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Halloween is sacred at my house. Every year, I spend months (sometimes longer) turning every inch of our home into a spooky, witchy haven. With so much decor and detail going into my Halloween plans and party, the budget for each piece is relatively small. This means that I tend to spend hours DIYing every prop I possibly can. I’ve wanted a set of Eyeball Orbs from Grandin Road for years now. But every year, I visit the site, and every year, the price tag sends me running. So what’s a budgeting girl to do? Get to the DIYing!
These were the inspiration (from Grandin Road) for my DIY Spooky Halloween Eyeball Orbs. They're so cute! But at nearly $50, they're just not something I can justify.
However, with a few repurposed book pages, a printable eye (which I’ve included for free download), some styrofoam balls, and a little help from Mod Podge, I was able to make my own budget-friendly version.
For all you book lovers who are aghast that I tore up a book, these were the tax and tax law pages of an old Encyclopedia Britannica. So basically, information I feel the world could do without!
How to Make DIY Spooky Halloween Eyeball Orbs
Right up front, I won’t lie; this project does take a little effort, and if you don’t like glue on your hands, it’s not for you. But effort aside, the process was fairly simple.
The Supplies
Styrofoam balls in varying sizes
5 or 6 Book pages or (pages printed to look like book pages) torn in thin strips
Fine point black Sharpie or similar marker
Foam Brush
Scissors
Mod Podge
Step 1
Coat your styrofoam ball(s) in a thick layer of Mod Podge and allow it to dry. This makes the surface a little smoother and easier to glue your book page strips to.
Step 2
Once the first Mod Podge layer is completely dry, cover your styrofoam ball(s) in paper strips. The thinner your strips are, the easier this step will be. You will need to work to smooth the edges with as few ridges as possible.
Work quickly and cover the ball entirely. Once finished, set the ball on a covered workspace to dry completely.
Step 3
Cut out your printable eyeballs in the desired sizes. The template includes 3 size choices so that you can choose the size that fits your ball the best. Cut them out close to the eye edge as shown.
Do not worry about cutting off the eyelashes. We will redraw them back on in a later step.
Step 4
Place your cut-out eyeball centered on your book page orb, adhere with a layer of Mod Podge, and set to dry for several hours.
Step 5
Once the eye is dry, carefully draw on your eyelashes using a fine-point Sharpie and a sweeping motion.
Step 6:
Coat the finished eyes in a final layer of Mog Podge and allow to dry before styling them into your Halloween decor.
Abracadrabra & Ta-Da!
I’m thrilled with how cute these creepy little guys turned out… and I'm even more excited that it only cost me a few dollars and a little bit of time. What do you think? Did I nail the dupe? Will you give this project a try? If you do, we'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below. And don't forget to tag us in your Instagram pics so we can see your creations! Until next time, stay spooky, and,
