A Penny For Your Thoughts...
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Have you ever made or seen a penny ball? I saw these images when I was rambling around Pinterest and thought how clever! I have always loved spheres in gardens, but most of the ones I have been drawn to are quite expensive. This one piqued my interest, because it could be made with pennies. All you need are a bunch of pennies and an old bowling ball to make a beautiful garden sphere, that not only repels slugs, but also makes hydrangeas blue? I think this could be a fun summer project! The pennies don't patina like 100% copper does, but what a great looking sphere to add a little interest to your garden. You have to use a really strong glue like Amazing Goop in Home and Garden or marine formula because it is UV resistant and waterproof according to Beth Evans Ramos of a Greener Life. House of Hawthorne has a tutorial here. I am going to start saving my pennies now so I can make a penny ball with my kids this summer! Of course we have to find an old bowling ball too but that shouldn't be so hard, right?
Finally, a purpose for a penny other than weighing down my purse!
What a fun idea, thanks for passing it on, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that?! I love this idea!
ReplyDeleteShiny, happy penny ball.
ReplyDeleteCan you get introuble for doing this though, bc your defacing money? I was just wondering bc cool idea.
ReplyDeletePennies cost the government more to mint than they are worth.
DeleteNo. You cannot get in trouble for defacing coinage...and this would not be considered defacing.
DeleteWell, many places have penny smushing machines...so probably not.
ReplyDeleteIn Canada we are retiring the penny so go for it!
ReplyDeleteGuess you are smarter than our government. Lol
DeleteTechnically it is defacing money, as is putting them and other coins in the pressing machines but I don't think anyone cares. I think it looks pretty neat. Go for it!
ReplyDeleteyou don't have to press them to do this. many coins are retired so you can use those
DeleteI am determined to do this, and today I found variety of old bowling balls at my local thrift store. I bought o medium-sized one for only $3.95. I'll buy the glue tomorrow and by Saturday I should be done! So cool!
ReplyDeleteCheck with your local Bowling Alley....sometimes they have to throw out balls that get too dented up so they may be willing to let you "dumpster dive" would also be a cool idea to use maybe an old metal mixing bowl...you could turn it upside down to look like an orb or use it as a bird bath. just another idea.
ReplyDeleteAnything under $0.05 is not considered defacing money, which is why those machines are legal. And this looks like an awesome project!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea! Be sure to glue all the Pennies face up for good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love this, thank you. I have friends who will love this, aaaaand....I will make it for myself ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I have a hydrangea out front that I'd like to keep blue AND this just looks neat anyway! I am definitely doing this one.
ReplyDeleteHow does putting it out near a Hydrangea keep it blue?
DeleteThe acid from the pennies changes the ph of the soil.
DeletePennies from 1982 and older are solid copper, they are actually worth double .02 cents
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so fun. I have had slug problems with my hostas. I am going to try this.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so fun. I have had slug problems with my hostas. I am going to try this.
ReplyDeleteSo I got all of the materials together, and then realize that there is a problem with this… After 1983, US pennies have been 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper. Copper is good for your garden, but excess zinc can be very bad. :-(
ReplyDeleteJulia as you see in my post these are decorative and not near plantings however I and several of my readers have a penny ball in our garden with no problems.
ReplyDeleteLisa, a penny ball or two is probably fine. I was so disappointed at having to forgoe the project that I continued to research on the web...and got very little guidance regarding the danger of zinc leaching into the garden, and nobody seems overly concerned about using galvanized (aka zinc-dipped) containers in the garden. (I realize this is WAY more info than you wanted :-)).
ReplyDeleteAnyway-I think I can safely make my penny ball. :-)
Good Julia! I am now interested in doing research about zinc so you have opened a new door for me! I thank you for that and for the information you have shared!
DeleteA penny saved is a penny earned....
ReplyDeleteAs an avid bowler I have plenty of bowling balls that I retired to use. This project is another idea to add a sculpture element to my flower garden and help with the slug problem at the same time. What kind of glue is the best to work with?
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ReplyDeleteCan you use a flower pot? I'm thinking of covering a pot for strawberries.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I want to try this.
ReplyDeleteReally want to do this, like, this weekend! But what glue is best?
ReplyDeleteAlso not sure if I can find bowling balls, thinking of alternatives: terra cotta pots, or even some kind of wood box. But I have no idea what glue works best on what materials! Anyone have suggestions?
So the pennies do not need to be only copper in order to work?
ReplyDeleteIt feels so nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. Really thankful to you for starting this.
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Nice design!
ReplyDeleteGo Here
cant wait to do this! What kind of glue works best?
