DIY Ladderball Balls (Bolas)
DIY Ladderball Balls (Bolas)
On a recent trip to the thrift store I came across a Ladderball game, made of steel, complete with a carrying case and it even had all it’s pieces.
If you don’t know what ladderball is, it’s a yard game often played by husbands who throw a bola, or 2 ended ball, across the yard to hopefully land somewhere on a rack.
You get points depending on what level rack you land on. The top rung is worth three points, the middle rung is worth two, and the bottom rung is worth one. Whoever gets to 21 first is the winner.
I didn’t need a set but I did text my son and daughter-in-law to see if they were in the market. I got the go-ahead and I was soon walking out of the store with my find. Apparently I had left the bag open and had to retrace my steps as several of the balls had fallen out along the way. But I did prevail and I happened to make it home with a complete ladderball set.
It’s like this one from Amazon only mine was $15.
Before I handed the set over to my son, and since the entire family was headed over for Easter, we set the ladderball game up in the back yard.
After one game, only one of the ladderball balls remained intact. 😥 The ropes seemed fine but they just fell apart on the first use. Maybe dry rot?
Did you know that replacement ladderball balls cost between $10 and $20. I didn’t really want to spend more on the bolas than I had spent on the entire set.
Before I go investing in a new set of balls could I just restring the existing bolas?
No you can’t. Did you know that those cheap plastic balls get their weight from a little baggy of sand, and when you drill thru the ball, you puncture the baggy of sand ruining the weight of the ladderball ball.
What I did have was a bunch of golf balls. Bolas actually look like plastic imitation golf balls and a good place to start on my DIY ladderball balls was my husbands golf ball stash. Most of these were found by my three sons, sunk in mud, stream beds, tall grass…you know, the typical places boys like to play.
For these diy ladderball balls, the dirtiest and most scuffed up golf balls were the best. Paint is more likely to adhere to a rough surface. Hubby did approve of my golf ball selection.
I used an adjustable wrench to hold the golf ball tightly as I drilled a 1/4″ hole.
From my personal observation, golf balls have beautiful colors inside. 😆
I used my only intact bola to figure out how long my strings should be. Which was about 11″ between the balls, a few more inches to go thru the balls. Allow a couple more inches for knots, so about 18″ to start. You can always trim the strings afterward.
I’m using a nylon rope that I already had on hand. Nylon is great for this project because you can melt the ends with a lighter or match which prevents fraying. The hardened end also allows you to thread the golf ball easier.
Paint 3 sets of the bolas red and 3 sets blue, or any color of your choosing. When the paint was dry I sprayed the ladderball balls with a spray varnish. Hopefully they’ll last a few games before chipping.
I can attest that the DIY ladderball balls were tested out at the next family get-together and they performed perfectly.
If you would like one more family yard game, make sure you check out my yard Yahtzee game.
As always, and until next time, stay inspired.
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Fabulous!