Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2

IT’S NOT PIFFLE, IT’S WIFFLE!

Piffle” means nonsense, and wiffle balls are anything but that. I happen to think that wiffle balls will make their way into every crafty person’s arsenal very soon. They are just too cool to overlook, and their uses are many. For instance, I very much enjoy tossing them at my assistant to get her attention. But back to crafts. In this chapter, you’ll find a few fun projects to get you on your wiffley way. However, I know deep in my glitter-covered soul that there are tons of other wiffle ball projects to be done, so if you think of a fantastic project for me using some wonderful wiffles, whip one at the back of my head and get my attention. I’d love to hear from you.

WIFFLE BALL DNA LAMP

When I first saw wiffle balls in the dollar store I was so excited I bought fifty of them. Every once in a while the balls would spill on the floor in my craft room, so I decided to string them on a piece of heavy nylon string, and lo and behold, this lamp was born.

YOU’LL NEED

■ 1 white cord and socket set

■ Ruler

■ Pencil

■ Dremel tool

■ 12 large wiffle balls

■ 12 small wiffle balls

■ Small piece of heavy-duty sandpaper or sanding block

■ 1 small, low-wattage lightbulb

■ 3 yards white nylon heavy-duty string, plus extra for hanging lamp

■ Small wall hook, for hanging finished lamp

1 Measure the circumference of the socket in your cord and socket set.

2 Draw a hole the size of your socket on 1 of the large wiffle balls, and cut it out with the Dremel.

3 Sand off the rough edges with the sandpaper or sanding block.

4 Attach the bulb to the socket and insert it into the wiffle ball, making sure that it fits in the ball properly.

5 String the remaining wiffle balls on the nylon string as if you were making a big wiffle ball necklace.

6 Tie the ends of the string together tightly. You don’t want to lose any balls!

7 Now tangle the “necklace” so that it looks like DNA gone wild.

8 Add the wiffle ball that is connected to the cord and socket by stringing the cord through the wiffle jumble and wrapping the cord around the string so that it stays in place.

9 Hang the lamp, plug it in, and enjoy the wiffley glow.

BOOK PAGE–COVERED WIFFLE BALLS

I can’t resist playing with decorative balls if I see them sitting in a bowl on top of a coffee table. I can’t help it—hearing people tell me to stop touching their balls makes me laugh! These book page–covered balls are quite beautiful in their simplicity, so get some balls and make these fantastic tabletop accessories!

YOU’LL NEED

■ Pages from an old book

■ Scissors

■ Wiffle balls

■ Elmer’s glue

■ Cup of water

■ 1-inch paintbrush

■ Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish

1 Cut book pages into strips about ⅜ inch wide by 4 inches long. You can make them longer if you want, but I find the shorter strips are easier to work with.

2 Water down your Elmer’s glue just a tiny bit so it’s easy to spread, then paint it on a section of the wiffle ball and lay down a strip of book page.

3 Continue gluing strips on until the entire ball is covered, then add some more for a pretty overlapping effect.

4 When the glue is dry, clear-coat the ball for a nice glaze.

WIFFLE BALL PENCIL HOLDER

I lose pencils all the time, so I appreciate a good pencil holder. This one currently resides on my desk and I love it. It’s playful and keeps me organized—two-excellent qualities in a desk accessory.

YOU’LL NEED

■ 2 large wiffle balls

■ Dremel tool with cutting wheel

■ Sandpaper

■ E-6000 glue

HERE’S HOW

1 With the Dremel, carefully cut 1 of the wiffle balls in half to form the base of your pencil holder. (Most wiffle balls have a seam that runs through the middle; try to use that as a guide.)

2 Sand off the rough parts from the edge so that it’s smooth and even.

3 Sand the top of your half–wiffle ball and a small section of the full ball.

4 Put a gob of E-6000 on the sanded area of your half wiffle and place the full wiffle on top, matching up the sanded areas. Let the glue dry.

WIFFLE BALL NIGHT-LIGHT TOWER

At night when this night-light is lit up, I feel like I’m looking up at the stars in the comfort of my own bed. While you might think it is more suitable for a kid’s room, I promise that after you make it and try it out just once, you’ll want one in every room.

YOU’LL NEED

■ 1 battery-operated disk light

■ Ruler

■ Pencil

■ 3 large wiffle balls

■ Dremel with cutting wheel attachment

■ Sanding block or sandpaper

■ E-6000 glue

HERE’S HOW

1 Measure the top of your disk light.

2 With a pencil, draw a circle the size of the disk light on one wiffle ball, then carefully cut it out with the Dremel.

3 Sand off any rough edges.

4 Trace a circle approximately the size of a quarter on the opposite side of the wiffle ball, cut it out, and sand the edges. This will be the base of your tower.

5 Cut 2 quarter-size holes on opposite sides of another wiffle ball to create the middle piece.

6 On your last wiffle ball, cut 1 quarter-size hole. This will be the top piece of the tower.

7 Glue the 3 balls together where the holes meet, with the hole for the disk light on the very bottom.