Asked on Jul 16, 2013

Got Bowling Balls, need ideas LOL!

Sia@South 47th
by Sia@South 47th
We just found over 20 very vintage bowling balls WITH the cases up in the garage rafters. None of them are the 'cool' ones, you know like pearlized or great colours? Nope, all are black, dirt brown and muddy red. You all know I'm pretty creative, but I'm stuck with what to re-purpose these into. I don't like those bowling ball 'critters' (butterflies, ants, etc) and re-painting them is well too obvious. SO WTH can I do with these? HELP ME PLZ! ;) Thank you all of my Hometak buddies!!! I didn't post a pic because we all know what they look like. But if you want me too, you know I will. xoxo
  56 answers
  • Nancy G Nancy G on Jul 16, 2013
    Hi Sia, Is it possible for you to cut off the tops of them (not where you put your fingers into) and if they're hollow, you could use them as planters? I'd paint them multi colored if you did that. Just a thought
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Nancy G Hi! I like that idea!! I'll have to see if they are hollow. They are HEAVY, so I'm thinking they aren't.
  • Nancy G Nancy G on Jul 16, 2013
    if not, you could send them my way & i could go bowling for cats! LOL
  • Z Z on Jul 16, 2013
    Oh and bowling balls are not hollow.
  • Mary Insana Mary Insana on Jul 16, 2013
    Use silicone and attach flat backed gems and make gazing balls for your garden.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Nancy G Hahahahaaa!!! You've got your hands full with those fur babies! But they are darlings!
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Z YES!!!!!!!! Love the Table leg idea!!!!!!! BRILLIANT!!! I'm thinking 'stacked, maybe 2 or 3 high? Each drilled through to hold rebar or something, for stability?
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Mary I. Yeppers, good idea! But do you think it's been done too many times? I don't know.
  • Z Z on Jul 16, 2013
    I was thinking just one ball per leg for a coffee table or maybe under an old chest. They are heavy so you'd have to take that into consideration. Even the lightest bowling balls are six pounds each and can weigh up to sixteen pounds.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Z Right, right. And these are VERY heavy. I haven't weighed them but they are old and heavy. I REALLY like the leg idea of yours and now you've mentioned a chest! I love that idea and I have a chest that just might work for this. Or maybe, some of my old wire baskets that are long. I could attach 2 of them together and use the bowling balls for the feet? Sort of an industrial funky look?
  • Mary Insana Mary Insana on Jul 16, 2013
    Who cares how many times its been done. Unless you already have 100's in your garden I'd say go for it! I had 2 old bowling balls one in green swirl and the other in blue swirl. I put them in my garden the way they were and my kids(teenagers) kept saying how weird I was for putting the bowling balls in the yard. Every time I turned around they put them in the garage. I kept them a couple years then donated them to Goodwill. Oh how I wish I still had them to attach gems to and put them back in their place of honor in my garden,
  • Z Z on Jul 16, 2013
    I like the basket idea Sia. As I was reading that I got another quirky idea when you said the baskets are big. Ofcourse you'd have to have the right place for them and no little ones to knock them out and break their toes. Believe me, I know for fact that can happen. Anyway, if the baskets are durable enough just paint the balls using some neat paint techniques and then display them in the large basket. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q31niNcOKDI/S7aZmlRiUeI/AAAAAAAAA2I/JxnPwkW1tRU/s400/04032010.jpg
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Mary I. Yep you're right and they DO make such beautiful garden accents! Thank you my friend! xo
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Z Nice idea!!! I like that a LOT!! Thank you!
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 16, 2013
    @Mary I. Heck if you didn't live so far away and these didn't weigh so much I'd mail you a couple!
  • Z Z on Jul 16, 2013
    I'm glad you like it Sia. It was kind of out there, but kind of fun too so I thought I'd go ahead and write it. I have at least 19 old bowling balls of my hubby's on wooden racks he built for them in the basement that I've been wanting to make into gazing balls to place throughout our garden area between the house and sidewalk but I made the dumb choice to mention it to him before I did it. I'd had the idea, but kept it to myself until he finally said he wasn't going to use any of those balls, he has at least four more in his bowling bag (yes they make bags to hold four bowling balls), and I blurted out what I wanted to do with them. I'm thinking of doing some anyway just to see what he thinks. He always needs to actually see something before he really knows if he likes it so I usually share photos, but I'm thinking in this case he needs to see the real thing. Oh, I got a mean thought, I think I'll get the glue and have this be a craft project I do with our grandson so Grampa will have to like them. Ha ha ha. I'm normally not that mean, but I know Owen would love making these.
  • Penny Jo Haskin Penny Jo Haskin on Jul 16, 2013
    GOT BOWLING BALLS...see the project of making garden color balls etc. by covering them with mosaic recycled from old dvds and cds...super colorful and I think this could work on a bowling ball...as well as give you a color spot heavy weighted garden ball to hold down the fort when the winds set in...???
