Grapevine Trees
Tips to Making Your Own Grapevine Trees
If you are looking for interesting accessories for your home, or for a fun way to use your grapevines after your grapes have been harvested, then you might want to consider using grapevine trees. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly common to find these for sale in many home decorating stores, but for a small amount of money, you can actually make your own!
Grapevine trees have a unique look to them and are becoming popular with those that like decorating in a primitive or “Americana” style. They are very versatile and can be used outside on the porch or in virtually any room in the house.
Like Christmas trees, grapevine trees can be decorated as well-only you can keep them up year round! While many people prefer to string clear lights around them to give a room a soft, ethereal look, others actually prefer to decorate them according to the season. Fall leaves can be hung on them in the autumn, for instance, while in the summertime you might want to decorate them with pretty flowers.
At stores, grapevine trees can be pricey, regardless of the size that you purchase. You can make your own, though. This is a particularly fun idea if you have grapevines on your property and are seeking an interesting way to use your leftover vines after your grapes have been picked. What you will need is pliers, wire, grapevine, gloves to protect your hands, and a tomato cage.
If you don’t have grapevines around your yard, then you can also purchase them from many craft stores, gardening stores, and greenhouses. Tomato cages can also be purchased at most gardening stores, especially in the springtime. They cost very little money and you can generally buy several at one low price.
Start out by turning the tomato cage upside down. Next, you will want to cut off some wire at around 15 inches long. Using the pliers to pull the wire as you go, bind the spikes of the tomato cage together. The spikes should come together at a point and resemble a teepee.
Now, you can start attaching the grapevine to the bottom of the cage (the round opening). Use some of the wire to hold the vine in place and continue looping the grapevine around the bottom of the cage. Continue doing this until you have covered the bottom of the cage in wire.
You can then move on up to the next row and use the wire to tie it to the frame. You can have gaps between your rows, or you can bind them close together-this is up to you. Continue doing this until you have reached the top of the cage, where you bound the spikes together.
At the top of the cage, carefully wrap the grapevine around the point, using the wire to hold it in place. This will probably be more difficult than wrapping the vine around the rest of the cage, as well as harder to secure. Make sure that you wear your glove in order to protect your hands and then cut off any extra wire so that it doesn’t stick out.
When you are finished, look back over the tree to see if there are any holes that you might have missed. Tuck any excess wire into the tree itself, or cut it off with the pliers if you are able to.
It is now up to you to decorate your tree. Visiting local crafts store can be a fun way to get ideas for decorations, or you can use things from around your own home and garden, too.