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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http://timewashed.com	Blissfully White Wednesday
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http://homespunhappenings-tammy.blogspot.com	Rustic Restorations Weekend
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