Something I see at thrift stores and yard sales pretty regularly is old bowling balls. You've probably seen them transformed into garden art by gluing glass beads, buttons, or pennies to them or just painting them with metallic paint to create a gazing ball effect.

Today I'm sharing another way to turn a bowling ball into yard art.

Repurposed Bowling Ball Ladybug

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I found the bowling ball that I'm using at a garage sale for just .50 cents! 😲 You'll need one that has finger and thumb holes. Some bowlers use balls with no thumb hole or no holes at all!

Below are the supplies you'll need to make your own.

Supplies:

Bowling ball (you want one with finger and thumb holes)
Spray paint in red and flat black
White craft paint
Tape and a scrap of contact paper
Paper or plastic for masking off areas to paint
Plaster of Paris
16 gauge wire for the antennae (about 16 to 18 inches)
Beads or wooden candle cups for the antennae
Spray sealer
Bondo (optional)

Step 1) Prepare the bowling ball

Prepare the bowling ball for paint by thoroughly cleaning off any dirt and debris. Then sand the ball slightly to rough up the surface. This will allow the paint to adhere to the slick surface.

Step 2) Paint

Paint the whole thing with red spray paint and let it dry, overnight is best. I rushed mine a little bit and had some issues with tape pulling off the paint in the next steps.

Tape off the areas of your little lady that will be black leaving a round area around the finger holes for the face (The two finger holes will become the eyes and the thumb hole will be where the antennas will go) and creating the appearance of wings by taping a 'V' pie slice shape on the back.

Paint the exposed areas you just taped off with black spray paint (I used flat black) and allow to dry.

TIP: If your ball has engraved writing on it, you can fill it in with Bondo if you'd like.

Step 3) Add details

To create the ladybug spots, you can make a template from a couple of scraps of contact paper by cutting two different-sized holes in it. I used a scrapbooking punch for the largest hole and I traced a craft paint bottle for the smaller holes and cut them out with scissors.

Stick the contact paper onto the ball, taping off around the surrounding areas to avoid overspray.

Paint the spots black. This process may take a while since you'll have to wait for them to dry and then reposition the contact paper to a different area of the ball.

In hindsight, it would have been easier to freehand paint the spots with black craft paint and a paintbrush.

Create the eyes around the finger holes the same way you created the spots except you'll use white paint and a sponge brush. Leave the insides of the finger holes unpainted.

I used the same piece of contact paper, using the largest size hole.

Step 4) Create the antennae

Mix up a small amount of Plaster of Paris following the directions on the package.

Bend a 16-18" length of wire in half into a 'V' shape.

Fill the thumb hole of the bowling ball with the Plaster of Paris and stick the bent end of the wire into it. Be quick, Plaster of Paris begins hardening very quickly!

I used a couple of small wooden candle cups for the antennae but large beads would also work. Paint them black.

Thread the wire through the holes in the candle cups or beads and bend the wire around so they stay in place on the end of the wire.

Step 5) Seal it

Spray with several coats of protective sealer to protect your new ladybug from the elements (weather, sprinklers, etc.) I suggest putting your new little lady in an area of your yard that doesn't get hit too much with sprinklers so she will last longer 🐞

This is a yard ornament that you won't have to worry about losing during high winds!

Other ideas:

Make a bumble bee - substitute the red spray paint with yellow and create stripes instead of dots!
Make a frog - use two different shades of green and add golf balls for eyes!
Make a caterpillar - use four or five bowling balls with the first one being a head with antennae!

I hope that you enjoyed this post! You may like these other yard decor ideas:

DIY Rock Mosaic Stepping Stone

DIY Garden Totem from Repurposed Lamps

Repurposed Dining Chair Planter

Repurposed Wooden Bowl Mushrooms

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Posted by: Tania | Little Vintage Cottage at 16 August Tag: DIY & Crafts

Comments by Blogger

Vicky HuntAugust 16, 2014
She's so cute Tania! I just love it. I have seen these before and have wanted to make one. Maybe one day I will find a cheap bowling ball so I can. I'd like to make a bee too! Have a great weekend.

Blessings, Vicky
NancyAugust 17, 2014
Cute as a bug's ear (ladybug, that is!)