Pen Pot

I picked a kiddies pair of footy boots up for 50p from the car boot a few weeks ago.

With a view to making my sister something for Christmas.

I cut the tube with the intention of using the taller one, but in the end I used the shorter one.

Then I gathered everything I thought I might need.

I covered the boot in plain t-shirt fabric to start with just to get a base on to cover everything, including the inside. Next I placed the tube in the hole and covered it too.

I covered the polystyrene ball with a couple of coats of white powertex and cut some black pentagon shapes from black t-shirt fabric.

I covered the pentagons with transparent powertex and placed them on the ball to try and replicate a football. It looks cloudy as the transparent doesn't go on clear, but dries clear.

Once the first layer of the boot fabric was dry I added more fabrics and paper decoration and also some clay pieces. 

Once everything was dry I made sure the ball would sit on the boot. 

I started to add the colouring, I was going for a very red, red. So I started with a very light layer and just kept layering and layering a bit at a time until I got the depth I wanted. I also added a layer of the red metallic lustre which really brought it to life.

Just love how the colours bring out the fabulous textures.

I used festive red dazzling metallics on the flowers which has given them a hint of gold too.

And a view from the front.

I haven't actually glued the ball onto the front yet, but I'll use transparent powertex for that.

And a view of the other side of the boot.

And a view from the top. I kept checking that the ball sits okay on the boot.

And here it is finally with pens in it.

I've made this for my sister for Christmas. She loves football and is a teacher so is always using pens when marking her classes work, and it's totally unique and different. I know she will love it as she has already pinched on of my angels and another statue!