How to Make a Disco Ball with CDs
Poke a hole through a Styrofoam ball., Fold a long piece of wire in half., Thread the wire through the hole., Twist the wire into a hanging loop., Trim the excess wire., Fold the wire against the ball., Paint the ball., Find some CDs., Bring a pot...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Poke a hole through a Styrofoam ball.
You can do this using a skewer or a long knitting needle. -
Step 2: Fold a long piece of wire in half.
Cut a long piece of wire that is twice the length of your Styrofoam ball, plus a few extra inches.
Fold the wire in half. , Keep threading the wire until the bent part sticks out from the bottom of the ball by 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
This will eventually make the top of your disco ball. , Widen the bent part of the wire slightly.
Push a pencil through the loop.
Grip the wire below the pencil with a pair of needle nose pliers.
Twist the pencil a few times until the wire twists.
Remove the pencil.You can use a pen or paintbrush instead of a pencil. , Flip the ball over.
Gently tug on the wire until the loop is flush against the top of the Styrofoam ball.
Trim the excess wire at the bottom of the ball down to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) with a pair of wire cutters., Push one wire to the left, and the other wire to the right.
This will secure the ball to the wire, and keep it from falling off.For more security, fill the hole with hot glue. , You can paint the ball using spray paint or acrylic paint.
Silver would be a great choice, because it will help conceal any gaps.
For extra sparkle, add some glitter spray paint on top.Use caution with spray paint.
Some brands may dissolve some types of Styrofoam. , Scratched or cracked CDs are perfectly fine for this project.
Real CDs seem to work better than blank ones.
You can buy a bunch from a thrift shop.. , Fill a pot with water and set it on the stove.
Turn the heat up to high, and let the water come to a boil.
You will be dipping the CDs into this water to make them easier to cut., Hold the CD in the water for a few seconds.
Do not let it touch the bottom of the pot.
Pull it out before it starts to warp.
Work one CD at a time.If you have a lot of CDs to work with, boil only a few to start with.
If you boil too many at once, they will harden and cool before you finish cutting them. , Aim to make the strips about ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) wide.
The strips that are towards the center top/bottom of the CD will be attached to the plastic ring in the center.
Do not cut through this ring.
Simply snap the strips off of the ring.
Kitchen shears are best, as the CD material could ruin a good pair of thinner scissors.
Some of the strips may crack.
This is normal and happens sometimes.
Wear gloves during this step.
The CDs may still be hot. , Working on strip as a time, cut it into ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) squares.
Discard the squares from the outer edges of the CD; they will have curved edges. , If you have a small ball, set it upside down into a cup.
If you have a large ball, use a bowl instead.
This will keep the ball steady as you work. , Place a drop of hot glue onto the back of a tile.
Quickly press the tile against the bottom of the ball.
Hot glue a few more tiles around it.
Make sure that all of the tiles are touching.
You are starting from the bottom because that is the most visible part. , Try not to leave any gaps between the tiles; they should all be touching on all four sides.
This will give you a more finished, professional-looking disco ball.
Work one tile at a time and don't apply the hot glue directly to the ball.
If you do, it will harden and set before you get to it. , At one point, you will have covered all of the Styrofoam that is visible.
Carefully flip the ball over and set it back into its bowl or cup.
Continue gluing the tiles in rows around the ball until you reach the top.
Don't worry if the tiles don't end up looking perfectly even as they reach the wire loop.
This won't be visible once you hang the ball. , Hot glue tends to leave behind little hairs or threads, which can make your disco ball look messy.
Go over your ball, and pull off any little hairs that you can find.
Alternatively, you can blast it with a hair dryer., Cut a long piece of string; fishing line would work best.
Bring the ends together, and tie them into a sturdy knot. , Push the string, knotted side first, through the wire loop by about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
Pull the rest of the string through the loop made by the string.
Gently tug on the rest of the string to tighten the slip knot. , Insert a hook into the ceiling.
Slip the string over the hook. , Turn off the lights, and aim a flashlight, spotlight, or strobe light at the ball.
Give the ball a spin and watch how the reflected lights dance on the walls. -
Step 3: Thread the wire through the hole.
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Step 4: Twist the wire into a hanging loop.
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Step 5: Trim the excess wire.
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Step 6: Fold the wire against the ball.
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Step 7: Paint the ball.
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Step 8: Find some CDs.
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Step 9: Bring a pot of water to a boil.
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Step 10: Use a pair of tongs to dip the CDs into the water.
