Crafting with a floor mat and a basketball…
Yes, you read that right. I crafted with a floor mat and a basketball, both purchased at the Dollar Store. Here’s my mat and my basketball. Can you guess what I’ve got up my sleeve?
The mat is made up of some type of cheap jute/twine. Here’s a closer look.
And here’s the ball. It’s a Nurf-style basketball so it’s kinda squishy.
The first thing I did was spray-paint the ball all one color – I used the closet thing to brown that I had in my stash. It’s a metallic color.
Then I took my rug and carefully started untying and unraveling it.
Then I took my hot glue gun and started gluing…
Can you see where this is going?
Yup, it’s a decor ball – a very large decor ball. The picture above is basically showing when you run out of twine it’s A-okay. Just start a new piece where the old one ended.
I just kept wrapping and gluing. It was very monotonous. Plus, I guess other bloggers are just way better than me because I burned the crap out of all my fingers while attempting this project.
But glued burnt fingers were totally worth it because, well, just look at it!
Nice, right?!
This ball was way too easy to make. However, I did end up using FIVE mini glue sticks. FIVE! I think there’s more glue than twine on this ball.
I’m considering making another one of these as a give-away if enough of my readers like it, so if you like it and want me to do a give-away for one, leave and comment and let me know!
I just don’t want to burn off all my fingers again making a 2nd one if no one wants it.
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Hey! I'm Allison Hepworth. Welcome to my blog. I love showing tutorials for cool crafts, DIY projects, renovations, and decorating. My family and I live in Austin, Texas. To find out more or to contact me click 
This is so amazing. How did you put the two things together? It seems so obvious but I really have to admire people who can look at ordinary things and see something extraordinary.
Great idea, I like the new decoration baal
I like this! My son, on the other hand, may soon be wondering where all his basketballs went!!
I LOVE it! I also am so glad there is at least one other person out there who scars herself with a glue gun. Everytime I get mine out, I know disaster is around the corner!
Came over from SITS to say hi.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! Want one… And I’ll be forced to make one if you don’t have a give-a-way and I don’t win!!!
Love it! Love, love, love it! I think unwinding one of those rugs is a fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing!
I’m visiting from Transformation Thursdays.
- Michele
I love this craft. I really like the look of these trendy balls and now I’m so glad that I know how to make them out of everyday things. Thank you!
I’m so going to make lots in different sizes and maybe spray paint them different colors, too.
Very creative! Who would have thought?
I love, love, love that you used an old floor mat for this!!
Um you TOTALLY need to enter this into the $5 Dollar Store challenge over at Living with Lindsay!!
http://livingwithlindsay.com/2010/03/the-second-annual-5-challenge.html
She’s got some great prizes for a winner and a runner up! Go enter!!!!
This could be the single most creative thing I have ever seen on a crafting blog!
I LOVE IT!!!!!!! What a great idea! I love the way it looks displayed! You are so creative!
SUCH a great idea to use the basketball and floor mat! I will have to give this one a try! I just added your button to my blog!
ashley
http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Please do a giveaway. I’m so in love with these decor balls, but hate to spend the money on them. Thanks for the brilliant idea.
did i already mention how creative you are??? oh yeah, i did
you go, allison!
OMG…that is so awesome. I would never have thought about that!
What a clever idea! The dollar is full of fun possibilities!
I’m totally loving this!!! 5 glue sticks wow!
Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thursday. Please join me next week for another great party. Don’t forget to stop by and enter my giveaway. I’ll announce the winner at next weeks party!
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I love this look. Every time I am in the stinkin dollar store I walk by the balls to do this.. and I talk myself out of it.. I think you just talked me into it
So cool! I love decorative jute balls but they can be so expensive.
Sarah
OM goodness-now THAT is repurposing! WTG!
Seriously how do you come up with this stuff. I would have never thought about taking a floor mat apart. It is so totally cool.
it’s perfect for the place on my side hutch in the dining room! It’s been begging for something kinda tallish, but not a vase… and not a candle… This is it! Thank you!
I love it! I jsut bought some from Walmart this past week that looked similar.. Could have just had you make me one!
That is a great idea….a nerf basketball…who knew?? It turned out so great!!
WOW! That is totally awesome! I wonder if I can find a cool mat like that around here. I think these might look really cool in different sizes on my mantel. Maybe? I don’t know. We just bought our own house and I want to decorate it so bad but can’t decide on anything. I love this. Might just have to give it a try!
Oh my goodness! You are crafty! It turned out great!
Thanks so much for linking up to Make it Yours Day at My Backyard Eden!
Oh my gosh, who would have thought…thats just simply amazing and visionary. I love it!
love it, the ball turned out beautifully.
But after recovering from a couple 2nd dgree burns from my glue gun, while working on my daughter’s dollhouse, I am not ready to pull the glue gun out any time soon!
Wow that is awesome! I love how you wrapped it! It’s looks great!
Very very nice…surely my son won’t miss some of his b-balls right??
great job! just love it.
My, my! Now that is creativity!
WOW, you girls are inventive. that’s really cute! Lots of glue, but cute. DOn’t know if I’d have that much patience.
There’s another blogger (I’m sorry I can’t remember who) who is doing a $5 dollar craft challenge. You should enter this because you took too totally unrelated cheap things and made something that doesn’t look like 2 unrelated cheap things. If that makes sense.
I love your blog header. Orange graphicy things *swoon* !
i love it! and i want it!
how clever! i love it!
This is a great idea! May I ask at which Dollar store you found the mat? I’d love to try this. I’ve made some decor balls that are a little larger than normal by using the HUGE Christmas ornaments that were on clearance. If you have a minute you can see them here:
http://keeninspirations.blogspot.com/2010/03/decorative-balls.html
Thanks for the inspiration!
Sharon
I would have never dreamed this would turn out so great. I love it.
I LOVE this. Never in my life would I have come up with the idea of using a mat and a nerf ball to make something so decorative.
I have some leftover twine from another project – I might have to try this…
This is so clever! I love it.
Thank you for linking this to A Little Craft Therapy, as well!
That is amazing! I never would have thought to unravel a mat. Great idea!
way to thankk outside the box! i love balls!
Just found your site! I followed instantly. Great blog!
Great idea, I’ll have to give it a try using some styrofoam balls I got free @ the thrift store. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness! That is amazing. I would never have thought of it. Do you think it was better to disassemble the mat than just by a ball of twine? It does have a nice texture. It’s a great idea. Plus you could use it outside! Love it. Lisa~
OH-MY-GOSH! I love this. I love hemp twine but the texture this twine has is the bomb. Sign me up for the give away!!!!
I am green with envy.
I must see if my Dollar Tree has the rug. I can think of many projects that it would enhance. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. Whoot Whoot.