Make a Disco Ball with CDs

You can still dance to old CDs even if you don't like the music on them any more. Just turn them into a disco ball to boogie under! It's a smart and fun project to recycle all those unwanted freebie CDs and turn them into something funky and new. All you need are some CDs, a Styrofoam ball, shears, and some glue!

Steps

Making the Base

1. Poke a hole through a Styrofoam ball. You can do this using a skewer or a long knitting needle.
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.
3. Thread the wire through the hole. 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.
4. Twist the wire into a hanging loop. 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.
5. Trim the excess wire. 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.
6. Fold the wire against the ball. 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.
7. Paint the ball. 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.

Prepping the Tiles

1. Find some CDs. 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..
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. 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.
3. Use a pair of tongs to dip the CDs into the water. 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.
4. Cut the CDs into strips. 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.
5. Cut the strips down into squares. 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.

Putting it Together

1. Set the ball upside down into a cup or bowl. 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.
2. Hot glue your first few tiles around the bottom of the ball. 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.
3. Continue gluing the tiles to the ball in rows. 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.
4. Flip the ball over, and finish gluing the tiles. 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.
5. Clean it up. 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.
6. Tie a piece of string to make a loop. Cut a long piece of string; fishing line would work best. Bring the ends together, and tie them into a sturdy knot.
7. Tie the string in a slip knot over the wire loop. 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.
8. Hang the ball. Insert a hook into the ceiling. Slip the string over the hook.
9. Use the ball. 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.

Tips

• You can color the pieces with permanent marker to give the ball a multi-colored effect.
• Some CDs are silver on both sides; keep the shiny side out when gluing such CD pieces.
• Get a toy motor (for example, one from building block sets) to turn your disco ball. With some building block motors, it is possible to attach it to a long string of rods and connectors.
• You can use old records for this project too! Just put the shiny black part facing out.
• Can't find a Styrofoam ball? Get out a paper lantern instead, and paint it silver instead.
• Make mini disco balls using ornaments. You can paint the ornament first, or use it as it is.
• For a more decorative, mosaic look, cut the disc into different-sized squares. You can also cut it into triangles and rectangles as well.

Warnings

• The CD pieces may be sharp.
• Be careful with hot glue guns. The high-temp ones can cause blisters.

Things You'll Need

• Styrofoam ball
• Skewer
• Thin wire
• Wire cutters
• Needle nose pliers
• Silver spray paint
• CDs
• Saucepan
• Tongs
• Kitchen shears or sturdy scissors
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
• Fishing line or clear string

Related Articles

• Make Bowls out of Vinyl Records
• Decorate a Mirror with CDs You Don't Need
• Reuse and Recycle Old CDs and DVDs
• Design a CD Coaster

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Mosaic Table Top
• Make a Paper Mosaic
• Make a Mosaic Flower Pot
• Make Tile Floors from Scrap Materials
• Create a Mosaic Shower Enclosure
• Make a Mosaic Stained Glass Window
• Do Mosaics
• Make a Mosaic from Broken Tiles

What links here

• Dance Disco
• Make a Pretend Credit Card
• Recycle Plastic Bottles