DIY Sponge Water Bombs!

What a fun way to stay cool : DIY Sponge Water Bombs! These would be a great addition to any (outdoor) summer gathering. So much easier and longer lasting than water balloons :-).

I've seen multiple variations of these sponge water bombs floating around Pinterest. I think Martha Stewart had this project in one of her craft books back in 2003!

These balls are slightly different than Martha's. We're going to use 4" cable ties instead of string.

Supplies:

• Rectangular, Not Wavy, Sponges (Target, 4-Pack, $1.69)
• 4" Cable Ties (WalMart, 100-pack, $1.29)
• Thick Pliers
• Scissors
• Dremel Tool (Not Pictured)

These sponges are rectangular. Hold the sponge so that the long edges go left to right. The short sides should be up and down. Cut each sponge into 7 or 8 sticks.

Note: I used 24 sponges. I cut 21 sponges into 7 sticks and 3 sponges into 8 sticks to create 19 sponge balls.

Stack nine sticks so that they resemble the picture, below.

Pinch the center of your stack and wrap with a zip tie. The grooved side of the zip tie should be facing inward.

With one hand, keep hold of the sponge ball. With your other hand, use the pliers to pull the zip tie as tight as humanly possible.

Snip off the excess plastic. Use a dremel (my own personal twist on this project!) to sand away the sharp points of the plastic. I sanded each plastic tie all the way to its connection point.

Woot! No scratches from the plastic tie!

Gently fluff and twist to create a nice round shape.

Fill a bucket with water and GO CRAZY. Water really brings out the pretty colors of the sponges:

Do not clean these balls in the microwave! That's what the packaging says! Either put them in your dishwasher OR soak in a bucket that contains 3/4 cup bleach to each gallon of water.