If you don't have tennis balls on hand, run to the nearest tennis court, there are more than enough of them there. Joke! In fact, tennis balls can easily be found in any sporting goods store, children's stores, and even in retail outlets in underground passages. In general, no one should have any problems buying tennis balls.
Life hack 1: protect floors from scratches using a tennis ball
Those of you who have parquet floors at home are well aware that restoring parquet (scraping or sanding) is an expensive procedure. And if, in addition, you have a lot of chairs in your house that are regularly used, or you have movable furniture that pretty much scratches the parquet, then frequent sanding of the already expensive parquet can cost you a pretty penny.
Make an X-shaped cut in 4 tennis balls, insert the chair legs into the slits, and your walker chairs are ready. Such attachments ensure safe sliding of the chair legs along the precious parquet, protecting it from damage. This option is perfect if you are planning a party or celebration with a large number guests, and you can’t even imagine that someone will damage your floor. Agree, it's fast and cheap.
Lifehack 2: washing with a tennis ball
We all like to use soft towels after taking a bath. But, as a rule, after washing they look like sandpaper, and it is completely unpleasant to wipe the body with them.
Of course, today there are various laundry detergents on the market to suit every taste and budget. There are liquids for softening fabrics, there are even special laundry balls (you can wash down jackets, jackets, and any other clothes with them).
But situations are different - someone has allergies, someone hasn’t found their favorite scent today, or maybe you’re a student, and today you can’t afford such a product.
Throw 2-3 tennis balls into your towels washing machine. And you will see that ordinary tennis balls cope with this task just as well. The only thing is that, unlike store-bought products, tennis balls are not scented.
Lifehack 3: parking sensor ball
Even experienced car enthusiasts will agree that sometimes driving into a garage is a test of strength. Even if you do this every day, it can still be a hassle. This especially applies to those who have recently gotten behind the wheel and are not yet very confident in the saddle.
In order to protect your car from damage, and yourself from spending on subsequent repairs, you can again use a tennis ball.
- Hang a thread (rope) from the ceiling so that its end hangs in the center of the windshield or directly in front of the driver's face. (if you don’t want to bother with a carabiner for fastening, you can secure the thread-rope with glue, reinforce it with tape, in general there are a lot of options)
- Try to drive your car the way you would like to park your car in the future.
- Using a laser pointer, a long stick, or your own eye (if you are confident in it), mark the length of the rope at the end of which you will tie the tennis ball.
- Tie a tennis ball to the end of a string. Ready!
In the future, you just need to stop when the tennis ball touches the windshield of the car.
Life hack 4: tennis ball for cleaning the pool
Many people have recently acquired swimming pools in their dachas. And with the arrival of warmer weather, the task of keeping the pool clean appears. Everyone sunbathes in the summer and uses sunscreens, mousses, and oils. These products are not washed off before a person dives into the pool. However, some of these products are washed off in water, leaving a greasy film on the surface of the water. Agree, it looks disgusting, and hardly anyone would want to swim in dirty water.
Tennis balls will help deal with this problem. They absorb the remains of oils and fatty creams. The felt covering absorbs this nasty greasy film from the surface of the water. Throw a few tennis balls into your pool if it looks shiny.
Life hack 5: a tennis ball removes black streaks from shoes on linoleum
From school, many of us remember how sometimes teachers forced everyone (or just those on duty) to stay after class and wipe off shoe marks from the linoleum. It was not a pleasant, long and painstaking task. For many, school years have long passed, but the problem of marks on linoleum remains (in some in the office, in others at home, in the hallway). And here tennis balls come to the rescue again. Lightweight, cheap, and most importantly, quick way get rid of black stripes.
Make a cut in the ball and secure it to the stick. Rub the black stripe vigorously with the surface of the ball - here the ball acts as an eraser.
Life hack 6: massage ball
If after a hard day or exhausting physical activity If your back hurts, then even in this case an ordinary tennis ball will come to the rescue.
