How to make Grapevine Ball Decorations

I have this crafty friend. She makes all kinds of great things on a whim.  Every time I go to her house she has something new to show me.  She is super talented at painting and jewelry making.  (Both things not my strong point.)  But one day I saw these cool grapevine orbs. She has 2 of them sitting on her porch. The first question out of my mouth, “Where did you get those?”  They were truly amazing.  Then she preceded to tell me she made them.  My heart stopped knowing I was unable to make them because the snow had already begun to fall. So no more grapevines for the season.  So I kept this beautiful spheres in the back of my mind until fall.   

So this year I have been anticipating this project!  I visited family who had grapes and harvested the vines myself and a few grapes too!

Start off with a bunch of grapevines.  Cut the ones that are still a little green.  They are more pliable. I soaked mine in the bathtub to make them soft.  It worked pretty well.

Next shape them into 3 circles using wire.  I decided to make mine about 2 feet in diameter. I started with wiring 2 vines and just kept adding them until I felt they were sturdy.



Next place one inside the other, crossing on the axis. Wire your circles together at the axis. Once they are wired together set them out in the sun to dry.  I sat mine under some outdoor furniture to hold my spheres in the shape I wanted.

To make them look like pumpkins I added a small bundle of sticks to the top as a stem.  In the winter I will take them off to look like snowballs.
Once they are dry use them to decorate your porch or cabinet tops. string them with lights for decorations for the holidays.

Check out the entire post on my blog www.freetimefrolics.com