What Can You Make with Old Pool Balls? (9 Creative Ideas)
Old pool balls, often relegated to the corners of basements or garages, can be transformed into a variety of creative and functional items.
This article explores the myriad of possibilities that these colorful spheres offer, from home decor to practical tools, showcasing the potential of upcycling in a fun and innovative way.
Key Takeaways
- Versatility: Old pool balls can be repurposed into numerous items, ranging from artistic sculptures to practical household objects.
- Creativity: With a bit of imagination, these balls can be turned into unique pieces that add character to any space.
- Sustainability: Repurposing pool balls is a great way to reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.
9 Things to Do with Your Old Pool Balls?
It’s amazing the amount of old stuff you will find laying about in storage around the house, not the least old sets of pool balls you long forgot about.
If you don’t know what to do with them, they can be quite the nuisance, just sitting there collecting dust.
You can chuck them out, however a better alternative may be to reuse them, which you can do in all sorts of awesome ways for many different things.
If they don’t look the nicest, and have not been well maintained, cleaning your pool balls is the first place to start.
Then you can get recycling them with the 9 creative ways I have in this article on how you can transform, reuse and give a new lease of life your old pool balls!
Candleholders
Old pool balls make incredible candleholders
- drill a hole in the top of each ball and then put a tea light or votive candle in it
- You will need to drill a 3-inch hole
When creating the hole, be careful not to split the balls by going too shallow.
You will also need to create a solid, flat surface on the bottom of the ball. You can do this by:
Sanding the base – this allows it to sit stationary
To add a nice finishing touch
- Sand the inside of the drilled ball before placing the tea light or votive candle inside
- To make use of a full set of old pool balls – you can repeat the process and fix them within a triangle rack
You can use these as centerpieces for your next dinner party or even just to add some extra decoration to your home.
Door Stop
Old pool balls can make colorful additions all around the home, and one way they can be reused is as a door stop.
Old repurposed balls look nice in any room, and can be used throughout your home, so feel free to get creative with your color scheme.
You can also go for the subtle approach, I love them in bright and energetic games rooms as a feature.
And for the DIY challenged, me included, they are also pretty straightforward to make.
- You will simply need a door stopper base from your local home improvement store
- Drill to create the hole in the ball
- Then screw the door stopper into the ball
- You have your very own pool-themed door stop
Shot Glasses
A really cool way you can make use of your old pool balls is to repurpose them into unique shot glasses.
- Measure out the size of the shot glass
- Cut a small circle into the top of each ball with a drill the size of the glass that will be placed inside
- Sand the sides to take the sharpness off the edges and give it a more polished finish
- Place the shot glass inside the drilled hole you just created
You can then either: drink from your old pool ball shot glass or use them as a decorative item.
Either way, you’ve made something that will definitely catch the eye of anyone who loves the sport
Cabinet Door Handles
This one may not suit everyone, or look good in every room among different styles, but a clever way some people reuse old pool balls is as cabinet door handles.
The circular shape of the balls lends itself incredibly well as a door handle.
Once again, it’s a case of
- Measuring the hole to be cut
- Marking it on the top of the ball
- Drilling a hole through the top of each ball
- You then simply need to screw them onto your cabinets or cupboards
Backyard Patio Plant Pot
If you like to get creative with ideas in the backyard, this one is for you.
Backyard patio plant pots can be made out of pool balls, technically they can also be used for indoor pot plants as well, just so you know.
The different color of the balls create an awesome colorful pool ball flower piece
- Grab a plant pot
- Pile the balls in and around the top of the pot
- You can use real plants, or artificial ones
If you use real flowers, make sure when you pile the balls that you are still able to water them.
Cork Bottle Stoppers
The game of Pool has been one of the most popular bar games for as long as I can remember. So it seems fitting that I have some bar-related things you can do.
Old pool balls, can be used to make cork bottle stoppers and seems like it would be hard, but is a pretty easy task.
- Drill a hole into the ball the size of the bottle opener
- Insert a piece of metal that can be screwed into the bottle stopper
You can use it on any type of bottle that you want, wine, champagne and whatever you want.
A sure way to get your friends talking about your handy work when visiting.
Coat Hanger Hook
Coat hangers are another one that can be created from your old balls.
These can be really simple and subtle ideas and on the flip side, some people get very creative.
Either way, it is a really easy tip if you want to add a pool themed feature to your hall or any other room.
Drill the hole into the ball and screw it in to the hook
There are an endless amount of coat hook designs online for inspiration
Pen Holder
Old Pool balls can also be drilled to be used as pen holders, which also make excellent gifts.
They are both practical and creative.
Something which you can bring into work or kit out your home office with,
- Drill a hole in the top of the ball
- Sand the edges
- Make the hole big enough, so you can fit an adequate amount of pens
Table Lamps
Table lamps are a unique way of reusing your old pool balls, and you can do them in i all kinds of different ways.
Once again, the steps are very simple.
- Mark and drill a hole in the top of each ball
- Screw it down the spine of the lamp holder
- If you want to get more, creative, you could also attach a triangle rack for the base of the table lamp to get that full pool game theme
Final Thoughts on What Can You Make with Old Pool Balls?
Whether you want to add a cool touch to a room or create thoughtful gifts for friends and family, there are plenty of ideas for your old pool balls.
You don’t have to be a DIY mastermind, either, as I’ve included ideas, from door stoppers, to pen holders, that can be done by anyone.
So if you have an abundance of old pool balls lying around collecting dust, it might be time to get creative with how you decorate your home or games room.
References
https://www.pinterest.com/marymom47/billiard-balls-repurposed/