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DeleteP.S.. thanks for commenting!!!!
DeleteI am going to make lots of penny balls for my garden ;) ;) Where can I get the old bowling balls. Please advise,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog.
you are shameless! LOL!
Deletewhat did you fill the hole with?
ReplyDeleteIsn't a bowling ball kind of heavy for this project? What about a styrofoam sphere, or volleyball or something? Help! I love the idea, but won't use a bowling ball.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea is to use a bowling ball so it won't blow away but if you try something else and it works do let us know
DeleteI joined this site just to find out about this penny globe. approximately how many pennies do you need? I have a bowing ball and we Penny Ball metal detect so I have a lot of pennies. I just wondering how many I need to clean up.
ReplyDeleteyou will need a couple of hundred to start...
DeleteDoes this actually work to keep slugs away from the plants or just the ball itself?
ReplyDeletethank you for showing this. In my memory garden I have something that represents each Angel in my life.....butterfly bushes for my daughter-in-law, stepping stones for Mom and Sis, refurbished weather vein for my Dad.....but I have been looking for that special "thing" to show in honor of my father-in-law....and he collected those "WHEAT BACK PENNIES" for ages. I know I would never find all wheat back pennies needed to cover a bowling ball, but this is great....and he would love it no matter what I used. I'm still thinking of just the right things for some of my other special Angels who deserve to be recognized and honored. Thank you again for the exact directions......and if anybody out there wants to take some of those "wheat backs" and turn them into a few dollars....I would truly be grateful....but really if I don't have even one on it.....I would smile because it would remind me of one of the biggest blessings God brought into my life. xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteI like to collect those pennies for some reason lol so if I collect some do you still need them? it's a really wonderful idea you are using them for and would love to help and for selfish needs could use the money don't know how many I can get but will try if you still need, please respond and let me know either way
DeleteI am working on mine today. I am using E-6000 glue. You could glue a bumper on with this stuff! Just do it in a WELL VENTILATED area!
ReplyDeleteYou could use any round object for this, a kids ball would also work as the weight of the pennies would keep it secure.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone yet determined if the pennies need to be copper to benefit the garden (avoid slugs, etc.) or will the zinc work? I use pennies in my bird bath to keep algae from forming on the bottom and it only seems to work if they are copper.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mark and Teri for the idea of using pennies in the bird bath to prevent algae. In fact, gluing them in would be good too. The copper will not hurt the critters that drink the water, I am presuming?
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ReplyDeleteWon't the copper leach into the soil and kill the surrounding plants?
Garage sales are great for finding spheres, not just Bowling balls. We have always saved pennies, bu this is a great reason!
ReplyDeleteTo clean up old tarnished pennies, soak the in catsup for 15 minutes or so.
ReplyDeleteyou can use Original Coke to clean your pennies and jewelry too,just make sure its reg. Coke and rinse them good.
Deletecan use reg. Coke to clean them too, it has so much acid in it, it will clean jewelry too, just make sure to rinse them really good.
Deletelove the penny ball. it's the only sphere i have seen that i would actually use. love it...........Rena' of East Texas
ReplyDeleteCant believe all the NEGATIVE post's on this idea. I think its amazing so if you don't like it then don't do it simple as :/ . Good idea Lisa : )
ReplyDeleteCant believe all the NEGATIVE post's on this idea. I think its amazing so if you don't like it then don't do it simple as :/ . Good idea Lisa : )
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea...Thank you for your share. Have a great day
ReplyDeletePerfect feng shui idea for a missing wealth sector
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ReplyDeleteI just love this idea, I have been collecting wine bottles for years so I used a wine bottle and put it in the dirt upside down looks so wonderful in a new planter.
ReplyDeleteSlugs are repelled by a electric shock produced by copper. My suggestion use old pennies and place the penny ball at ground level. If you want a sphere it may prove only as decoration. Go to a auto repair shop and ask for worn battery cable wire or other wire, remove the protective plastic to expose the copper wire. Place this on the ground around the plants you want to repel the slug away from.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for dressing up our garden! Am especially interested in the slug and acid to make the hydrangeas blue.
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any feedback and ideas would be very welcome.
TIA
P J, the Diving Temptress
I love this idea! This will be great for dressing up our garden along with the benefit of repeling slugs and making my hydrangea BLUE !!
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TIA
P J, the Diving Temptress
I made one last year and it looked great...then the pennies started falling off. I used super glue, so I guess it's not so super. Who has had better luck and with what type of glue? Although the grandkids think that pennies do grow in the garden!!!! 🌻☺️
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