Vine Ball Rescue with Wire!

Back in 2014 I made this vine ball for cheap, because I didn't want to buy

 one this size for $24!

It looked perfect in this aged, chipped urn planter for several years.

I made a base framework with wooden embroidery hoops and a thrift store grapevine garland. I soaked it in hot water and gently took it apart to make this ball.

I LOVED how it looked!

But now, 6 years later the vines are breaking down and the ball is looking really sad.

 Even spray painting it blue last year didn't save it.

So this year I decided to revamp it with WIRE, not vines,

 and I couldn't be happier with the results!

Hardware stores and building supplies have this roll of wire and 

even at our small town hardware it was only $4. 

It is called "tie wire" and is used to hold rebar together for cement projects.

 It is super easy to work with and did I mention CHEAP?

Here is that sad vine ball with about 20 wraps of tie wire. 

I cut the wire into four foot lengths to make it manageable.

 It took less than an hour to return the sad orb to an awesome ball once again.

I decided to spray paint the ball with the colors I had on hand...both sort of turquoise blue.

Then I made two more balls and painted them, too!

Then I stacked them into this awesome tower trellis The Welding Man made.

Ooooh! I like this alot!

And then I took a few lengths of wire and made this 

little tennis  ball size orb and painted it blue....

It's just perfect with those hot pink cosmos!

This was a pleasant afternoon's work, sitting in the sunshine. 

I'm getting more tire wire and see what else I can come up with!!

DIY Garden Art SUPER EASY Glass Garden Balls from Lamp Globes

I love to use decor balls in my garden! There, I said it. I love the shapes and colors of blue glass and get them into my yard anyway I can. Here are a few that I've made over the years using glass half marbles and E6000 glue and various round ball shapes. Here is a link to the instructions....

http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2013/05/glass-garden-balls-diy-part-1.html

But not all glass garden decor has to be a "project." You can easily make some gorgeous garden art with just two things...spray paint and round glass light covers. Can you spot the blue glass ball in this photo? Of course you can, because not only is it bright blue, it is faceted to catch the light. LOVE this color!

Ooh ahhh!

It's a spray painted glass light cover! I paid less than $1 for it at the thrift store. Here's another one before it's been painted....

The texture reminds me of a sea urchin.

The color is "Lagoon." But the real trick is not in the brand of spray paint or the color, it is the fact that you spray the INSIDE of the glass globe. YUP, painting the inside of the glass makes the paint impervious to rain, ice and snow. Even the harsh summer sun has not dimmed these beautiful blue decorative orbs. Since the opening in the globe is always facing down, the weather cannot get in.

Who knew it could be that easy?

Now it looks like some exotic undersea creature.

OOOh AAAAH!

Now these glass globes are always on my shopping list for yard sales, thrift store and even hardware store sales. Plus, I wonder how these would look painted orange for Halloween? Or red and silver for Christmas? My brain's in overdrive now!