This weekend I turned an old bowling ball that I found at a garage sale into a gazing ball-like piece of yard art.
A penny bowling ball!
I bought this bowling ball, bag and pair of old used bowling shoes (yuck) at a church garage sale all for just $1.00. I knew I only wanted the bowling ball itself, so the other items were just along for the ride.
How To Make A Penny Bowling Ball
The first thing I did was fill in the finger holes with paper towels until there was about ¼" of the holes left and then filled the rest of the holes in with some caulking I had laying around the house.
And then threw the bag and shoes into my Goodwill pile.
I wanted to cover the ball in pennies so I used roughly $4.50 worth.
I wanted them to be all bright and shiny so I decided to clean them with my beloved Coke Zero to see if Coke's cleaning abilities are an urban legend or not.
So I emptied a roll of pennies into a bowl and added the Coke Zero and let them sit for five minutes.
The Coke Zero cleaned them a little bit, but they were definitely not as bright as I was expecting them to be. It's not often that my Coke lets me down.
So then I searched the Internet for other penny cleaning tips and ran across some science experiments for kids that uses ¼ cup white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of table salt to clean them.
The vinegar is 5% acetic acid and dissolves the copper oxide on the pennies. The salt acts as a catalyst to speed up the process. But enough of the fascinating science lesson of the day.
Anyhow, I just put the pennies in there for about a minute, rinsed the solution off them and they came out amazingly shiny.
(This post does contain some affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
Next I used Dap Clear Silicone Sealant for Doors And Windows to glue the pennies onto the bowling ball.
I glued them all heads up, but that was my OCD kicking in - you could mix it up if you wanted. Or maybe do all heads except for one tail???
And here is the finished project.
I tried sitting my penny bowling ball on my birdbath base as a regular gazing ball.
Then I remembered that I had bought this silver chafing dish pedestal at a garage sale. It's almost like it is made to be a penny bowling ball holder.
Of course you could place it directly on the ground or leave one of the finger holes exposed and place a wood dowel to stake it in the ground.
Another fun bowling ball project is my Mosaic Bowling Ball made with dollar store gems.
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Check out the web story version of this article HERE - Penny Bowling Ball Yard Art Story.
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katiejo
It's a great idea and looks terrific! One Question though...: With it being outside, it's bound to tarnish .. what do you use to a) prevent or b) clean up the tarnish? Or, did you use a sealant on the finished product to ensure no tarnishing?
Pam Kessler
It will tarnish again eventually. Mine lasted at least a year before I cleaned it again though and then I just used the salt/vinegar solution and rubbed it on with a toothbrush. I did not put a sealer on it but you could. Something like a spray clear coat from the hardware store would probably keep them from tarnishing if you want to keep the shiny penny look 🙂
Sandra
Epoxy coat it, that'll seal it in and keep them shining!
Ang
gathering supplies to make my own penny balls (one for me, one for my mom).... have you had any issues with the pennies sticking to the balls after weather conditions have hit for a few years now? I'm trying to research the best adhesive to use but I've seen a lot of people try to make these and have the pennies popping off... just curious your thoughts!
Pam Kessler
I still like the Dap Silcone Sealant For Door & Windows that I used. I've only had one penny pop off that I can remember. But I don't leave mine outside in the dead of winter though. I normally bring it inside when the snow starts flying. It is outside all spring, summer and fall in the rain though and it's still holding up.
Katy
What a great idea. I also like the idea of placing a dowel into one of the holes and stake it in the ground. This would be great for the garden. Thanks for sharing.
Chris Rothenbach
any coin that rerpels elk?
Arlene
What a fantastic idea... everyone's yard sales will be hit for a bowling ball, I see.
Margaret
Great idea! I have a bunch of pennies and wanted to make a project with them as they are no longer used in Canada. Just found your blog, new follower.
Margaret from Moving Forward
Anonymous
I live in Canada also, but just recently got rid of $100 in pennies. I should have kept some!
Jennifer Gail
Turned out nice:)
Pam
@Kristafee - I don't really know much about using pennies for slugs, but I did google it and it appears it may react with their slime. I actually made my ball more for looks and to have something shiny in the garden, but if it does double duty then all the better!
Kristafee
Hi, my questions is, how does it keep slugs away?
Katie Murphy
Garden centres offer copper tape for just this reason. It "shocks" the little buggers!
Weave
This is a wonderful idea.....and to add another layer of design, why not grout it? Color your grout first with grout coloring sand and fill in the gaps between the pennies. Just a thought...
Gay Vaughan
That is one of the coolest use of pennies I have seen! Happy to have found you.
Anonymous
I just finished my penny bowling ball, I spray painted it copper first so it is totally copper colored. I put mine all heads up too but if I make another one I think I'll just try random.
Susanne
Saw this on Pinterest awhile back and made one. So much fun, huh?! My OCD had me not using the new pennies with the shields. And I did them all heads up too, so it didn't really matter! Oh well, our quirks are what make us interesting, right?
.....right?
Susanne.
Beetique
I have to make one of these. Actually I wanted a penny floor but the old man won't let me.,
Katie Murphy
I'd love a coin floor too!
The Knotty Spinster
Very cool and thanks for the tip on getting the penny's shinny. Enjoy,,and I love the silver next to the copper.
Cecily
Looks fantastic and I love that you glued them all head side up! LOL! Gorgeous!