Asked on May 11, 2013

garden ideas for bowling balls.

My parents used to bowl and each had their own balls. They're both gone and I inherited the bowling balls ( i don't bowl, btw ) I'd love to use them in the garden and have googled it. several ideas involved gluing odd things to them which seems like it would destroy them and that's not what I want.. Any ideas?
  19 answers
  • Ruth james Ruth james on May 11, 2013
    I added bowling balls I bought at tag sales and didn't do anything to them sort of like gazing balls, and boy! are they conversation starters with the walkers!!!! :)
  • Frances S Frances S on May 12, 2013
    check out mine on my post here, I made a lady bug out of one, Glued flat glass marbles on one. and I mod podge one.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on May 12, 2013
    I found this idea online... http://www.houseofhawthornes.com/2010/06/bowling-ball-yard-art.html I think the pennies add a cool element.
  • Bert Doeing Bert Doeing on May 12, 2013
    I too use mine in place of gazing balls, both on the ground and on stands. I live rural and the wind is not nice to the glass gazing balls out here. I even have found the some of the "critters" aka raccoons have played with the ones that have been set on the ground by "repositioning" them.
  • House Of Hawthornes House Of Hawthornes on May 12, 2013
    I was going to mention my penny ball, but @KMS Woodworks mentioned it first :) If you don't want to glue do anything to them, you could put them on a birdbath base to keep them off the ground (sort of like a gazing ball) or maybe find a silverplated chafing dish stand like I have my penny ball on. I see them all the time at the thrift stores. Just remember that you don't want rain to get in the finger holes, so whatever you end up doing with them outside, make sure the finger holes aren't pointing upwards. Show us what you end up doing with them!
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on May 12, 2013
    @Candace Welsh-Payne check out this HT search for bowling balls - http://www.hometalk.com/search?filter=bowling+balls I love the penny theme that @KMS Woodworks suggested and others have done some interesting things as well.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on May 13, 2013
    Try getting a flower pot saucer the right size, then a pot that it fits on perfectly. You could paint the pot whatever color you desire (or leave it clay colored) and use it as a stand for the balls. You can partially bury the second pot to make it a different height. This should be easy to work out.
  • Kelly Christianson Kelly Christianson on May 13, 2013
    I saw one where someone glued plastic lizards and geckos on a bowling ball, then spray-painted it a bright copper color. Then it was placed on a small iron stand. The supply list said to get the lizards at the dollar store, and a $5 can of Krylon paint. I'm going to try it, and put it next to the penny ball I made last year.
  • Candace Welsh-Payne Candace Welsh-Payne on May 14, 2013
    Thank you so much ladies..for all your feedback. As I said initially I don't want to glue anything to these balls..however with all the great 'glued' ideas I'm now going to have to find some balls at yard sales to try these ideas with. Stand back....I'm on a ROLL ( no pun intended...well ok..maybe there was a pun intended ) )
  • CAROLE M ARBUCKLE CAROLE M ARBUCKLE on May 15, 2013
    My girlfriend has a very unique back yard and she spray painted 6 in various colors and placed them in areas of her large black bark flower beds. It truely IS a conversation piece! Go for it!
  • Pat Koltz Pat Koltz on May 15, 2013
    I just completed a penny ball for my sister, whose name is Penney (it was our father's ball, he passed away 9/7/2011) so it had sentimental value as well. It was relatively easy, but I did learn a few things as I went along. I used E6000 glue and once I allowed the glue to harden, I spray painted the entire ball a gloss copper, then several over coats of clear gloss polyurethane to help weather proof it. There are so many people using bowling balls to decorate or paint and place in your garden to highlight them. I've seen some very pretty balls that are just painted very unique colors with high gloss so they shine. I've got a couple more balls used by Mom & Dad I'm going to decorate also. One is purple, one is blue and one is RED. I want a ladybug ball, can't decide if I should use the red ball for that, or a black one I found at a thrift store. In any case, it's fun looking at what others have done by searching for bowling ball yard art. I filled the holes with a waterproof silicone caulk. Others I've read have packed the holes with paper towel and then the last 1/2" or so, sealed it with the waterproof silicone caulk. I will do that next time because when the caulk was dry it was supposed to dry clear. It never did loose the white, so I'm assuming there was too deep a hole that it didn't get air to dry the entire hold. If you're interested in any of the other projects I've completed or working on, please visit https://www.facebook.com/Backonthefarm?ref=hl Here's a link to all sorts of bowling ball art for the garden. http://pinterest.com/crazypi/garden-bowling-balls/
  • Pauliegirl1 Pauliegirl1 on May 05, 2015
    You could spray paint them with glow in the dark paint??? Each time u drive up at nite, they will be "glowing"!!
  • Msi1170121 Msi1170121 on Jun 03, 2015
    I understand you not wanting to significantly alter the balls. What you are seeking to build is a type of memorial. I'd suggest treating them like a gazing ball...there are several display stands available. Then plant some of their favorite flowers around it and perhaps adding other objects around that would trigger memories.
  • Candace Welsh-Payne Candace Welsh-Payne on Jun 03, 2015
    msimpson45 thank you.. that's actually what I ended up doing but have left this open for brilliant ideas which keep coming in.
  • Steve Steve on Aug 23, 2015
    I don't bowl anymore because of back problems. Check out how I recycled my bowling ball. http://www.instructables.com/id/Bowling-Ball-Garden-Water-Feature/
  • Jan Talbert Jan Talbert on Mar 14, 2016
    I match the colors to my flower beds. Pink/Rose on a stand near my pink glads. Purple within my iris beds. Blue swirl by the water feature/fish pond.
  • Legion Legion on Mar 15, 2016
    Glue colored flat stones on it and sit it by a tree.
  • Wendy Wendy on Apr 08, 2016
    I have two that I spray painted and set in a globe stand...looks great and never breaks!