How to Do a Mosaic Ball

Make a mosaic ball out of an old ball used for playing sports.

Mosaic art can be an elegant addition to the inside or outside of any home. One way to create a mosaic masterpiece is to make a mosaic garden ball. Although these balls are meant to sit on a stand among your garden flowers, you can easily place them on a fireplace mantel. You can even make the mosaic ball a centerpiece for your dining room table.

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Old basketball, volleyball or soccer ball
Dish detergent
Water
Lint-free cloth
Newspaper
Coffee can
Tiles
Mirror
Sheets of glass
Heavy duty bag
Hammer
Tile adhesive
Grout
Sponge

Instructions

- 1
  
  Scrub an old ball, such as a basketball, volleyball or soccer ball, with a little dish detergent and water. Rinse the ball clean and dry it with a lint-free cloth.
- 2
  
  Cover your workspace area with several sheets of newspaper. Then place the ball on top of a coffee can to keep it from rolling around.
- 3
  
  Choose between tiles, a mirror or sheets of glass. Use the mirror if you want a reflective garden ball. Otherwise, colored tiles or colored glass sheets will do a nice job. Break the item of your choice into small pieces by lightly hitting them with a hammer while they are inside of a heavy duty bag.
- 4
  
  Coat the underside of each mosaic piece with tile adhesive. Stick on the ball one piece at a time, creating a design or simply placing the pieces randomly. Just keep each mosaic piece 1/16 inch away from the piece next to it.
- 5
  
  Wait three to four hours for the tile adhesive to completely dry. Then follow the mixing instructions on the bag of grout. Apply the grout to the mosaic ball so that it falls in between each mosaic piece. Don't worry if you get some of the grout on the mosaic pieces themselves.
- 6
  
  Wet a sponge so that it is damp, but not soaking wet. Use the sponge to remove any grout on the mosaic pieces. Do this while the grout is still wet.
- 7
  
  Set the mosaic ball aside to dry for 24 hours before using as a decoration.

Tips & Warnings

If the old sports ball you chose is heavily soiled, it may be necessary to add 1/2 cup of bleach to the soapy water to get the ball clean.
Be careful when handling the small mosaic pieces as they may have sharp edges.