Take a tennis ball and rub the sore area. This way you will warm up your sore spot and ensure blood flow to it, which will make you feel better. For lower back pain, lie on the floor and place a ball under your lower back. Relax and lie in this position for 10-20 minutes until the pain begins to subside.
Place the ball between the wall and the area that hurts (your back is ideal) and roll the ball until you feel relief.
Life hack 7: safe angles using a tennis ball
If you have children, then you probably try to protect them and protect them from collisions with corners in the house. And, as a rule, there are a huge number of them (tables, cabinets, cabinets, and so on). Of course, today you can find special attachments for furniture on the market.
But what if you don’t have them, or you came to visit and forgot to take yours off the furniture and put them in your bag, or, conversely, you have guests with a small child coming to visit you? There is a way out - and these are again the most ordinary tennis balls! Make cuts on the balls and place them at dangerous angles. That's it! Your children are safe!
Life hack 8: polishing
Sometimes it is necessary to sand an uneven surface. Using just sandpaper, you cannot always achieve an ideal result, especially if the surface must be without flaws. Wrapping a tennis ball in sandpaper will prevent marks on the surface (where your fingers press on the paper) and unevenness on the object being sanded.
Life hack 9: bottle opener
Imagine that you just finished a grueling tennis match, sat down in the shade and decided to cool off with a jar of pickles? But bad luck, the lid is tightly stuck to the can... And no one can help you, not even Super Man (if such a one could fly to your aid). That's all - you are left without a refreshing crunchy cucumber. But don't get upset ahead of time. Don't forget - you have a wonderful assistant in the form of a tennis ball!
Cut the tennis ball along the seam. You'll have a little bulbous green friend covered in rubber on the inside. With its help you can open the jar. Your modified assistant will give you enough strength for this difficult process. And now, you are already much stronger than Super Man or any other superhero. They would definitely not be able to do this.
Life hack 10: a ball for storing things and notes
Tennis balls are hollow and easy to cut. Thanks to this, it can become a stylish accessory for storing notes on your desktop. It can be used for internal office correspondence. Make a cut in the ball and place your note in it, throw the ball to your colleague. That's all. Your messages will remain only between you.
If you go to gym, swimming pool, or any place where you need to leave your belongings for a long time, place valuables (flash drives, money, jewelry) in a tennis ball.
Conclusion
Today we answered in detail the question - what can be made from a tennis ball. You are convinced that a tennis ball is suitable not only for playing tennis, but also for playing with your pet. It's a really cheap and easy way to improve your life. Try the suggested options and share your impressions. Or maybe you have your own ideas about using tennis balls? Share them in the comments. Good luck!
This page describes how to make a Fight Ball simulator with your own hands at home. Making a simulator for practicing strikes is simple.
Option 1. Cheap and cheerful.
You will need: a tennis ball, an elastic band, a baseball cap.
Instructions
- Pierce the tennis ball with a sharp object (such as scissors). Be careful.
- Tie several knots at the end of the elastic so that it does not “slip” back.
- Push the knotted end of the elastic through the hole in the ball.
- Tie the other end of the elastic to the cap, choosing the length of the elastic so that the ball is at the level of the navel.
That's all, 10 minutes and the fight ball boxing simulator is ready for use!
Video instructions
Cons:
- no effort is needed to make the ball fly away from the fist;
- There is no way to practice side impacts.
Option 2. Cheap, right.
- Fill a sock with rice, preferably a woolen one (it's ideal for this). You should get a mini pear with a diameter of 8 cm.
- Thread an 8 cm long cord through a large button and tie it into a ring.
- Insert the ring with the button into the neck of the sock (the ring should stick out from the neck). “Tighten” tightly with a nylon thread. Cut off the excess part of the sock with scissors.
- Take an elastic band, fold it two or three times (depending on the density of the elastic) and sew along the entire length every 10 cm.
