Create Your Dream Garden 
Star Wars Garden Craft Week Part III: Return of the Jedi
Submitted by Amanda Thomsen on March 13, 2009 – 12:03 amOne Comment
Oh, yeah—I’ve done it now. I’ve made a Death Star gazing ball. No one stole my plans to do it and hid them in R2D2, so here it is:
I used a $3 bowling ball from the thrift store and very few supplies to make this Death Star gazing ball. It’s not so much for gazing, actually, but you get the idea.
- I cleaned off the ball in the tub. No kidding. I should have taken video.
- I spray-painted it with primer-gray spray paint; perfect color and texture.
- I used sand paper on the areas where I got overzealous with the primer because there were some drippy areas.
- I took a rubber band to mark the “equator” and painted that on right away so I’d have a better frame of reference.
- I used a roll of tape to trace out the circular “dish” area and then painted it.
- Using masking tape I slowly went about painting sloppy squarish bits in different shades of white, black and gray.
- I went back and outlined the areas with a Sharpie
- I added some glitter for the bling factor. I feel this step enables me legally to call it a gazing ball. I’m not sure why.
- I sprayed over the Death Star again very lightly with more primer-gray spray paint to age it a little.
- I shellacked the hee-haw out of it. One blast isn’t going to penetrate THIS shield.
Now it’s sitting on the ground in my garden. I think it would be cool to have a gazing ball stand for it, but I’m thinking it’s awesome enough that I shouldn’t draw too much attention to it. I’m still enough of a Chicagoan that I worry that my patio furniture is going to be stolen each night, why not this really rad Death Star?
This concludes Star Wars Garden Craft Week, but I have to admit I’m just getting started. I haven’t heard a whole lot of feedback so I don’t know if you want more. I’m crying inside.
Come to the forum and tell me what you think.
The picture isn’t showing up, but I’m dying to see it – this sounds FABULOUS!