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Step 11: Cut the CDs into strips.
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Step 12: Cut the strips down into squares.
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Step 13: Set the ball upside down into a cup or bowl.
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Step 14: Hot glue your first few tiles around the bottom of the ball.
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Step 15: Continue gluing the tiles to the ball in rows.
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Step 16: Flip the ball over
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Step 17: and finish gluing the tiles.
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Step 18: Clean it up.
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Step 19: Tie a piece of string to make a loop.
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Step 20: Tie the string in a slip knot over the wire loop.
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Step 21: Hang the ball.
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Step 22: Use the ball.
Detailed Guide
You can do this using a skewer or a long knitting needle.
Cut a long piece of wire that is twice the length of your Styrofoam ball, plus a few extra inches.
Fold the wire in half. , Keep threading the wire until the bent part sticks out from the bottom of the ball by 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
This will eventually make the top of your disco ball. , Widen the bent part of the wire slightly.
Push a pencil through the loop.
Grip the wire below the pencil with a pair of needle nose pliers.
Twist the pencil a few times until the wire twists.
Remove the pencil.You can use a pen or paintbrush instead of a pencil. , Flip the ball over.
Gently tug on the wire until the loop is flush against the top of the Styrofoam ball.
Trim the excess wire at the bottom of the ball down to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) with a pair of wire cutters., Push one wire to the left, and the other wire to the right.
This will secure the ball to the wire, and keep it from falling off.For more security, fill the hole with hot glue. , You can paint the ball using spray paint or acrylic paint.
Silver would be a great choice, because it will help conceal any gaps.
For extra sparkle, add some glitter spray paint on top.Use caution with spray paint.
Some brands may dissolve some types of Styrofoam. , Scratched or cracked CDs are perfectly fine for this project.
Real CDs seem to work better than blank ones.
You can buy a bunch from a thrift shop.. , Fill a pot with water and set it on the stove.
Turn the heat up to high, and let the water come to a boil.
You will be dipping the CDs into this water to make them easier to cut., Hold the CD in the water for a few seconds.
Do not let it touch the bottom of the pot.
Pull it out before it starts to warp.
Work one CD at a time.If you have a lot of CDs to work with, boil only a few to start with.
If you boil too many at once, they will harden and cool before you finish cutting them. , Aim to make the strips about ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) wide.
The strips that are towards the center top/bottom of the CD will be attached to the plastic ring in the center.
Do not cut through this ring.
Simply snap the strips off of the ring.
Kitchen shears are best, as the CD material could ruin a good pair of thinner scissors.
Some of the strips may crack.
This is normal and happens sometimes.
Wear gloves during this step.
The CDs may still be hot. , Working on strip as a time, cut it into ½-inch (1.27-centimeter) squares.
Discard the squares from the outer edges of the CD; they will have curved edges. , If you have a small ball, set it upside down into a cup.
If you have a large ball, use a bowl instead.
This will keep the ball steady as you work. , Place a drop of hot glue onto the back of a tile.
Quickly press the tile against the bottom of the ball.
Hot glue a few more tiles around it.
Make sure that all of the tiles are touching.
You are starting from the bottom because that is the most visible part. , Try not to leave any gaps between the tiles; they should all be touching on all four sides.
This will give you a more finished, professional-looking disco ball.
Work one tile at a time and don't apply the hot glue directly to the ball.
If you do, it will harden and set before you get to it. , At one point, you will have covered all of the Styrofoam that is visible.
Carefully flip the ball over and set it back into its bowl or cup.
Continue gluing the tiles in rows around the ball until you reach the top.
Don't worry if the tiles don't end up looking perfectly even as they reach the wire loop.
This won't be visible once you hang the ball. , Hot glue tends to leave behind little hairs or threads, which can make your disco ball look messy.
Go over your ball, and pull off any little hairs that you can find.
Alternatively, you can blast it with a hair dryer., Cut a long piece of string; fishing line would work best.
Bring the ends together, and tie them into a sturdy knot. , Push the string, knotted side first, through the wire loop by about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters).
Pull the rest of the string through the loop made by the string.
Gently tug on the rest of the string to tighten the slip knot. , Insert a hook into the ceiling.
Slip the string over the hook. , Turn off the lights, and aim a flashlight, spotlight, or strobe light at the ball.
Give the ball a spin and watch how the reflected lights dance on the walls.
About the Author
William Coleman
Specializes in breaking down complex cooking topics into simple steps.
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