DIY Penny Balls for Your Garden

Cindi McGee
by Cindi McGee
Penny balls are quick and easy to make! They look beautiful in your garden, and they also repel slugs and will make hydrangea flowers blue. I found many samples to inspire me on Pinterest, most made with bowling balls, but I thought Smoothfoam would be the perfect base for my penny garden ball. Weatherproofing the Smoothfoam with varnish will make it safe to use outdoors. Mine has been in my garden now for almost 2 years, year-round, and still looks great! The pennies have a bit of a patina, but the foam is still intact, which is just what I wanted.
6″ Smoothfoam ball - www.smoothfoam.com


Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Spray Paint – Satin Brown Boots


Marine Varnish by EarthSafe Finishes


Beacon 527 Adhesive


Paint brush


Pennies
1. Spray the ball with brown spray paint and let dry.
2. Apply a coat of Marine Varnish over the entire surface of painted ball and let dry.
3. Glue the pennies to the ball and let dry.
4. Apply a coat of Marine Varnish over the pennies and let dry.
Cindi McGee
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 11 questions
  • Rose Marie Rose Marie on Jul 03, 2019

    How many of these do you need in a vegetable garden? Slugs are eating up my green beans and a few other plants. One for each plant?

  • Angela Colello Angela Colello on Jul 21, 2019

    Do you polish the pennies or mix old with new? Also is it heavy enough for a windy day to stay put

  • Jane Toomajanian Jane Toomajanian on Feb 01, 2020

    If you varnish over the pennies, will it still repel the slugs?

Comments
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3 of 118 comments
  • Betty Neu Betty Neu on Jun 12, 2020

    I will try this project! Thank you for the complete instructions with a list of the supplies and where to find them. Betty

  • Sharon Lane-eckert Sharon Lane-eckert on Aug 22, 2020

    I have a lot of penny's. I had glass top coffee and end tables, I cover the tops with penny's, I Love them, so many people comments about them. Sharon

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