Directions for Making Gazing Balls From Flowers Pots

Base

• Bowling balls make great bases for flower pot gazing balls. They are the perfect size, are extremely sturdy and their holes can easily be placed on rebar or some other stand for display. The only drawback with bowling balls is their weight. However, if you live in an area with a lot of wind, the weight can be beneficial.

  Strip any wax from the ball, using vinegar. Sand the ball with a high-grade sandpaper to rough it up so that the adhesive will stick better. Rinse the ball with water and dry.

Pieces

• Flower pots pieces make great mosaics to add to gazing balls. Broken pots work best, but you can break whole pots. Choose pots that are decorative, glazed or shiny. They will produce the best results. Lay an old towel over the pieces of pot. Hit the flower pot pieces with a hammer to break them up. Look at the pieces that you have. If they are larger than 1 to 2 inches in diameter, break them into smaller pieces. Separate the pieces by color and size. This will help you determine the pattern you want to use on the ball.

Adhesive

• Place the bowling ball, holes down, on a coffee can with the ends cut off or a gazing ball stand. Make sure that the ball cannot roll away. Usually it is best to place it on a ball stand or even a stake or rebar piece stuck inside one of the finger holes. Use thin-set mortar to cover the entire ball. Press the flower pot pieces into the adhesive covering the ball. Allow to dry for 24 hours before moving on to the next step. Mix up some sanded grout while wearing a dust mask to protect your face. Mix the grout until it thickens but is still spreadable. Apply the grout with a putty knife or your fingers in the spaces between the pot pieces. Put in enough grout to fill in all the cracks and make the surface of the ball even. Let the grout dry for 10 minutes, then use a damp sponge to remove it from the pot pieces. After an additional 10 minutes, use a dry cloth to buff away grout powder from the top of the tiles. After 24 hours, apply a clear cement sealer to the entire surface of the ball.