How to Make a Concrete Gazing Ball for the Garden

Pump a plastic play ball a little firmer than it came so it will not dent under the weight of concrete. Set it on a saucer or a pot rim to keep it from rolling. Wrap self-adhesive cement board tape around it, sticky side down, crossing the strips in every direction. Keep going until the ball is almost fully covered and the colour barely peeks through.

In a small bowl, stir about two cups of Portland cement with roughly a cup of concrete bonding adhesive. Add water a little at a time. You want a wet, mushy paste, a bit like thick mud, that almost holds a dent when you press a finger in. The adhesive is what lets the cement grip the mesh tape on the ball.

Brush the slurry over the whole taped ball with a chip brush or an old paintbrush. Lay it on thick so none of the tape threads show. Rest the ball on a pot or saucer as you work. A wide, stable base is better than a tall one, because the ball gets heavy. Let the coated ball dry overnight until it feels hard with no give.

For the main layer, combine one part play sand with one part Portland cement in a bucket. Add a splash of bonding adhesive and some water, then mix with a paddle on a drill. Keep adding water or a little more cement until the mix feels like play dough. It should hold its shape in your hand. Mix small batches so each one stays workable while you use it.

Mist the dry slurry coat with a spray bottle so it is good and wet. Grab a handful of concrete and pat it onto the ball, starting at the bottom. Press each new handful into the edge of the last so they join into one shell. Keep wetting the surface as you go. A large ball takes several batches, so mix the next one before you run out.

Once the lower half is covered, flip the ball if you need to and work over the top. Check the shape from a few angles so it stays round. The surface texture is up to you. Cade liked the dimpled pattern their fingertips left and kept it. Add a few final pats to even out thin spots, then let the sphere dry overnight.

For colour, mix a fresh slurry of Portland cement and water with liquid cement colour. Cade used terracotta and dulled it with a little brown. Wet the cured sphere well, then brush the coloured slurry over the whole surface. It goes on bright, so do not worry if it looks too orange at this stage. The next step tones it down.

Before the colour coat sets hard, take the sphere outside and spray it with a garden hose. Most of the pigment washes away, but some stays in the dips and texture. That leaves a soft terracotta patina that looks like weathered stone. Stop spraying when you like what you see. Leave it alone to cure for a couple of days.

For a smoother look, make your final coat as wet as you can and spread it on with bare wet hands. Pat and rub it until the sphere is even and round all over. Your wet palms leave a fine orange peel texture. Shape the bottom last. Leave the bonding adhesive out of this layer if you hope moss will grow on it in the garden.