Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Mud balls
- 30 March 2011
- click to send Christine a smile
I covered Styrofoam, plastic, oasis and fibreglass balls with mud.
![Making mud balls Making mud balls](/images/2011/03/making-mud-balls-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
Paint the ball with a layer of wood glue. Sprinkle potting soil onto the ball. Paint the ball again with the glue to create a sticky mud. Let the ball dry. Paint again with glue and sprinkle potting soil anywhere you missed the first time around. Layer until the entire surface is covered.
![Wire for mud balls Wire for mud balls](/images/2011/03/wire-for-mudballs-l.jpg?inside=600x600)
Next I glued twirls of wired rope onto the textured balls
![Mud balls Mud balls](/images/2011/03/mud-balls-p.jpg?inside=600x600)
For variation you can also create patterns with different coloured mud alternating between soil and sand.
To remove the mud from the balls:
Soak the ball in warm water overnight and wipe the mud from the ball.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter
Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.
Related Designs
When I started researching mud as a possible enhancement to contemporary floral art I was thoroughly inspired by the possibilities.