Jon-Paul Wheatley’s handmade soccer balls were a TikTok sensation. Then FIFA called

By Danny Wicentowski

Published July 6, 2023 at 11:38 AM CDT

Jon-Paul Wheatley in his St. Louis workshop on Monday. — Jon-Paul Wheatley, a St. Louis-based designer and social media star, on Monday at his home studio in downtown St. Louis.

In 2021, in the heart of the pandemic, Jon-Paul Wheatley turned his attention from homemade craft projects to a more ambitious goal: designing and sewing his own soccer balls.

Now, some two years and millions of views later, the UK-born transplant’s TikTok account @jonpaulsball has gained over 500,000 followers — and attention from FIFA and Adidas.

“I had no intention of making balls. At that point [in 2021] I just wanted to stay busy during lockdown,” Wheatley told St. Louis on the Air. “I just decided randomly to try and make a ball. … And I just thought, ‘I could probably do that better. … So, I tried again. And I've basically been in that headspace ever since — and now there are hundreds of balls in my apartment.”

Jon-Paul Wheatly, a St. Louis-based ball designer and social media star, hand stitches together panels of leather on Monday, July 3, 2023, at his home studio in downtown St. Louis. Wheatly started ball making during the coronavirus pandemic and quickly became a social media star after showcasing his unconventional designs. — Jon-Paul Wheatley, a St. Louis-based ball designer and social media star, hand stitches together panels of leather on Monday at his home studio in downtown St. Louis. Wheatley started ball making during the coronavirus pandemic and quickly became a social media star after showcasing his unconventional designs.

An apartment full of handcrafted soccer balls is just one result of Wheatley’s efforts in his downtown St. Louis workshop. Last year, FIFA flew him to Qatar to attend the World Cup, during which he produced two balls commemorating the tournament.

He is also a committed fan of the St. Louis City SC soccer team. He incorporated the team colors and design into a new ball that he revealed in a video titled “56 seconds of pure St. Louis City propaganda.”

Left: Laser-cut red leather is pictured at a workstation in designer Jon-Paul Wheatley’s studio on Monday, July 3, 2023, in downtown St. Louis. Right: A Manchester United jersey hangs in Wheatley’s studio where he is making a ball designed after the background pattern on the team’s kit. — Left: Laser-cut red leather is pictured at a workstation in designer Jon-Paul Wheatley’s studio on Monday in downtown St. Louis. Right: A Manchester United jersey hangs in Wheatley’s studio where he is making a ball designed after the background pattern on the team’s kit.

The ball, made of 20 interlocking triangles, is infused with multiple elements of St. Louis’ essence, including dirt from the Gateway Arch grounds, grass from Forest Park and thread soaked in the Mississippi. And that’s not all.

“There’s some Imo’s cheese,” he continued. “There’s Pappy’s barbeque. I took a very small amount of Ted Drewes in there — so there’s a few St. Louis artifacts stitched inside.”

To hear the full conversation with Jon-Paul Wheatley, including how he created a geometry-defying “Impossiball,” listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.

“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.