- Attach the resulting “tourniquet” to the mini-pear.
Option 3. Correct, effective.
FIGHT BALL BOXING from the company FIGHTMASTER This effective simulator for masters and beginners. It does not have the negative properties inherent in homemade exercise machines.
Strengths
- The shell of the ball is sewn with durable threads made of genuine leather.
- The exercise bag is filled with special granules to give shape and weight.
- Comfortable and reliable head mount with adjustable size and ventilation inserts.
- The elastic band for fastening the ball is optimally selected for elasticity, stretch and strength.
- The fastening of the elastic band is located on the top of the head, this makes it possible to practice not only direct punches, but also side blows, as well as elbow strikes.
- The simulator was tested and improved during training, taking into account the wishes professional athletes various types martial arts and martial artists.
- You will have to “invest” in every shot, and not just put your fists under the ball. This makes the workout more effective.
- The FIGHTMASTER company has been manufacturing and improving the FIGHT BALL BOXING simulator since 2015.
Table tennis balls
They turn the cheapest LED garland into a stylish light source.
With just a little effort, you can make this fun garland - perfect Halloween decor! To do this, we draw faces on the balls, make a hole in each ball, into which a light bulb will then be inserted. During work, for convenience, we put the ball on toothpicks or any sticks. We cut the bandage, dip it in PVA glue and place it on top of the balls. When the glue is completely dry, put the balls on the garland.
You can also make this modern lampshade from ping pong balls.
And if there are a lot of balls, you can even decorate the car with them. As Katherine Smith from Maryland did. She used 8,000 ping pong balls, which she glued to her Volkswagen Beetle. Of course, it would be a pity for us personally to seal such a rare car. But some works of the domestic automobile industry cannot be spoiled by anything.
You can create the most incredible installations from table tennis balls. For example, clouds. Not a bad idea for decorating a sports store!
But this installation with “ping-pong” clouds was created by Brooklyn artist Daniel Arsham, using 21,000 balls. Do you agree, it’s beautiful?
However, Daniel decided not to stop there. Having obtained 25,000 ping-pong balls, he decided to use them as a finishing material. Look what came of it.
Let's move on to tennis balls
You can make equally cool things out of them! For example, here is a holder for various small things.
Or a decorative Christmas wreath.
And even jewelry - for example, bracelets.
A tennis ball can become a plant pot.
And even a house for pets.
If there are a lot of balls, you can use them to make a lounger for your four-legged friend.
Or quite good furniture for your loved one.
If you don't need new furniture, but the old one scratches the flooring and makes a disgusting grinding noise when you try to move it, you can't do without tennis balls.
The performance of this seemingly simple, but in fact highly technological sports equipment, we will find out thanks to a journey through one of largest factories for the production of tennis balls.
One plant can produce up to 300,000 balls per day. The assembly begins with a rubber blank weighing 900 kg, from which 2,000 balls are made.
At first the blank is as hard as a rock. Then it is heated and treated with lubricants in order to soften it. The rubber itself may not bounce high and wears out quickly. Therefore, a chemical mixture is mixed into the material for good rebound and durability.
The plant has its own proprietary mixtures of more than ten ingredients. One of them is sulfur, which gives heat and vulcanizes rubber, that is, makes it harder. Next, the rubber is stirred and leveled, and air bubbles are squeezed out, which weaken the elasticity of the ball. Then, long strips are cut from the layers of rubber, which are sent to a press, in which balls are stamped from them. Next, the balls are treated with silicone and hot water so that they are smooth and can slide out of the mold.
If the balls were made of hard rubber, they would be so heavy that after several matches, tennis players’ hands would simply fall off. Therefore, they are made hollow so that they bounce better and become lighter. Each solid ball is placed in a hot mechanical press.
The half-core sheets move along the line, and a razor-sharp stamp pushes them out.
