Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Orbs Outside - an Easy Project & Tutorial


It was not immediately apparent to me.
Yesterday, I realized that lately 
I've had a little thing going with ORBS. 

Just to illustrate - here is another 
Pinterest-inspired project 
just for you. It is great-looking 
and doesn't cost much at all. 

Sometime within the past year,
this is the photo that caught my eye:

via Pinterest - from Design Sponge via Design Gal

It looked simple enough to make, so
I began looking for the 1970's glass light
globes I needed to do this project. 
Then, I went to Home Depot and bought this:


Do not be deceived. 
This small bag weighs 60 lbs.
The package does not lie.
It seems so much heavier than 40 lbs!
The bag stayed in my back seat for weeks. 

Finally last Friday,
I hefted it to the ground and opened it.

I re-read the simple instructions from the 
examples I had found on Pinterest, 
then I assembled my materials:

Non-stick cooking spray, 
a mop bucket, 
and my 1970's light globes.

(Not knowing how many orbs a bag
of cement might make, I grabbed two globes.)



They were sprayed with a liberal amount
of GV non-stick cooking spray. 

Next, I lined my mop bucket with 
a Walmart bag. (Note: this is not necessary.)



I added enough dry cement to fill about 
one third of my mop bucket, then added 
water. The water soaks in as you stir.
Add a little at first, then more, in small amounts.
(Maybe a couple of cups of water at one time.)

You're going for a mix that is not too dry,
and not too wet. Think somewhere in between
cake batter and cookie dough.
Aim for a brownie batter consistency;
a recipe with lots of nuts!



I mixed two small batches to 
make enough to fill one globe. 
It is pretty messy business. 

Don't worry if you get it too wet,
just add more cement mix. 

The mop bucket cleaned up easily, 
so as long as you don't let it dry, 
your garden hose will clean it out very well.
(I had imagined it sticking to my mop bucket
and ruining it. That did not happen.)

After your globe is filled to the top,
set it somewhere it can sit level to cure
(inside a flower pot, or a bucket of sand.)

Let it cure for 24 hours at least.
I left mine from Friday night until
Monday night. It's been chilly here.
24 hours would be sufficient in warmer weather.

Then, put your goggles on,
grab a hammer, and NOW might be
a good time to use those Walmart bags...

I didn't want to clean shards of glass,
so I put my orb inside several layers of
Walmart bags to catch the broken pieces.

GENTLY hammer to crack 
the glass off the orb. 


It didn't take much effort.
I hammered around the rim for the most part, 
and the glass came off in large shards.

Once the glass is off, 
throw it away. Stand back and admire
your orb. Now you can
display your handiwork for all the
neighborhood to see!


I estimate one bag of cement may do about
three orbs this size... or two
and a stepping stone like Design Gal got.

I'll do the plain round globe and a 
smaller ribbed one with my remaining cement. 
Here's a photo of the ribbed globe I found on Saturday:

According to my calculations, 
this project cost about $6. 
That's about two bucks per
cement orb. Not bad. 


Notice anything else? New glazing on the formerly
cracked window pane, and another one that
somehow ended up looking like this last Friday...


I'm still waiting for the postman 
to submit a bill for a new
pair of Fruit of the Looms...

Word for the Day:
Isaiah 40:22
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.


Linking With

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Saturday

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11 comments:

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

love the cement orb! ...sorry about the window...again!

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

Well, look at you! Getting the cement mixed and the goggles on... how'd you
ever come up with the heart to break those globes?

I love how they turned out!

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

Ooh, I really like these! And the smashing the glass part is just gravy!
How many are you going to make?
And why aren't they covered in chalk paint? You're probably painting away right now. ;)
xo, T.

The Pink Geranium or Jan's Place said...

Great post, now I will be looking for the glass globes, to save for an orb project!

So your saying this is thew second broken window?Yikes!

Jan @ The Pink Geranium

Orphaned Decor said...

Ilove this idea. Thanks for sharing. I may have to try it.

Heather said...

I love this idea! I'm going to have to start watching for interesting glass orbs.

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

ohhhh love this ! visit me and scroll down for a cheap and easy basket tutorial.

must love junk said...

Very clever!! Love it :)
Susan

Liz @ Quirky Vistas said...

What a fun project. Would have never thought of such a thing. I'm sorry to hear about the window! What a pain.
Liz

Kathy said...

Wow, Revi! This is fantastic - love them! I'll be featuring your post in this week's Home and Garden party. I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy

Tammy said...

That is a great idea! Love it! Thank you so much for sharing this at Rustic Restorations Weekend!