One of the easiest and attractive garden accessories you can make on your own is concrete garden balls. They can come in various sizes and shapes and are used to accent your garden.
Keep reading for the benefits of garden concrete balls and how to make these beautiful accent pieces.
Why Make Concrete Garden Balls
Now that you have taken up gardening, you want to ensure that your garden has some unique features. Like your home, you can decorate your outdoor area, making it fit a specific theme or style that you would like.
Sizes Vary
One of the most incredible things about making your concrete garden balls is that you can make them as large or as small as you like. Many gardeners find that the ones in the stores are not the right size and want options so that they are not overbearing in size or overlooked because they are small. Each garden is different, so different sizes are critical.
Easy and Affordable
While it may be convenient to go ahead and purchase a concrete ball that is already made, it will hurt your wallet more than if you made them yourself. If you make them on your own, you can get more balls for the price of one.
How To Make Concrete Garden Balls at Home
If you are interested in making these concrete garden balls at home, you want first to make sure you have all of the necessary materials:
- Water
- Concrete Mix
- Container for mixing
- Glass light globe or ornament
- Plastic filter
- Rubber Gloves
- Oil Cooking Spray
- Hammer
- Stir Stick
- Plastic Bag, Heavy-duty
- Goggles
- Old Newspaper
- Apron
Day 1
Once you have assembled your items, follow the instructions below to make the ball:
- Spray the inside of the globe or ornament. Whatever shell you are using to make the concrete ball needs to be sprayed well on the inside.
- With gloves, makes sure to add water and concrete mix to the container. You want it to be thick when you are done stirring. You can add mortar instead of concrete as found here if you wish.
- Once you have finished mixing, you want to slowly add the mix to the light globe or the ornament. For the small ornaments, a plastic filter is ideal so that you are not spilling more of the mixture than you are getting into the globe.
- Once you have finished pouring your mix, you want it to sit for 48 hours so that it dries completely.
Once Day 1 is complete, you want to be sure you sit these balls aside so that they will stay out of the weather if you are expecting rain and can dry into complete globes.
Day 3 (48 Hours Later)
Now that it has been at least 48 hours, you will need to complete the following to ensure that you get solid concrete balls.
- Place your ball into a heavy-duty plastic bag and can zip entirely around the globe. For large balls, you may need to use the 13-gallon trash bags.
- Make sure you have on your goggles, and then grab your hammer.
- Start cracking the glass around the concrete, but make sure to be careful. You do not want to chip away at the concrete. Gentle taps will start breaking the glass, and it will fall apart.
- Take the ball out of the bag when you have cracked all around it, and then wipe any remaining shards of glass with a thick towel.
- Complete this step for each concrete ball that you have made. You can reuse the same bag for each ball to reduce waste and keep all the glass in the same place.
- If you want to sand down the edges as referenced in this video, you have that option.
Remember that you can make hollow concrete balls using a balloon and yarn for a different design. These open balls give a more modern design and are great to use as a trellis in your garden.
Final Thoughts
The options are endless, and you can get as creative as you would like. Creating your concrete balls at home allows you to put your personal touch in your garden and showcase your talents. You may find this a therapeutic experience and a craft that you can share with your friends. Your options for concrete balls extend as far as your creativity.
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