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 17, 2013
    @Z Hahaha Isn't it funny how the men always need a "VISUAL". I find that to be the main point of contention with Kurt and I. I can just "SEE IT, in my mind", he can NOT, he has to actually SEE it. hahahhaa Gotta love 'em. You just brought up a GREAT idea that I had not even considered! Making at least 1 of these into a garden Ball WITH my Grand-daughter! THANK YOU for that! I'm going to do it! She loves 'making and creating' anyway, so she will love this!! Many Thanks to you once again! xo
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 17, 2013
    @Penny Jo Haskin Hi there fellow Californian! I would have never thought of dvds/cds! Wouldn't that be a bit difficult as far as molding them around the bowling ball? I'm intrigued! xo
  • Sharon Tinsley Sharon Tinsley on Jul 17, 2013
    clay pots sized to balance ball with 1/4 to 2/3 showing above pot. Spray ball with glow in the dark paint. Line sidewalk--driveway--one on each side of front door--around a flower bed or a tree
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 17, 2013
    @Sharon Tinsley Nice idea Sharon! Thank you!! xo
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Jul 17, 2013
    @Sia@South 47th ohhhh I am so jealous, there have been a few ideas posted here. I have always wanted to make a gazing ball out of one. Here is the link to the search on bowling balls for the site - http://www.hometalk.com/search?filter=bowling+ball Let us know what you decide to do.
  • Sally Sally on Jul 18, 2013
    Pinterest has several ideas including painting them as whimsical bugs, like ladybugs for your garden.
  • Flea Market Gardening Flea Market Gardening on Jul 18, 2013
    Hi, Sia, I just posted my first try decorating a BB. I used a picture from somewhere and used that pattern. Using GE II Silicone for Exterior in clear, really worked well! It was so fun that once I started I couldn't stop until it was finished,...it's been sitting in my garden for a year now! ~~ Sue
  • Lynne Fernandez Lynne Fernandez on Jul 18, 2013
    Paint them with the new outdoor glow in the dark paint from Rustoleum and place them where you want them to "shine" at night in your garden.
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 18, 2013
    I love the grazing ball idea either with the flat marbles or the broken up CDs or DVDs. How lucky you are to have found them right in your house. I was thinking of calling the bowling alley or maybe I can ask on Freecycle. Course my daughter will kill me if I bring home another thing to put in my stash for future projects!
  • Z Z on Jul 18, 2013
    You're welcome Sia. I won't have time to do this week with our grandson as Grampa comes home tonight from Cali. He works in the Bay area four days a week. As for the CD and DVD's, that's what I plan on using with our grandson. You break them up in to mosaic size pieces first. Here's some results from Pinterest where CDs were used. http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=CD%20mosaic I've been collecting internet CDs for probably two decades now for projects like this one. Hopefully next week I can say it wasn't in vane. LOL As for hubby needing visuals sometimes a drawing works in which I've often told my hubby it's a good thing I can draw!
  • Linda L Linda L on Jul 18, 2013
    I visited an avid bowler's house many years ago (he collected bowling balls as a hobby) and he built a Newtons Cradle with bowling balls. It was so cool. Quite the unique interactive yard decoration. If you're not familiar with what a Newton's Cradle is, it's a kinetic piece (usually found on a desktop), consists of a frame with 5 steel balls hanging in a row. When you pull one (or 2) back and let go, the equal amount will bounce off the other end of the row of balls. It was so cool seeing this in a much larger scale using the bowling balls. Hubby has actually purchased all the stuff to construct one himself.....waiting for retirement. If and when that ever happens, I'll be sure to post. By the way, I'm soooo jealous. I LOVE playing (crafting) with bowling balls.
  • Z Z on Jul 18, 2013
    @Linda, I've actually seen one done with bowling balls on You Tube. You're right, it's awesome. With the wind we get out here I'm not sure that would be a good idea. Granted the balls are heavy, but I'm not sure heavy enough.
  • Sue C Sue C on Jul 18, 2013
    How about spraying them with mirror paint? Even if you chose to attach tiles or jewels, there's bound to be a small gap between them. And mirror paint would be very reflective in the garden.
  • Pattie Pattie on Jul 18, 2013
    Hi How about spraying them with glow in the dark paint can but on deck or in the garden
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 20, 2013
    Becky, that's quite a commute your husband has! Sue, I like your idea of using the mirror paint before you bejewel them cause I'm sure your probably right about the gaps. Haven't gotten a bowling ball yet but I picked up some more flat marbles at a garage sale yesterday....much easier to hid from my DD than bowling ball will be! LOL
  • Z Z on Jul 20, 2013
    You got that right @Janet. I went out with him a couple months ago and was shocked by how many folks travel to work in that area from around the country.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 20, 2013
    @Becky WOW talk about a commute!! Jeppers!! Our job market here in Northern CA is terrible.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 20, 2013
    EVERYONE? Thank you all so MUCH for all of your terrific, inspiring ideas!! I never would have thought of some of these!! So I am very thankful to you! I've placed these in my file. When I can manage to start working on some projects I'll post the one's I'm doing. I'll get to them hopefully before I'm 80. As y'all know this whole Cottage, yard & business DIY on practically no $$, while working full-time is ruining my life right now! LOL
  • Z Z on Jul 20, 2013
    I've heard that Sia. It depends on what you do since just the place my hubby works is pulling in help from all over the country. He has other friends that are doing similar work in other places around the country. A close friend is on the east coast. Before my hubby accepted this position he had quite a few inquiries from "head hunters" as they used to call them. Not sure what they call them now, but he wanted west coast so he waited for the right job before putting his notice in.
