Step 6

  Thread 50 of the red fairy lights into the this half. Each cup will have 2 lights inserted into the one hole. Start threading at Cup #13, the bottom one.

• Step 7

  Build the second half exactly like the first. NOTE that on a heart-shaped sparkleball, you must begin and finish threading lights on Half #2 exactly as you did Half #1-- at Cup #13. (This is different than a sparkleball, where it doesn't matter since it's round, all round.) You want to be able to join the heart halves perfectly, and the lights must match up.

• Step 8

  Join the two halves securely, taking great care not to burn the wires or lights.

• 

  Step 9

  The finished sparkleheart will be 2-dimensional (not 3 like a sparkleball) and looks best hung against something so you can really see the heart shape. It doesn't work as well if it's free-hanging.

  Happy St Val's!

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Mickie · Grand Junction, Colorado, US · 43 projects 5th January 2010

i try to make this but it turn out so bad. i took my time and all it didn't look like a heart shape

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Mickie · Grand Junction, Colorado, US · 43 projects 4th December 2009

u know I going to make that one day hummm so cute

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Saga · Sweden, SE · 2 projects 28th May 2008

Really nice! Keep it up

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Cat Morley · London, GB · 1432 projects 6th January 2008

Wow, another gorgeous light for you. Fantastic job, you're so creative!

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