Snippets from Snapper: DIY Boa Balls

While working on my latest tulle boa, I decided to add sparkly balls to the boa for glamour, texture, and weight. I searched the internet for tutorials on how to make the sparkly balls you see on fancy boas and came up with nothing. It was that empty search that prompted this blog.

Supplies:

Two or more styrofoam balls (I used one 6"diameter ball per end. You might decide to use more than one ball on each end, perhaps varying the size of your balls.)
Retired pantyhose
Mod Podge
Paintbrush for the Mod Podge
Acrylic paint or gold Mod Podge (whatever best suits your stone selection as a background)
Rhinestones
Rhinestone glue (I used E-6000 for this project)
Drill or knitting needle
Roll of duct tape, packing tape, etc.

I was concerned about the glue eating through the styrofoam or creating a horribly toxic gas when combined. (I don't know that it would happen, but I'd rather be safe and living than daring and dead.) I slipped each ball into a leg of pantyhose and tied a knot in the hose at one end. (Don't worry -- I cut the knot off later.)

I rested each ball on a roll of duct tape or packing tape. It's the perfect stand to keep it from rolling away. I applied a coat of matte Mod Podge over the center of each ball, careful not to apply it too close to the tape stand. After that dried, I rotated the balls so I the former top and bottom were coated. I didn't coat the pantyhose knot but did coat the puckered area below the knot. Once that dried I cut off the knots and coated the puckered area with Mod Podge. Base coat complete!

I didn't want the white of the styrofoam to show between the rhinestones so I applied a color coat. My rhinestones were light peach, and a gold Mod Podge color coat worked perfectly to tone down the white. I used the same technique to color coat the balls that I did with the base coat: coat the ball but not too close to the tape stand, let it dry, rotate the ball, repeat. If I was working with darker rhinestones, I would have used acrylic paint as a color coat, sealing in the color with more clear Mod Podge. Color coat complete!

I used the holes from the ball mold to find the top and bottom center. I used a knitting needle to gently work a hole from the top of the ball to the bottom so I could thread my boa through the ball. My husband cleaned up the hole with a drill later. I had to make sure I could successfully feed the cord base of my boa through the hole with no problem. Boa holes complete!

Rhinestone time! I bought 3000 ss12 and 2000 ss28 acrylic stones from Amazon for about $25. This was enough to cover one ball. I had to get a second shipment of 2000 ss28 and 1000 ss12 for $20 to finish the project. (I still have some leftover.) I used the center line left from the mold as my guide for rhinestoning in stripes. I worked my way up, then flipped the ball and worked my way up again. Those rolls of tape are handy for the rhinestoning.

Once the balls were rhinestoned, I took a clean, dry dish scrubbie to the stones. This helped work free any stray glue strands that were obscuring the stones.

I threaded the cotton cord for the boa through the ball holes. (It's easiest to slide a crochet hook or long wire through the ball, tape the cord to the end of the wire or hook, then gently pull the wire or hook back through the ball.) Tie a knot below each ball, and proceed with finishing your boa.