How to make a beautiful ball & chain?

July 9, 2018 6:18 PM

I want to make one of these things to play this fun game. But I want it to look cool & nice! How? How can I attach the ball to the rope without it looking janky? It does seem like a piece of fabric (larger than what's shown here) is simplest. How do I attach it & prevent it from being all bunchy where it attaches? Would netting be better? And: I want to light it.

I thought maybe battery-powered string lights might work. I'm not an el wire fan, generally. And then duct-tape the battery box on I guess? Is there a lighter/more elegant solution that won't be all clunky?

Last:
What kind of ball? All must pack within a smallish suitcase. Inflatable beach ball perhaps?
What kind of cord is best? What options are there besides boring ol' white nylon rope?

Thanks, MeFites!

posted by red_rabbit to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

I don't think a beachball would work unless you weighted the cloth that held it. There's just not enough mass to swing that well. If you were feeling real fancy you could do some sort of macrame knot holder for the ball instead of just cloth using a thinner gauge cord like paracord or something similar.
posted by Ferreous at 7:29 PM on July 9, 2018

Style-wise you could make it look like Chain Chomp from the Mario games.
posted by littlesq at 7:42 PM on July 9, 2018

A clear (or solid) exercise ball might be nice. Especially if you can put the lights inside. I think the weight would be a bit heavier that a beach ball. Then encase it in a sort of net that can be attached to the rope, and you can hide the battery box in the net. Or you can do a large macrame-ish holder around the ball (I don’t know what that is called, but knots tied in a manner that it enclosed the ball). These two options can also have weight added to get the right balance for you.

If you’re want it to actually be a ‘chain’, hardware stores have lots of plastic chain that looks like metal chain.

Lastly, my trick is always to add ribbons/fabric/scarves to things. They could hide the jankyness at the juncture, if there is any.
posted by MountainDaisy at 7:51 PM on July 9, 2018

The sports ball that is built for this kind of ball-attached-to-a-rope is called a teatherball.

You could buy one and gussy it up with fairy lights that have the tiny battery packs. Love the idea of weaving them in some sort of macrame style around a teatherball.

You could get fancy roap from an upholstery or fabric or craft stores, also love the idea of plactic chain.

Mountain Daisy makes a great point about ribbons and scarves for the tiny battery packs
posted by wowenthusiast at 8:07 PM on July 9, 2018 [1 favorite]