11 Creative Ways To Repurpose Plastic Ball Pit Balls

If you've ever had a home ball pit for your kids, you know these tiny plastic spheres often outlive their playtime. It's easy to just collect them all in a bag and toss them into the back of a closet, but these small yet powerful items can serve numerous purposes if you look beyond their initial use. Instead of letting all of your ball pit balls collect dust, you can turn them into virtually anything, from succulent planters to holiday-themed decor, that will truly wow your guests. Your home gets a splash of color, and you get to enjoy the satisfaction of turning clutter into something useful.

With any DIY repurposing project, you'll want to make sure you have all of the necessary materials on hand before diving in. For these ways to repurpose plastic ball pit balls, you'll more than likely need a utility blade, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, and crafting wire if you're creating a hanging piece of decor. No matter which route you take to break down your collection of plastic ball pit balls, you'll be keeping them out of the landfill and serving a new purpose in your home.

One of the easiest ways to repurpose ball pit balls is to string them together to make your own DIY hanging garland. This hack can be achieved in several ways, but one method is to thread a needle with wire and use that to pierce through each side of the plastic balls. Once completed, you'll have a single strand of colorful spheres you can hang anywhere from a playroom to using them as part of themed party decor.

If you want to transform your indoor space from bland to elegant, building a DIY chandelier using ball pit balls is a great way to do so, and it's budget-friendly. You'll need to string all of the plastic balls together before embellishing with items like shiny crystals for that traditional chandelier look. Once you have all of your individual sections ready, hang them from your base to complete the project.

Don't run out to the store every holiday season if you have some home items lying around that are ready to be repurposed into Christmas decorations. Similar to other ball pit hacks, you can create your own decorations by stringing these on wire and wrapping them around the tree, or spray paint them red, green, and gold to create holiday-themed tiny accent colors throughout your space.

Those tiny plastic ball pit balls come in a variety of sizes and colors, meaning you can create holiday decor that's usable throughout the year. One cheap and easy Halloween decoration you can DIY is a garland that's perfect for parties or just getting into the spooky season. If you don't have any balls in the holiday colors, grab a can of affordable spray paint and give them a makeover.

You can use old ball pit balls as planters in several ways, depending on your gardening goals. For example, you can use the shells of the balls as a mold to pour concrete and create sturdy planters. There's also the option to use half of a ball as a small succulent planter pot you can place on a tabletop without taking up too much extra space.

Fairy lights have been all the rage, but have you ever thought about making (or embellishing) your own rather than purchasing them? If you've got old lights hanging around that you wish had a little more character, pop a ball pit ball over each light to create a bubble effect. Some bulbs pose a fire hazard from overheating when encased in a globe, so it's important to only use LED lights that stay cool to the touch.

Don't forget about Valentine's Day when it comes to DIYing your own decorations for an occasion. With a few heart-shaped ball pit balls, you can create tiny hanging hearts, perfect for adding a seasonal touch around your home without going overboard. Paint these in shades of red or pink for a traditional look, or keep them in the varying colors for a bright pop of home decor.

Get ready to turn the exterior of your home into a gingerbread house that looks good enough to eat. Using hot glue, you can attach festive colored balls to a DIY arch (made from something like cardboard or plywood) before setting this up to temporarily cover your siding or frame an entryway. The final result? Life-sized gumdrops that turn your regular holiday decorations from standard to something you can say is truly one of a kind.

Whether it's a desk, makeup vanity, or bathroom counter, these spaces are prone to clutter buildup. If you're feeling crafty, turn the plastic balls into an organizer for everyday items by cutting a hole into the balls and gluing a ring onto the opening. Then, glue them onto a base in a stacked pattern. One of the best parts about this hack is that you can customize the colors, how many holders there are, and what the final product will look like.

One truly creative way to put those plastic balls to use is adding them to a lampshade for a fun twist. Start by hot gluing the balls to the exterior of the lampshade in any color pattern you desire. Be sure to let the glue dry fully before using. You should also make sure no elements of this DIY are touching the light bulb or overheating; it may even be best to only use LED bulbs to avoid any fire hazards. 

Tired of your jewelry getting lost around the house? Instead of losing your favorite pieces, cut a large ball pit ball in half to DIY a jewelry box organizer. You'll end up attaching the two halves back together to create a clamshell-type opening you can embellish with your favorite additives, such as beads. Once completed, you'll have a space to keep your jewelry separated and safely put away.