Halloween Eyeball DIY

Were you also looking for some Halloween eyeball orbs to place around your home? I was perusing a mail order catalog that recently landed in my hands looking for ideas for Halloween decorations.  And there they were… Grandin Road’s “Eyeball Orbs” a set of 8 for just $39.00…  wait what?  Are you *!@# kidding me?  Just… no.  Yes, my friends – this is a copycat craft – and I am happy to admit it.  It’s a great idea and the eyeballs are easy to make using newspaper instead of fancy script tissue paper – use the obituary section for a creepy twist.  I think they came out awesomely spooky – don’t you?

This is a great craft to do with kids too…

Supplies:
Decoupage glue
Styrofoam balls (or any other round object that will accept glue)
Eyeball graphics – get the template here
Scissors
paint brush
Newspaper torn into small pieces
Dark brown or black craft paint
Glossy sealer
Sharpie marker fine point
Bamboo skewers
Cardboard Box for drying eyeballs
Sandpaper

Pour some glue into a container and add one or two drops of paint.  This will give the newspaper an antique look.

Mix the paint into the glue and apply to your ball.  Add the torn pieces of newspaper one at a time, layering and overlapping as you go.  Smooth the newspaper out with your paint brush.

Keep adding the newspaper with the glue until you have covered the whole surface.  Add bamboo skewer so you can cover most of the ball. To let the eyeball dry cut a small hole in the cardboard box and place the skewer in the hole. This will allow the eyeball to dry without touching anything.

Once your ball has dried cut out your eyeball image.  Make sure that it is not too big or too small for your ball.  Experiment with printing at difference scales until you get one that looks right.

Once you cut out your eyeball image, make small slits in the eyeball all the way around.  This will allow the flat paper to be shaped onto your ball as you glue it down.  The slit areas will overlap but will not be noticeable when you are finished.

Before you apply your eyeball image lightly sand the surface of the ball to knock down any bumps or wrinkles. Glue the eyeball image to the ball, smoothing down with your fingers if needed.  Once the eyeball is dry, add some tiny eyelashes with a sharpie (Optional).  Then coat it once more with a layer of glossy glue or sealer.  Note:  If your ball is really lumpy you can lightly sand it again to knock off the bumps before the final sealing –  just don’t sand the eyeball off.

Arrange in a bowl of dried moss to enhance the creep factor!