Guardians of The Galaxy was one of the most popular films of last year, but considering how crazy we all went for the ragtag bunch of intergalactic misfits there’s shockingly little official merchandise available. I needed Star-Lord’s Orb for a cosplay and put together this tutorial for anyone who wants to have a go at making one themselves. They make excellent party bag favors and are incredibly fast and cheap to make.
What you need:
- A Polystyrene Ball (the Orb should fit comfortably in your hand so consider whether you are making one for a child or an adult when choosing what diameter ball to purchase, mine was three inches in diameter)
- A Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (I used three sticks to cover my ball)
- Black and Silver Paints (grey optional)—I used a mix of acrylic and enamel
Time:
Completed within one day including drying time (approximately 1-2 hours work)
Cost:
$1 – $12 depending on supplies already owned
Step One:
Heat up your glue gun and use it to draw random patterns and swirls all over the surface of the ball. I suggest impaling the ball on a long needle (an old fashioned hatpin works well if you have one) to avoid accidentally putting your hand on the hot glue before it dries—not only is this painful but you will end up with fingerprints as part of your design which will become very noticeable at step four. Be as haphazard as you can, then leave the glue to dry and cool completely.
Step Two:
Paint the whole thing black. Take your time on this step and make sure you get into every crevice around the glue, any white spots will be really obvious later on. Leave the Orb to dry completely making sure it is elevated from the surface to avoid the paint sticking it down. You can do this either by sticking a needle or hatpin in it to hold it up and away from the surface, or by painting it in two halves and allowing the first to dry completely before starting the second.
Step Three (optional):
Dry-brush on some dark grey paint; I used a gun metal enamel I’d been using on a cosplay shotgun. The grey adds some texture to the surface of the ball giving it a slightly metallic appearance, and it also helps give the impression of more depth. The grey can also help to reduce the shine from the black undercoat if you have any.
Step Four:
Carefully brush the silver onto the raised glue only. I used a rub on metallic highlighter from my scrapbooking stash that is applied with the fingertip to help me be more precise with where I applied the color. You could either use a paintbrush or dip a kitchen paper in the paint and rub it on with that. However you choose to do it, take your time and work slowly. I suggest listening to an awesome mix tape while you work. My silver highlighter naturally rubbed off somewhat after its initial application but I found that it added to the worn look of the Orb. If yours wears off too much after handling, just add another coat to liven it up again.
That’s it, you now have an Orb! Sadly this one doesn’t open to reveal a universe-changing Infinity Stone (perhaps I’ll modify this build in the future to make it open up) but it makes a great, lightweight prop. Mine cost under $1 to make because I already owned all of the paints and the glue gun but even if you have to purchase everything, you still won’t break the bank. If I made another I would make my glue gun lines wider and have them covering more of the surface, but I am very happy with my Orb which now sits proudly beside my fake vintage Walkman.
Let us know how yours turns out if you decide to have a go.
Very nice!
Very cool. Love how inexpensive it was!
http://www.cosplaycents.com
Awesome!! this is going to be so cool for my son’s guardians of the galaxy party 😉