People who want an instant party in their place can add a disco ball to their room. The reflecting and rotating glass spheres have been lighting up dance floors from the age of jazz to today’s electronic dance music (EDM) era.
But this party ball isn’t just limited to dance clubs. You can hang a disco ball as decoration in your home.
How Disco Balls Became Popular
This shiny accessory made its first documented appearance in 1897. “Electrical Worker,” a publication of an electrician’s union in Massachusetts, released an issue discussing the group’s yearly party along with its most notable decorations.
N.B.E.W., the group’s initials, featured a light flashed on a mirrored ball and incandescent lamps of varying colors on wire mesh over the ballroom.
The disco ball, however, became a fad throughout the 1920s. Louis B. Woeste filed a patent for a product that was an early version of the modern disco ball.
Why Add a Disco Ball to Your Home
Disco balls have rolled right out of nightclubs and into people’s homes.
Hanging a disco ball can make a boring room look interesting. This mirror ball can steal the spotlight in a living space that’s full of muted hues. The reason this works is that the mirror ball is an unanticipated addition to such a space.
What’s more, a disco ball can add a flash of fun to your home office décor. Gone are the days of home offices featuring subdued décor and lackluster desk chairs.
Today, these offices come with plenty of personality. Decorating this part of your home with a disco ball gives metallic interest to the space — and reminds you not to work too hard.
How to Hang a Disco Ball
You don’t need to catch a Saturday Night Fever to have a reason to shake your tailfeather on the dance floor. You can hang a disco ball in your home and enjoy the ultimate party atmosphere.
Here are the steps to help you incorporate this mirror ball into your home décor:
Find the Perfect Spot
One of the most logical choices to hang a disco ball is the center of a ceiling. Don’t limit yourself, though. You can hang this party ball from practically anywhere.
Example spots include:
- Corners of a Room
- Under a Loft Bed
- Garages or Recreational Rooms
- On Dining Tables, Coffee Tables or Shelves
When picking a location, consider the lighting source to enhance the effect of the reflective mirrored tiles.
Securely Attach the Disco Ball
The appropriate mounting method will depend on the weight and size of your disco ball. Use screws and hooks specifically designed to attach objects to the ceiling. Swag hooks along with ceiling S-hooks make excellent choices for mini disco balls.
If your ball doesn’t come with a string or a chain to hang it from, use a monofilament fishing line to tie it to a ceiling hook.
As for a heavy or big disco ball, you’ll need to secure them using studs or ceiling joists to support its weight and prevent it from breaking through the drywall.
If you’re attaching a motorized disco ball, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer when attaching the unit. Make sure that the mirror ball stays secure at all times.
Light Up the Disco Ball
A simple way to recreate a classic disco vibe is to illuminate the disco ball with one or two light sources. Experiment with angles to obtain the most creative lighting effects. You can use sunbeams, pin lights and spotlights to manipulate the small mirrored tiles and produce prismatic patterns on walls.
When lighting up the disco ball, consider multi-colored lighting to produce a kaleidoscope effect. Use a minimum of two complementary colors, such as cyan and red or magenta and green. You can easily change the conventional white light present in pin lights and spotlights using affordable colored lenses.
How to Decorate with a Disco Ball
You’re not limited to hanging your disco ball from the ceiling. There are other ways to decorate with this shiny accessory.
Here are other design ideas that you can try:
Place the Disco Ball on the Floor
People expect to see this mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. Strategically putting this accessory on the floor can be unexpected and deliver great visual impact. This decoration suggestion subverts expectation by placing the ball in an unconventional location.
When thinking of an area for your disco ball, consider choosing an empty corner of a room. Alternatively, you could place the ball near other décor elements, such as the fireplace. Leaving this accessory nearby will attract attention more compared to hanging it as usual.
Whatever location you go with, avoid creating a look that suggests you forgot to take down party decorations and instead incorporate the disco ball seamlessly.
Put the Ball Under the Table
When you check a room for an ideal disco ball spot, don’t overlook the space under the table. This can be a desk or a coffee table. Either way, this free space is an excellent spot to create an elegant display with the help of a disco ball.
If possible, place this shiny accessory under Lucite or glass tables, as they give a great view of the shimmery ball.
Change the Color of Your Disco Ball
Don’t just stick to silver. You have the option to break the usual conventions. One suggestion is to paint the disco ball a golden color. A golden party ball can project a sea of sparks and turn up the intensity thanks to its extra color splash.
How to Make a DIY Disco Ball
If you’re on a budget but still want to spruce up your home, you can make a disco ball using basic materials. The supplies you’ll need are the following:
- Wire cutters or a pair of scissors
- Styrofoam ball
- Mirror tiles
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Screw hook (optional)
The first step is to attach the hook to the foam ball. You can skip this step if you don’t plan to hang the mirror ball from your ceiling.
Next, glue the tiles to the foam ball using the glue gun. Do this step until you completely cover the ball with mirror tiles. Once that’s done, display your homemade disco ball in your preferred area.
A disco ball goes beyond being a staple in dance clubs. This accessory can add an exclamation point to a dull living space.
