Need ideas on how to use these oak spheres.

Gayle
by Gayle
These oak spheres are used by a winery to add flavor to the wine. After use, they are thrown away. My sister (who works there) brought me a bag of around 300. She knows I am a crafter. Any ideas for uses? They are an inch in diameter.
  26 answers
  • Trixie63 Trixie63 on Jul 06, 2015
    Lucky you! The first thing I would do is fill a glass vase and set on the mantle as these would be a great conversation piece. I would think about cutting them in half and use as decorative trim on a table edge or on a frame. What fun to come up with tons of others ideas.
  • Christina Dorrego Christina Dorrego on Jul 06, 2015
    Hmm, hold in a vise, drill a small hole...hang at various lengths from something (maybe an overturned bowl? ) and make a wind chime out of them. Wood clacks nicely together. What else.....my daughter thought they would make nice feet glued on the bottom of pots...or throw them for a cat (lol), Paint them with dots, lines, waves, chevron, spiral....either high contrast or subtle (not in between) and in a vase display, or again with the wind chimes. Now I want some. I live in wine country. I had no idea these even exist!
  • Xri1825771 Xri1825771 on Jul 06, 2015
    First of all my warmest greetings from Greece.I am Xrisa and I think that you could paint them with metallic colours...maybe old gold ...and use them as legs for a decorated box you'll propably diy....or cover them with faux moss or even with old laces and use them as decoration on a vintage platter....
  • Carole Carole on Jul 06, 2015
    Paint them and use them as funky Xmas ornaments on your Xmas tree? Make colourful strings of them as well and hang for decoration.
  • Katrina Warren Katrina Warren on Jul 06, 2015
    How cool! I would definitely display at least some of them in a pretty apothecary jar. Beyond that your imagination is the limit! Maybe even drill holes in them & use a single wooden ball as a bead on a necklace & possibly sell them at the winery! Use your imagination & have FUN! Wish I had some of them! :)
  • Lpmr420 Lpmr420 on Jul 06, 2015
    I would take at least a hundred off your hands but postage from Texas to Canada would be extravagent to say the least! You could drill them and use several as lamp bases. Make an abacus for the kids. LOL Or photo holders, rock style or antenna style; mail holders, book ends, extra large framed art for above the living couch, darning balls for sock darning.... OMG... the uses are endless. I am going crazy just imagining it all!!! Have fun! And if all else fails.... paint them bright colours & turn them into kids wooden caterpillars for room decor - sell them & make lots of money. :)
  • Lpmr420 Lpmr420 on Jul 06, 2015
    Painted animal or flower drawer pulls...!!! You're killin me here.... LOL
  • Kathy Kathy on Jul 06, 2015
    I like the idea of displaying them in a special bowl or large apothecary jar. Keep some in their natural state, paint some solid colors (metallics like bronze, gold, silver, and copper OR colors to match your decor), and use a wood burning tool to make designs on some of them. Putting a variety of them in a bowl or jar would look pretty. And I just thought of another one...Christmas ornaments. Paint, glitter, attach a string at the top (drill small hole, hot glue string in hole) have fun and good luck! Kathy from Lake Forest, CA
  • Wyleta Wyleta on Jul 07, 2015
    Maybe a bottle finial, decorate bottle with twine, barbed wire, etc. for a rustic look. Or a lamp finial, paint or stain of your choice. Another thought. Take a piece of crown molding, screw oak spheres an inch or so apart down the length of molding, hang on wall to hang scarfs or necklaces on.
  • Shelley S Shelley S on Jul 07, 2015
    I would paint a bunch of them in bright happy colors and display them in a basket or bowl. I have a big wire basket full of antique pool baalls. The colors are beautiful.
  • Ann Ann on Jul 07, 2015
    Paint several in holiday colors and display?
  • Christina Dorrego Christina Dorrego on Jul 07, 2015
    So many cleve ideas! I am dying to know how you use them. They must smell wonderful too. I thought of a new one. Rather than have tassels at the ends of curtain tie backs, stop the cord with this. Or the cord of louver blinds, or what ever is similar.