A huge number of ball halves are raked in the desired direction so that the polisher can cut the edges to the desired size. The edges are then coated with a layer of heat-activated adhesive.
Finally we are ready to give the ball a bounce. To do this, the halves of the balls are placed in a machine, which gives them the ability to bounce, creating enormous pressure inside the ball. The prepared ball halves are manually placed into molds.
After the press closes, air is forced into it under pressure. This increases the pressure to 1.5 bar, causing the two halves of the ball to stick together.
Nothing is visible from the outside, but inside this ball is charged with potential energy. When it hits the surface, it tries to immediately return to its original position. The molecules compressed inside the ball exhibit resistance, and the ball rebounds.
Now you need to think about the control of the ball. The core is treated with a heat-activated adhesive in order to prepare the coating for the most important component for any tennis ball - fluff. Now let's analyze one of the main components of a tennis ball - felt. During the game, the tennis player has to control the rotation and braking of the ball, which is made real thanks to the felt. A special feature of this material is its fleecy surface, which, when the ball flies, does not allow air to easily slide over its surface.
This makes the flight of the ball more leisurely than completely smooth balls, but allows the tennis player to control it more easily. Felt blanks for an individual ball are stamped using a special press.
Two such blanks are combined and create a covering for the ball. On outside Glue is applied to each piece to secure the felt. After which the two blanks are combined together into a ball.
Then the ball moves along the conveyor. It is barely squeezed to ensure that the felt is perfectly fixed. The balls are placed in a heat press at 325ºC for 12 minutes to ensure the felt firmly adheres to the rubber core.
The final stage in the production of tennis balls is their treatment with hot steam. This is done in a special drum.
This drum performs one of the main functions. It is made with fluffy felt that provides excellent ball control.
The balloon can be widely used in everyday life. Is it hard to believe? Then look at the recipes collected in the new review and remember them. Surely some of them will come in handy in every home. It’s worth sharing the secrets you’ve received with your friends.
1. Ice scenery
Balloons filled with slightly tinted water will help decorate your yard in winter. When the water completely freezes, take the balls out into the yard and carefully remove the rubber casing.
2. Bright vases
Using balloons of different colors, you can decorate ordinary glass glasses, turning them into bright vases for small bouquets of flowers.
3. Door handle
A tennis ball can be a great alternative to a broken doorknob.
4. Drying form
To prevent a natural wool hat from losing its shape after washing, dry it on an inflated balloon.
5. Towel holders
Tennis balls make fun and very convenient towel holders. To do this, you just need to make a small longitudinal cut in the middle of the ball and attach it to the wall in the kitchen or bath.
6. Key holder
Just one cut and a pair of toy eyes will allow you to turn a tennis ball into an original key holder, which will become an original and practical detail in the hallway.
7. Cooling drinks
Fill balloons a little water, place in the freezer and use to cool drinks on the beach or during an outdoor party.
8. Decor of cans
Decorate ordinary glass jars with colorful balls and use them to store various things and products.
9. Unusual invitation
Inflate the balloons, beautifully write invitations to the celebration on them, release the air, attach the balloons to cards and distribute them to friends who will be able to read the text of the invitation only by inflating the balloon. Such unusual invitations will amaze your friends and will be remembered for a long time.
10. Washing
To prevent the filling of a down jacket or blanket from bunching up when washing, place several tennis balls in the washing machine.
11. Marker hanger
A tennis ball suspended from the ceiling in the garage will avoid possible parking problems.
12. Protectors
Old tennis balls can be placed on furniture legs to protect the floor from scratches and damage and reduce noise levels.
13. Cover
A balloon will allow you to easily and airtightly close any container.
14. Crafts
The inflated balloon can be used as a mold to create beautiful vases, lamps and desserts.
15. Opener
Holiday decor.
Balloons can be turned into giant candy canes and used as unusual holiday decorations.
Video bonus:
Continuing the topic that everyone will appreciate.