Create A Unique Home Decor Item Using An Old Bowling Ball

You don't have to bowl a perfect strike to score high with your next home decor project. If you're an avid bowler, there are plenty of creative DIY ways to repurpose bowling balls and incorporate bowling-themed items into your living space – including kitchen accessories, living room wall art, light fixtures, and more. While you can always find purchasable items online if you have some extra time to spare, why not get adventurous and craft your own home decor pieces? From YouTuber Jimmie Porter At Stuart Arts, this cute candy dish is sure to be right up every bowler's alley!

This project requires at least some familiarity with woodturning and several specialized tools. Porter created his candy dish by repurposing a vintage duckpin bowling ball with a midi-lathe, lathe chisels, sandpaper, and a few other tools in his workshop. He found the bowling ball in a set of two for around $8 online, but any size should work. Check for low-cost bowling balls at thrift stores, yard sales, Facebook marketplace, or eBay. It's important to be aware of safety before getting started, too. As Porter notes in his video, the bowling ball gave off a strong chemical smell and dust when he started cutting it with the lathe, so work outdoors and wear a 3M Professional Multi-purpose Respirator for protection.

A lathe is one Harbor Freight tool that is a game changer for home improvement projects, but it's still a good idea to review the specific tools Jimmie Porter uses in the video before starting. You'll begin by drilling a hole through the top center of the bowling ball using a drill press. He uses a wooden holder to find and mark the center. From there, he locks the table, releases the steel rod, places the bowling ball into the holder, and then makes the hole.

With the hole ready to accept the lathe's drawbar, mount the ball and use non-slip fabric to securely hold it. Porter uses a centering bit to make a registration point for the live center. He then cuts the ball into three sections using a parting tool for a flat base and a separate top. Note that this process can be hard on the tool as it heats up, and you may need to slow down belt speed or take a break to sharpen it. Porter does some detailing work on the bottom of the ball before flipping it to hollow it with a Forstner bit, which is one of their many uses. From there, some basic trimming work ensures that the base and top of the ball will fit together.

In terms of finishing work, you'll want to wet sand each part to remove the tool marks from the plastic. Then, apply a thin coat of wax and buff it out for a nice shine. As a final cherry on top, Porter created a little bowling pin from white Corian, a type of solid surface countertop material, for the top of the dish.