  • Carol Theofane Carol Theofane on Jul 07, 2015
    Paint them to look like Christmas ornaments and display in a bowl
  • Sharolyn T Sharolyn T on Jul 07, 2015
    Keep some of them natural...some would look pretty in a 'whitewash', white and pale colors so the natural wood grain shows.
  • Carol Carol on Jul 07, 2015
    Drill holes in them and use as ball feet for shelves, trunks, boxes/crates, chairs etc. I have a cedar chest that needs new feet and these would be perfect. I also think for plant saucers or flower box feet. You can also thread them "wheels" on the crates. Paint them for kids Bochi ball type game.
  • Pamela Slivkoff Bennett Pamela Slivkoff Bennett on Jul 08, 2015
    I'd drill a fairly "smallish" hole straight thru each ball. Then I'd use some beading wire to make a wind chime. I'd add my larger beads, charms, etc. to add color! I can already envision how beautiful it would be! I think I'd also paint most of them beautiful bright colors, each different from the other and maybe even add a design on a few! I forgot to mention what is going to hold these balls. How about a nice metal decor used for your walls inside your house. That way you can secure the wire on easily. If you know about beading, you can even secure on as you would when making jewlery!
  • Ricardo Martinez Ramos Ricardo Martinez Ramos on Jul 09, 2015
    Personally I would drill a hole in them, then soak them in enough linseed oil for a few days or even a week. Meanwhile I would get hold of a pole (an unused pinewood curtain pole for instance) and drill a series of holes in it. Rescue the balls from the linseed oil, there is no need to throw the remainder away as it's perfectly re-usable, put them on top of plenty of newspapers to dry. Leave them in a dry spot for a few days so the oil has a chance to dry up a bit. Once dry and manageable, pass some fishing line through the balls to the length of my kitchen door height and hang them from the pole. Continue until I have completed a screen as wide as my door then hang. No fly will ever get near it. Incidentally, would your sister consider selling them at a reasonable price? post them to the UK? Just a thought.
  • OhSally OhSally on Jul 11, 2015
    May I just say that I'd love to adopt your sister!
  • Marie Marie on Jul 12, 2015
    If you're crafty, you could make angels for your Christmas tree, usin the oak spheres for the head.
  • Elizabeth Butterfield Elizabeth Butterfield on Jul 13, 2015
    Leave them the way they are and put them in a classy bowl of some kind, for any flat surface. Beautiful. Or I will trade you some 12 in. pine cones for a bowl of them.
    • See 1 previous
    • Gayle Gayle on Jul 13, 2015
      I purchased an 18 inch jar to display and I've only used about half. More projects to come.
  • Bwarner50 Bwarner50 on Jul 13, 2015
    Use them for knobs on drawers, apothecary jars, or anywhere else you need a handle! Make a board and use these knobs for hangers for scarves, sweaters, etc. in a mud room or entry.
  • Cshuck1970 Cshuck1970 on Jul 13, 2015
    Zentangle them! I teach classes on the subject in the Kansas City area. You can see pictures of some Zentangle projects I have done by typing in Zentangle in the search box on my website: The Deadly Nightshade
  • OhSally OhSally on Jul 13, 2015
    Zentangle would be fun...My daughter does it and her finished projects are just beautiful. She sometimes adds color to her designs which would be nice on these balls. She uses black ink on white paper or white ink on black paper then colors in the designs. You could use white ink on these balls or paint them white and use black.
  • Yvonne Yvonne on Jul 18, 2015
    Wrap them with twine. You can dye the string different colors so they are all interesting colors, put them in a pretty basket.
  • Liv Liv on May 23, 2018

    Ornaments, or a unique garland.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 03, 2021

    Hi,

    Drill into them and make beads that can be used to decorate furniture items or make a child's abacus. Cut them in half and stick to furniture or frames.