Gazing Balls Made from Recycled Bowling Balls from www.gardensandcrafts.com

Last Updated on April 18, 2008

Bowling Ball Art - Garden Spheres

I have recently acquired a passion for turning bowling balls into gazing balls. You may have seen them on some Garden Junk forums where they are commonly referred to as BBs. This page will be dedicated to the ones I make. Please note that I am not an expert by any means, I am just posting how I made mine and I will report back if I have trouble with them holding up well outside. I suggest, you do more research if you want to make your own. There is no right way or wrong way to make one, but since there are so many variables involved, such as the kind of glue or paint you are using, the amount you use and your weather conditions, what works for one person may not work for another. I will always try and post any new things I learn or any tips I may have that might help someone else. And as always, if you have any questions or want to add your own thoughts on the subject, e-mail me.

General Guidelines

1. If you live in an area with freezing temperatures, bring your BBs inside for the winter. A dry storage shed is fine. Otherwise they could crack.
2. You can find bowling balls at garage sales, thrift stores and bowling alleys. Many times you can get them for free at bowling alleys, all you have to do is ask.
3. The longer a project cures inside a controlled environment, whether it be painted or glued, the better it will hold up outside.
4. Sealing a project with a good outdoor sealer or polyurethane is usually a good idea.
5. Always start with a clean BB. You can use rubbing alcohol or vinegar to get the wax finish off the ball. A light sanding is also a good idea.
6. Sit your ball on a coffee can or some other object to make it easier to work on.
7. I prefer not to fill the finger holes as I sometimes use them to help fasten them to their stands. You can fill the holes with concrete or wood putty filler or even that spray foam insulation, if you prefer.

This is the first BB I ever made back in 2005. I really wanted a copper gazing ball, so I decided to paint one. The first thing I did was make sure the ball was clean. I used a paint prep liquid, since that is what I had already, but you can accomplish the same thing by cleaning it with rubbing alcohol or white vinegar. Sand it down a little after cleaning, then rinse off any dust and dry thoroughly.

The next step was to prime with a plastic spray primer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the can, but one thin coat should be enough. Then I proceeded to spray on three layers of paint, making sure each layer dried thoroughly before spraying the next layer. After that, I sprayed on three layers of a clear sealer.

It has held up outside for three growing seasons so far and shows no signs of the paint chipping.

This ball was made in 2006. I used Fleck Stone paint to make it look like stone or concrete. This type of paint will not hold up outside unless it is properly sealed and even then it can not be submerged in water for any length of time, so make sure it is on a stand and that water drains away from the ball when it rains. I am curious to see how long this will last before it needs to be repainted. I have many cans of this style paint that we got for free, so I am eager to use it up.

The prep was the same as the above ball; clean, sand, rinse, and a plastic primer coat. Then I sprayed several thin layers of the Fleck Stone paint until the ball was completely covered. It may take a full day for each layer to dry. It's important each layer dries otherwise the sandy part of the paint just slides off the ball. After it is covered to your liking, spray 3-4 layers of sealer especially designed for this style paint.

Hint: You can use less Fleck Stone paint by using a primer that is the same color as the Fleck Stone.

This ball was finished in January 2007, and has held up very well in it's first season outside. Before making your own, please research what glues and grouts would be good for your climate. Everyone has their own favorites and what works well for them. Update 4-18-08: Some of the tiles have come off this ball. I believe the reason why that happened is because the stand it was in was holding water. I believe that softened the Weldbond glue, as the tiles are only coming off where the water was sitting.

Prepping for a mosaic is basically the same; clean, sand, rinse. I did not use any kind of primer coat for this project. I used approximately 320, 3/4" x 3/4" red mirrored tiles on this ball. Yours may very depending on the size of your ball and of course the size of your tiles and your design.

To glue the tiles I used Weldbond glue because that is what I had on hand and there are no fumes. I know many people who do not like to use Weldbond outdoors, but according to the bottle, it is for use on outdoor and indoor projects. I think the key is to not use too much glue. I used a sponge brush to apply a thin layer to the tile and to the ball. I let the glue sit for several seconds before putting them together.

Weldbond is a thinner glue, so the tiles can slide around if you use too much glue. Also, the bond is weaker when you use too much glue because the glue has difficulty drying completely, especially on non-porous surfaces. If you have concerns about this, try using a construction adhesive, silicone or a thinset mortar to adhere your tiles instead.

I worked on a small section at a time, so that the tiles had a chance to set up in each section. I sat the ball on a piece of foam so that when I turned it around the tiles did not chip or break on a hard surface. It took me about a week to finish the ball, working about an hour each day.