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 20, 2013
    I live in the central valley and am amazed at people who commute from Lodi, Stockton, and Tracy every day. I'd have to make a whole lot of money to do that. We moan and groan trying to get home from the Giants game a couple of times a month. Freeway traffic is crazy in the Bay Area.
  • PattyRae PattyRae on Jul 21, 2013
    I would use them as spacers for a cool looking shelving unit
  • Z Z on Jul 21, 2013
    @Janet, my hubby and I both say AMEN to your Bay Area traffic comment. It's ridiculous! Even Omaha at its worse is no where near what that is. I'm a back roads kind of driver so I'm not sure I'd survive out there permanently. I do love it though.
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 22, 2013
    San Francisco/Bay Area is a great place to visit.....but I wouldn't want to live there. My daughter graduated from SF State and every time she'd move, apartment hunting was a nightmare as the rents are ridiculously high. She hardly needed a car except to get home and parking is insanely expensive if you can find a place to even park. We pay about $40 to park even on the street when we go to games. Ooops...better get back to bowling balls. LOL
  • Z Z on Jul 22, 2013
    Yikes @Janet! I thought Hawaii was the only place that over charged for parking. On top of our hotel room cost, we had to pay $30.00 a day for parking. At least it was valet. And now back to our regularly scheduled program. http://stuffitellmysister.me/2012/08/20/the-bowling-ball-man/
  • Dianne Johnson Dianne Johnson on Jul 22, 2013
    I pinned a picture of a bowling ball covered in a collage of flower pictures. Can't begin to spell the medium used to glue them, then coat it. Modge-Podge??? Haven't used it in many years. What about pictures of fairies?
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 23, 2013
    Wow Becky, those are some bowling ball projects! Sia, let me know if you create any of these! I'll drive the 40 miles to see that! LOL And you'll need more bowling balls......Always seeems to be my problem. I start a project to use up something in my stash and then I end up needing more stuff. Drives my DD crazy. My friends and I are always garage saling and dragging home stuff. We decided we will do 1 or 2 craft nights a month this winter and my DD says we have to use stuff from our stash.....no buying stuff. Think that will ever happen??
  • Z Z on Jul 23, 2013
    That's a great idea to have craft nights. I'm with your daughter idea of not buying anything, but it never fails it seems there's always something needed even with all the stash I have. And believe working a decade in fabric and crafts stores I have a very large stash.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 24, 2013
    @Janet F Heck yes there are so many fab ideas that folks so kindly shared! I'll let you know which one(s) I'll do and come on up we'll go digging around up here!
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 24, 2013
    bet you find some fab sales up there. The old homes downtown could be gold mines
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 24, 2013
    @Janet F You know, I'm finding that downtown is too "Hip" now LOL!!! So I've moved out for my digging into the ruddy areas, which surprisingly have been GREAT (meaning FREE) treasures, that I guess the folks just had no idea what it was. OR, just said the heck with it and set it out. Plus I always go back to my old Ranch in the Foothills. It's a Goldmine there, always has been ;)
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 25, 2013
    Sia,Sounds like you know some good places! We find the country sales and estate sales usually yield some good stuff. Town sales are good for actual craft stuff. Fortunately some people don't see the value in some things or like you say just don't care.....as in want to get rid of it. I'd love to go to the foothills with you. Our kids(my Gkids) go back to school tomorrow so we're having out annual Back to School party today but I'd love to meet you and go shopping in a couple of weeks.
  • Z Z on Jul 25, 2013
    Oh my gosh! I thought school starting here on the 12 of August was crazy, but July 26th! That's just down right looney. I'm going to have to let you ladies know when I'm out your way spending a couple weeks with my hubby so we could meet for lunch at least.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 26, 2013
    @Z and @Janet F What a great idea! Let's get together and do some treasure hunting!!
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 26, 2013
    grrrr....just typed a long answer to you guys(Sia and Becky) and then lost it cause they wanted me to sign in and I hit that instead of login! Anyway it would be great fun to get together. Let us know when you're coming out, Becky.
  • Z Z on Jul 26, 2013
    Yay! This sounds great. It may not be until sometime in September. That's when I might be heading to Hawai'i to see our grandbabydaughter so I'll most likely spend a week in Cali with hubby either before or after.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 26, 2013
    @Z @Janet F Terrific!! Looking forward to meeting you both! xo
  • Janet F Janet F on Jul 26, 2013
    Sia, I clicked follow under your name so does that mean ill get your blog in my email? I'm not too savvy with this tech stuff. Barely use my FB account a lot of the time.
  • Sia@South 47th Sia@South 47th on Jul 26, 2013
    Hi @Janet F , nope, but if you click on http://south47th.blogspot.com There is a place to "Follow by email". I'm not blog savvy either LOL!! But I have a lot of followers by email. xox