have a ball with these pumpkins!

do you have a family full of sports fans?

oh, my friends, you're gonna' have a BALL with this idea! 😉

i was killing time before an appointment by walking thru a 'FIVE below' discount store,

and spied a bin filled with small basketballs in bright happy colors...

there was no yellow, but the minty green one caught my eye!

continue reading for tips on this SUPER fast & easy pumpkin decor project!

dwk

that minty green mini basketball was joined by a few friends

and turned into sporty pumpkins in just seconds!

i've seen people paint their REAL pumpkins to look like sports balls,

but i've never thought about turning actual sports balls INTO pumpkins until now!

this project works with brand new sports balls and with well-loved ones

from your garage or the thrift store.

i recommend washing them first (Dawn Powerwash works great!)

 

i sat the ball in a small white ceramic bowl to hold it in position - 

with the lines running vertically to replicate pumpkin 'ribs'. 

a white plastic cap from a can of dry shampoo was the perfect scale for a 'stem':

a tiny plastic ball that looks like a basketball was placed in a tiny bowl,

then the cap from one of my paint pens stood in as a 'stem':

and finally, a regular sized orange basketball sits in another white bowl

and has a tall white plastic lid from a cooking oil spray can as a 'stem':

one single drop of hot glue, placed on the back edge of the caps,

holds each 'stem' on the balls.

and if you want an idea for more embellishment, try this:

order some tiny basketballs with pumpkin faces printed on them

 from Oriental Trading! (not an ad)

OR add faces using a fantastic tip from Annisa at A Pretty Happy Home:

cut noses, eyes, and smiles out of black or white DUCT TAPE

and simply stick them onto your basketballs!

(she did it on plant pots & galvanized buckets, and it looks darling!)

oh wait - stop the presses! someone DID create pumpkins using sports balls -
Annisa made tiny little GOLF BALL pumpkins and i just found them on her blog!

...and yes, i think dodgeballs and soccer balls and volleyballs would work too

(i'd make a 'WILSON!' pumpkin outta' the volleyball, but that's just me!)

wouldn't they be fun heaped on a front porch 

with a scarecrow wearing a sports jersey?!

related content:

crystal balls made from glass lamp globes

deb's original glass globe pumpkins

shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #697

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #167

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