Introduction: $5 DIY Polygonal Globe (no 3D Printer Needed)

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About: I am an Industrial Designer, who obviously loves to create. Now that I am a mom, most of my creations are inspired by my daughers. I believe that if more parents were making stuff with their kids, the world wo…

I found this globe at my local "dollar store" for 4dlls. I loved it as a white canvas, so of course I bought several.

I've been thinking what could I make with it, I'm sure you've seen tutorials on how to paint it with cute quotes or even flowers. But I wanted something different, something more contemporary, something never seen before.

And I loved how it turned out, it's easier and faster than painting it, it looks better (if I may say so), you don´t need fancy tools, everyone can easily replicate it, and it doesn't matter if your painting abilities aren't the best.

I´m using mine to mark the places I´ve traveled, its the perfect decoration to display by a nice picture of your last travel and a couple of souvenirs. A really good conversation starter.

So keep reading and prepare to be amazed!

Step 1: Gather Your Materials.

A globe. Maybe you already have an old one, or you can get one from the thrift store.

Coffee stir sticks/straws (I used about 25, but it depends on how big your globe is)

Thin wire. I bought mine 2 for $1 at the dollar store too.

This printout on cardstock

Black cardstock. You can also get this at the dollar store, 2 for $1

Glue stick

Hot glue gun

Scissors

So the globe was $4, the wire $0.50 and the black cardstock $0.50 = $5 !!!! (I already had everything else)

Step 2: Begin the Polygonal Structure

Cut the straws I cut each in 3 or 4 pieces. The pieces don't have to be the same size.

Start by forming a triangle with three pieces of straw, with wire in the middle to join the pieces. For the first triangle you form thread the wire twice. Now keep adding more pieces of straw, every time forming triangles.

I found that it's easier to grab 12 in of wire and when you need more just twist the end with the next piece of wire to attach it.

Step 3: Make Two Pieces

Disassemble the globe. To shape the straw structure as a sphere, every time you complete 4-5 triangles push it with your hand to the globe, this will bend the wire and will start to make the sphere.

Keep going until you have about a third of the sphere.

Then start another one and keep going until you have about half of the globe.

Step 4: Attach Both Pieces

Now attach both pieces together using more straws. This is the trickiest part, now you'll have to cut the straws the exact size to fill the holes and complete the sphere.

Step 5: Attach to Stand

At this time you can paint it with spray paint. It works good of your straws aren't all the same color or you want to change the color of the sphere. My straws were brown and my globe stand is black, so I painted my sphere black. But this is totally optional.


Attach the beautiful polygon globe to the stand. Also, don't worry if it's not perfectly symmetrical. When we glue the continents you won't even notice.

Step 6: Cut, Fold, Glue

The polygon world map I designed fits perfectly in my globe, which ecuatorial circumference is 17.5 in If your globe is smaller or bigger just resize it.

Before cutting it, glue the black cardstock at the back of the world map. Now cut it and pay special attention to the white triangles that you'll have to bend and glue to give it the convex shape.

Fold through the polygons too. Fold the black tabs to the back, those will help us to attach the world map to the sphere.

Step 7: Glue

Glue the continents to the sphere with hot glue. I drew several black tabs but you might not use them all so cut the ones that don't match a straw behind.

If you need to glue a spot that doesn't have a tab you can either glue it directly to the straw, or glue a tab (a small square of black cardstock) to the map and then to the straw.

Step 8: Make Some Flags

Finally, if you want to make this to mark the places you´ve traveled, I´ll show you how to make the little flags.

You´ll need a thicker wire, paper, scissors and a pen.

Cut a long rectangle of paper, fold it in half, cut one triangle at the edge.

Cut a small piece of wire.

Write the date of your travel.

Glue the paper to the wire.

Attach it to the globe, you can pierce the map with the wire or use a little bit of strong glue.

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