Juggling Balls

Have you ever wanted to juggle balls like a clown in a circus but don't have anything to practice with ( besides anything dangerous or fragile )? You can practice with bean balls or baseballs, so long as you don't throw them at anyone. In this Instructable you can learn how to make your own juggling balls with some simple items.

I first learned how to juggle from a volunteer at a food drive. She was a circus clown who did some classic stunts and falls to entertain the kids, she even have a couple tricks up her sleeve (figuratively). She taught me the basics of juggling and it took me a while to get a handle on it. By the time she had to go, she gave me three juggling balls for me to practice with, even though she had plenty. She even told me how these balls were made, so now. I will tell you.

Anyone can tell you that a professional artist would have made something so amazing that it can never be replicated. Guess what... it is possible!... as long as you do it carefully though. Some people often boast about the material they used and what they did to build their project, just that they sometimes never tell us the exact materials and techniques used to do it.

So here are the things you need;

Materials:

• Fillings ( birdseeds are what I used )
• Balloons ( I was suggested large ones so I used the 12in ones )
• Thread
• Socks ( I used old socks with holes on them )
• Food ( It's optional, in case you get hungry)

Tools:

• Scissors
• Needles
• Funnel ( out of paper or use a kitchen funnel )
• Cookie sheet ( or something that can contain a possible spill )
• Utensils ( for the food, also optional )
• Scoop ( in case the funnel does not work well for you )

And that is it. Let's start.

Now, you are going to take the old sock that you are going to use for this project. As you can see in this picture, I cut the sock in a way that I can be able to use all three parts. But that is because I used a crew sock instead of an ankle sock, which cutting that one would result to two parts.

Before you cut out parts that can fit in your hand, you may need to stuff the sock with something that also fits in your hand, like a baseball, a bean ball, a tennis ball, or anything that is about 3 inches big. You can use this method to measure how much of the sock you need to cut. After measurement, you may need to be able to cut the middle of the sock to get two parts { the toe and heel ) to use for making a hand fitting ball.

Remember, measure carefully.

If there are any holes that could cause a spill, take the needle and thread to close them shut using a zigzag sewing method, or the overlay stitch.

Now that you have the part, you can start filling the pocket with the filling of your choice. I wouldn't recommend anything liquid like water, syrup, frosting, buttercream, jelly, soaps, soft drinks, ice cream, or anything that could leak out of the fabric, unless you're using a water-, or regular balloon to fill it with such.

Though before you start filling the pocket you need to check three things, check the pocket for holes, have a cookie sheet or pan to contain a possible spill, and see if you have a funnel to fill the pocket. If you don't have a funnel, then you can use a small scoop to fill the pocket with the filling.

When you have filled the pocket to the point that it can fit in your hand, take a needle, poke the thread through the hole of the needle( you can do a single or double thread if you want ), and do either an overlap stitch or the back stitch to sew the pocket closed. Make sure you are sealing the opening as close to the filling as possible as it will be easier for the next step( as I have discovered ). If you are using a balloon as a pocket, simply tie the balloon neck into a knot.

Now the last thing you need to do is to cover the pocket with balloons. You will need 12 in. balloons to cover the pocket efficiently.

Take a balloon ( don't inflate it ), cut the neck at the base, stretch the rest of the balloon gently, and carefully pull it around the pocket. You may need to do some tugs and pulls to cover the pocket as much as you can. Repeat this step at least one or more times to completely cover the pocket into a ball.

And now you are done. If you want to replace the top cover, you'll need to cut it carefully as to not cut the under layers and put a new layer over the ball. You can also pick a color and pattern of choice for the balloons when covering the ball, this make it more fun and whimsy. Hope you enjoyed it. Have fun! =D