After the ball dried for a couple of days, I grouted it. It's important that the glue be completely dry at this point. I purchased a black sanded grout at Lowes that came in a 10 pound carton. I also purchased liquid grout Admix. This is used in place of water, not necessary, but I thought it would be helpful since the finished project will be outside. One bowling ball takes about one pound of grout. I recommend using a scale to measure out the grout and the liquid. The bottle of Admix I bought was for a full container of grout, so I measured out 2.6 oz. of the liquid to add to one pound of grout. When you first start mixing grout, you may think you don't have enough liquid, but be patient. The grout will start to look like a very thick brownie mix. If you have too much liquid in your grout, the grout will be weaker, that's why I recommend measuring out the dry and liquid forms when you are first starting out. After a while, you will get the feel for how much you need and will be able to mix it without measuring, although, I find I have less waste when I measure it all out first.

To apply the grout, I find it is much easier to use your hands. You want to protect your hands so I wear two latex gloves on the hand I will be grouting with and one latex glove on the other hand. You also want to protect your work surface. I used a layer of newspaper, but a plastic drop cloth would do fine also.

After the grout is completely mixed start rubbing some grout in between the tiles with your hand. If you are grouting glass or mirror, be careful of the sharp edges (another good reason for wearing two gloves). If you get any colored grout on your skin, wash it off immediately so it doesn't stain your skin. Follow all precautions and instructions based on the brand you purchased. Keep rubbing the grout on until the level of the grout is the same level as the tiles. When you have finished, take a dry cloth and wipe off any excess grout from the tiles. You can also use paper towels. I found this to be better because I always had a clean towel to wipe with. Let the grout set up for 10-15 minutes, then go back over the tiles with a damp cloth to remove any more grout film (you may want to put on clean gloves at this point and have a bucket of clean water handy to rinse your sponge or cloth). If you don't remove this film now, it will be impossible to remove it later. I found that I had to buff each tile individually to get them clean.

Once the grout has cured (mine takes 48 hours) the grout should be sealed. You should find the sealer right next to the grout in the home improvement store. There are different types of sealer, matte finishes, semi-gloss, and high gloss finishes, just make sure they are for outdoor use if your project will be outside.

Clean-up is pretty easy at this point. Move the ball to a bowl or a coffee can so it can dry. Roll up the newspaper you used to protect your work surface and dump any grout water outside and put any grout residue from the bucket into the trash. Do not put grout water down the drain as it could harden and clog the drain.

Summary of items needed for this project: one old bowling ball, tiles, adhesive, grout, liquid to mix grout, disposable container and a spoon for mixing grout, bucket with water for cleaning, several clothes or sponges for cleaning grout, paper towels, newspaper or plastic cover to protect work surface, piece of foam or an old pillow for ball to sit on while you are tiling it, a small bowl or coffee can to sit ball on while grout is curing, sealer and a sponge brush to apply sealer.

This glass nugget BB was finished on March 24, 2007. I am very pleased with how it turned out. The photo, at left, does not really do it justice. I used the smaller clear glass nuggets and some larger nuggets in a blue and green color. I kind of wanted it to feel like the ocean when I was done. The bowling ball was already a green color, so there was no need to paint it. I glued the nuggets on with Plumber's Goop. At first they would slide around quite a bit, but I put a fan right on the BB as I was applying them and that made the adhesive tacky enough that they wouldn't slide around. The glass nuggets I used were in one pound bags. I used three pounds of the larger nuggets and at least 4-1/2 bags of the clear smaller nuggets. The number you will need will depend on the size of the ball and the size of the nuggets used.

See the Mosaics page for more pictures of this ball

My latest bowling ball (August 2007) was already a pretty blue color, so all I did was add some oblong clear glass globs in the shape of flowers and used cobalt blue glass globs as the center of each flower. There were a few spots that needed something to help fill in between blooms, so I just added frosted clear globs to those spots. I used Plumber's Goop, but clear silicone would do nicely as well.

The stand was purchased from a flea market and I think I will add some moss in the bottom and try to grow a little ivy in it next year.

This ball was covered with pre-mixed concrete patch and the river rocks were pressed into the concrete mixture. The bags of rocks were 28oz and it took 1-1/2 bags to complete. No grout was needed.

This pink garden sphere still needs to be grouted, but I wanted to show it to you all anyway. I will be grouting it when it gets warmer and will probably use a grey colored grout. This will be part of my pink flamingo display along with a coleus I have on order called 'Flamingo'. I think it will be a nice punch of color in the shade garden.