Concrete Garden Balls

3 Materials
Concrete crafts are really fun to make. You start with messy gooey mix that you pour into a mold and in the end you wind up with a solid sleek surface.
These concrete garden balls are wonderful surprises tucked in between ferns or lining a walkway. The best part is that they're simple and only require a little mess.
These concrete garden balls are made with portland cement and peat moss mixed together. The ratio of peat moss to portland cement depends on how shiny or rustic you want the balls to be. All portland cement with no peat moss will result in a very shiny smooth surface. A 1:1 ratio of cement to peat moss will result in a very rustic garden ball full of tiny holes with a matte surface. I made these with about a cup of peat moss to 6 cups of portland cement.
To make the garden balls you'll need these glass globes. You can find them new at any hardware store but you can usually find them much cheaper at thrift stores or garage sales.
Pour the cement mix into the globes and let them sit until the cement is hardened, about 2-3 days.
Once the cement is dry, gently break away the glass with a hammer. Do this outside while wearing safety glasses. Be very careful because glass shards will fly. Cover the ground with a tarp or trash bag for easy clean up. If you used a lot of peat moss, you might have to clean up the ball with a wire brush and water to clean out the holes in the cement surface.
In the end you'll have these great concrete garden balls to enjoy.
Bobbie Byrd - Clumsy Crafter
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 6 questions
  • Amber D. Freeman Amber D. Freeman on Mar 12, 2018

    These look awesome. Has anybody tried glitter? Do you think that would work with that. I think I might try it, and see how it comes out. thanks for the idea. :-)

  • Molly Chris Mathis Molly Chris Mathis on May 04, 2018

    Maybe enclose the mold in a plastic bag before removing the glass?

  • Kent Pavelka Kent Pavelka on Jun 24, 2018

    What do you do with them after you break the glass away from the concrete? Are they painted with something? The 2nd to last photo looks like the concrete but the last photo has the white glassy look to it. Have to finish them with something after breaking the globe away from the concrete, right?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 138 comments
  • Redbird Redbird on Dec 31, 2018

    I like these they are really cute. I want to get the giant plastic balls that kids play with. The kind that Walmart sells and fill them up with concrete. Then when they are dry I will cut the plastic away from them and paint them a bright color to put at the end of my drive.

  • Skiier68 Skiier68 on Jun 06, 2020

    Yes!!! Love love love this

Next