Kudos to you.........you have taken the first step!!!!!!!

I went the penny route and didn't care for it at all - but that was because I couldn't see the pennies staying equally shiny. Thus it didn't appeal to me. I stopped and pulled the pennies off the ball.

Foolproof would be the flat marbles + GE Silicone II caulk.

Easy and not too classy - spray paint some off beat color.

Cheapest would be collage of garden catalog photos.

The latter is next on my list of things to do.

Whatever route you chose, just have fun with it!!!!

the flat marble look really cool I think. I'm wondering...what about pieces of mirrors? would that create a fire hazzard with the sun shinning on it? LOL...the last thing i need is to cause a reflection from the sun and blow up my neighbors car!!

Flat marbles were how I started. They are very simple. If you want to practice on something smaller, try a softball or golf ball or I used a lot of the glass ivy bowls, rose bowls and fish bowls from the craft store at first, too.

I have a BB with mirror pieces. No problems here. It's out in a bed that gets sun nearly all day and I've had it for about three summers. Mirrors or small mosaic pieces are probably not the best starter projects because you have to make sure the pieces are broken up small enough so that they will ahere to the round ball. You end up with lots of sharp pieces so it's best to grout, which isn't hard but can take awhile to complete. It takes awhile.

Good luck!

I saw something pretty cool in a garden design magazine. It would require you visit a lot of junk shops and buy old bowling bowls though. These people picked a place in the garden that was sort of tucked away and rather shaded, and they built a bowling ball pyramid - a garden statue if you will. Your gdad's ball could hold the place of honor on the tip top. Surprisingly, this looked very nice the way it was done.

Another option would be to build a metal 'flower' that would be large enough to place the bowling ball in the center as the center of the flower. This would also be a whimsical garden structure.

The only other thing I can think of is put it in any metal pot holder (instead of the flower pot, of course) - you could glue spagnum peat/moss on it to make it look earthy if you wanted, but I think shiney black is a nice look too.

I liked the broken mirrors glued on this, and it might look kinda cool - if you then placed it nestled into a bed of groundcover, so it's 1/3 covered up - it would reflect the groundcover and be an interesting visual....

let us know what you end up doing with it.

msjacki, did you go thru our Inspiration Album and see all the bowling balls done in it? One is copper painted and covered with rubber lizards (come in a bag at Walmart in toy dept. Frogs too.)

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: GJ Inspiration Album

WOW!! Thanks so much for these awsome ideas! Now my only problem is choosing WHICH one I want to do! I'll post a pic when I'm done.

Karen, thanks for that link....I've been trying to find that.

I would think decoupage would be the easiest route to take. There is one in the inspiration album that is blue and just gorgeous. I can imagine some wrapping papers being very pretty on a bowling ball. I would suggest if you do the half marbles to paint the black ball first. Well prime it and then paint it. If you choose a color close to the color of your marbles, it will look prettier showing throw the glass. Probably the easiest way would be to paint it a metallic color (I have seen them painted copper and silver) and place it on a pretty stand. Just give it a few coats of sealant before putting it outside.

Here are mine...good luck with yours!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bowling Ball Art

I painted mine to look like a frog (I made wooden frog feet for the ball to sit on.), ladybug, pumpkin, a red and white fishing bobber, and a bumble bee.

i did the bowling ball with the flat marbles and it was cute but my latest is gorgous and this is what i did- i just cleaned it and SPRAYPAINTED it with krylon spray paint in hammered copper. that is some awesome spray paint. have to do another coat but will post a pic later.

The easiest one that I have done is the first one in this gallery - it was painted black with outdoor glossy paint and the gold leaves were rub-ons from the craft store. I used a gold paint pen to add the tendrils and stems. Sealed with clear varnish and voila! I do not put my bowling balls in direct sun and I always bring them in for the winter. Good luck with your project - let me know if you need any help. ~lorraine

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ Bowling Ball Gallery 3

CAUTION on the pennies. I was trying to clean mine and it only worked on SOME pennies. As it turns out very little of a penny is copper anymore and the new alloy does not clean up so great! Oh well, I still love my ball. I have done a few others with the rounded glass stones people use in the bottom of flower arrangements. A sack or two and a tube of GE silicone II makes a wonderfully fun BB. Dollar stores sell the stones.

I was going to give you the instructions I've been collecting, but see you got a teriific link that tells you nearly everything. Did it say to get 6 and a half bags of half marbles to do a regular sized bowling ball? Also I thought this person I'm quoting below had good information on preparation:

"I paint mine with Fusion paint for plastics, or I use a plastic primer first and then a spray paint of my choice. I let the ball cure for 2 weeks per the can instructions, then I spray 3-4 layers of an outdoor clear poly on it and let that cure for another day or two, then it can go outside. I also spray it with clear poly every spring and bring them inside for the winter as they could crack depending on what the ball was made of. Make sure you get the waxy coating off the ball first by washing it with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution or rubbing alcohol."

Hope some of this helps! We're anxious to see what you do! I want to do my first one too!

Where do you guys find the bowling balls? I never see them in the thrift stores I frequent, and I'm not much of a yard sale shopper (too lazy/small town/3 kids...those are my excuses).

rmlanza - go to bowling alley and offer to give a respectful funeral to any dead balls - they will GIVE them away!!!

daisyme - bag size varies significantly - so it is hard to give a number of bags needed. Perhaps if you name the store it would help, i.e. Michaels, or JoAnns, or dollar store.

I have been a member of GW for many years and I have to say that this is THE BEST forum! You all have been so nice and forthcoming with your suggestions. I couldn't make up my mind so I got two more bowling balls from my uncle! LOL, now I will do three!! I will do my granddad's last because it is so special to me and I will practice on the other two. I will be sure to post pictures!!

Just a little hint...

If you decide to decoupage your BB, they will fade if they are put outside. You might be able to place it on a covered porch. Mine faded even in the shade. It still looks pretty good nevertheless.

i love the tiger painted bb. who every painted it is very talented. years of practice to do a job like that. keep up the great work everyone. so so many talented and crafty people in here. i am learning a lot here and cant wait to get started on some new projects like the tin man also. thanks for the inspirations, really help on the depressed days i go through.