decorativeballs

I got an urgent message from one of my readers, Jessica H. with a request/challenge for all my creative Dollar Store Crafting readers out there:

I love those decorative ball thingies you can buy all over the place now.  They come in all different styles (mirrored, raffia-covered, floral, etc.) and you put them in pretty bowls and they serve no purpose whatsoever but to sit there and be pretty.  I have looked all over, but the cheapest that I could find them anywhere was something like $8 for 3 which is still too much to pay for something that is for all intents and purposes useless.  But I still want some.  I have racked my brain trying to figure out a way to make some of my own, but I haven’t come up with anything.  There might be tutorials out there on the internet, but I am too scared to Google “DIY decorative balls” if you know you what I mean.

Okay, maybe it’s not urgent exactly, but it is a request.

Lucky for Jessica, I actually stumbled across a tutorial for making twine-covered decorative balls this week. The tutorial is over at V and Co., and shows you how to color the twine and wrap it around the styrofoam balls. Found via U create. [click here for instructions on how to do this project]

The tutorial doesn’t mention any dollar store supplies, but I happen to know you can pick up styrofoam balls and twine at the dollar store, among other supplies like raffia, etc.

Project Estimate:

  • Styrofoam balls, $1 (for 3-6 balls)
  • Twine, $1
  • Spray paint, optional, on hand or about $3
  • Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up per ball

You can mix this project up to fit your own tastes in decor. For instance, I found these variants on the theme in an internet search:

woodslice-balls

Wood Slice (Retail: $7.99): Just cut up slices of some small branches and hot glue them to the balls.

naturalmaterialsballs

Various Natural Materials (Retail: $47.94 for 8): Glue pine cone pieces, bay leaves, and other natural components onto balls.

shell-ballPorcelain Shell (Retail: $72.50): Obviously you can’t make this out of porcelain (well, maybe YOU can, but I can’t), but you can get the look with real shells and some acrylic paint and lacquer. I might cover the styrofoam ball with papier-mache first and paint it dark blue if I was trying to get this exact look.

thumbtackball

And I found this in the Dollar Store Crafts archive, which I think would be an awesome modern take on the decorative ball: Thumbtack Armored Ball (just omit the ornament-hanging loop).

temariinspired.jpg

I also like these Temari-inspired thread-covered balls, also found in the Dollar Store Crafts archive.

I hope this gets you started, Jessica! And if anyone else has made some of these decorative balls or has a good dollar store idea for them, let me know!