Garden Art Experiment-Part 1

The last time I blogged, I posted that I was beginning an experiment to make a substrate that could be used to make gazing balls for the garden.  Many of the balls used for garden art can be expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain.  If my experiment works, the substrate will be less expensive than having to purchase a foam ball and easier to find than a bowling ball.  However, be forewarned that if this experiment works, it may save money, but not time.  I'm posting what I have done so far on the experiment, but it is not yet complete.  I wanted to go ahead and post so other gardeners eager to get started on their gazing balls can see where things are headed and perhaps experiment also.  If anyone does try some experiments, please post a comment or email on your findings.

To paraphrase Thomas Edison, he knew a hundred and some odd ways of how not to make a light bulb.  The garden art experiment is somewhat like that situation.  There are a number of ways that will work, and some that may fail.  It is a matter of making a number of attempts until I find the optimal way for this substrate to work and also be at an acceptable price point.  So this is experiment number one.  Although I can already see improvements that I want to make for experiment number two, I think I may be on to something here.  If this works, it will probably be the least expensive option.  I also plan to experiment with some quicker but potentially more expensive options for example fiberglass, but this method requires handling fiberglass and chemicals that are much more toxic than white glue.  So stay tuned, because there are ways, and there are ways.

I began with a child's plastic ball.  On it's own, this ball is not sturdy enough to hold the weight.  Other gazing ball enthusiasts have already posted the dismaying results of using this type of ball as a substrate.  But the ball is the starting point for the form.  This ball was constructed in two pieces and has a line running around its equator.  I highlighted it for easier viewing.  If the ball you begin with is not constructed in this manner, use a large rubber band around the equator and mark it with a highlighter.  Remove the rubber band after marking.  Then cover the ball with a couple of layers of plastic wrap. 

The next step is to tape overlapping folded strips of a file folder around the equator.  The file folder creates a barrier so that the ensuing layers of (what else?) papier mache can be separated at the equator when this step is complete.

Once the overlapping strips of strips of file folder, cover the entire ball with a layer of papier mache.  For the first layer, just use a plain flour and water mixture with newspaper.  (Wear latex or vinyl gloves. Your hands will thank you.) I found that I had less folds and wrinkles if I kept the strips of paper to about two inch by two inch squares. Also, I used a disposable foam brush to spread the papier mache.  The brush can be washed out and reused a number of times before it starts to deteriorate.   Let that layer dry completely, turning it a few times during the drying process to ensure that all areas are dry.  The next two layers are flour, water, and some multipurpose white glue with the newspaper.  Make sure that it is multipurpose glue and not school glue.)  Smear each piece of paper liberally on both sides and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles as you work.  Allow the ball to dry completely between layers.  The next two layers are just the multipurpose glue spread liberally over newspaper pieces. 

Once the ball is completely dry, mark four registration points on each side of the ball and number them, so that you can fit it back together easily.  Then cut the file folders along the fold line all the way around the ball.  With some gentle persuasion, pull the hemispheres of papier mache away from the ball.  The papier mache will not stick to the plastic wrap, although the plastic wrap may stick to the masking tape.  The whole layer of file folders will easily pull away from the papier mache.  Now you have two half spheres. 

At this point, I painted the inside of the hemispheres with a layer of multipurpose glue and let it dry.  Then I added a layer of newspaper painted with multipurpose glue.  Even after this layer is dry, the spheres will seem very movable.  However, the next step, taping the hemispheres together makes the ball surprisingly stable.  As you can see from the photo, the ball has a slightly raised lip at the equator.  This is an area that needs improvement on the next experiment.  When I added the file folders, I had made a fold so that a part of the file folder would lie flat on the ball, and then taped it down with masking tape.  Over the course of several layers, this created a significant lip.  In the future, I will not use that fold, and just tape a single fold of the file folder.  That way there will only be one piece of tape on each side, and that will alleviate some of the bulk in that area.  The ball is now so sturdy that I am actually thinking of dropping a step. 

Now that the hemispheres are taped together, they will of course need a couple of layers of paper and glue over the tape.  By adding an additional layer or two alongside the equator, the lip will not protrude as much.

This is as far as I have completed with the experiment.  At this point there are several different ways that this could go.  My initial plan was to drill a couple of holes, and fill the sphere with expanding foam (The type for wide cracks  It only costs about three or four dollars.)  This would form a solid center to the ball, making it more crush resistant.  The foam would fill up and come out the holes.  Once dry it could be cut off and sanded smooth to the sphere.  Or, if filled too aggressively, it might bust the sphere apart.  If that happens, then I would wait for the foam to dry and then cut the foam evenly across the hemisphere and glue the two halves together.  Another option is to purchase some mold release, fill the sphere with the foam and hope that you can separate the hemispheres and pull the ball of foam out once it is dry.  However, the mold release would add to the cost.  Also, you might have to do some patching if the foam does not fill evenly.  So these are options I want to explore.  I think for my first attempt,  I am going to move on without using any foam in the center.  After all, if it works, it will cut out three or four dollars.  That would keep the cost of this part of the experiment down to an inexpensive child's ball, a large bottle of glue, a little flour, and the newspaper.  (I count the newspaper as free because I get so much of it in the mail.)  As I said, once the hemispheres are taped together, the ball is remarkably stable.  The lip actually helped with that somewhat.  I think I can work around it in the next step.

 Of course, this ball is essentially paper and glue.  In theory, once the taped area is covered, it will be waterproof.  But no one wants to spend time on something that could potentially fall to pieces, so there is a next part to the experiment.  I plan to cover the ball with two layers of self-adhesive alkali-resistent cement board tape.  I've had the tape for a while, so I don't remember the price, but it was not overly expensive.  The layers will be offset so that there will be plenty of room to mush down some grout into the tape.  The whole ball will be covered with grout mixed with acrylic morter add mix.  I have used the acrylic add mix with grout on mosaics that have been outside for years without cracking or crumbling.  Note: I use it straight, not diluted with water.  Anyway, once the ball is completely covered and dry, The ball will have a solid surface of cement and acrylic.  At that point, I will be ready to start adding the decorative pieces to the ball.  Just for future reference, I cover my bowling ball substrates with a layer of shiny waterproof plumber's tape.  It adds another layer of waterproofing and the shiny surface reflects light back out through the glass.  It is not absolutely necessary, but it adds a lot of reflective shine to the ball.

As I said, this type of sphere will save money, but not time.  If you are only going to make one gazing ball ever, you might as well just purchase a foam ball.  (About twenty dollars.)  However, if you have been bitten by the bug of making gazing balls, it is worthwhile to make your substrate because the cost of materials can be spread among a number of balls.  The tape will cover more than one ball.  The foam should fill more than one ball, but be aware that you need to have all your spheres ready to fill at once. When the foam dries on the opening of the nozzle the can is pretty much done for.  The add mix can be purchased in various quantities, and of course, I was planning to use it in the grout once all the decorative materials were in place, so it is already figured in as part of my cost for making a gazing ball.


There are some ins and outs of covering a ball.    I will address these points as I get to that section of the experiment.  Check back for Wednesday's blog post.

P.S.  I will post a picture of my peacock painting once it is completed.