Cloche Encounters of the Chicken Wire Kind. . .

Hello my friends, last week I mentioned that I would be sharing how to make chicken wire cloches.
 
 
They really aren't difficult.  Just take a little time and patience Fun to use in the garden and I love them for styling vignettes.
 
Supplies needed:
Chicken wire
Wire cutters
needle nose pliers
gloves
extra wire (opt.)
 
I have my cute craft day ladies to help me demonstrate.
 
Margo is showing that you just curl the chicken wire around to see about how big you want your cloche.  One garden book showed that you could form it around a plastic pot, but I don't find it necessary.  This works just great!
 
 
Next, using wire cutters cut clear up the chicken wire.  Leaving an excess of 1-2 octagons for overlapping.
 
 
Cut close to one of the octagons, not in the middle.  That way you will have plenty to wrap with.
 
This photo is totally blurry, but I was too lazy to take another one.  :)  I think you can see what I mean.
 
 
 
Kimi is showing her piece all cut.
 

(ignore the messy deck)

 
 
That nice preformed edge will be the bottom of your cloche.
 

overlap and line up the octagons.  Wearing gloves and using needle nose pliers, weave that little wire piece in and around until you get a nice tight circumference.  You can work with the shape more later. I can wrap it better with just my hands, but some people are masters with the needle nose pliers.
 

Now this is where the fun begins.  Decide if you want your cloche smaller.  If so, you can cut some off the top.  Just be careful to not cut too much. Also now is when you decide if you want to add something to the top or finish with just the wire.
 
 
The top one I just kept working with the wire until I formed a round knob on top.
 
This one I kind of flaired it out.

 
Or you can cut around your top.  About every other one and add something cute to it.  This is where you will use the extra wire.

She will continue working this in towards the center until she gets a small hole.  You will wrap the ends in and out just like you did to form the circumference.



Here are three that doorknobs were added to the top.  I made this one a few years ago.  The pearls are a napkin ring.  Use wire to attach your knob and then put a washer underneath the screw inside to hold it in place.  Hubby cut the screw off for me.



Karen's-she will doll it up at home and
screw will be cut off



Paula's knob had fabulous aqua patina on the bottom.

 
The possibilities are endless.  Joanne used a darling thrift find salt shaker on the top of hers.  Love her ribbons too!
 

 
I love this knob that looks like a faucet and cute tag Cathy used!
 
 
She also made this sweet little one.  Embellishing them
 is so much fun!
 
 
Paula turned one of hers into a southern belle.
 
 
Shirley is one of our circus theme lovers.  How cute is this?
She made hers kind of oval shaped.  Clever!
 

 
Are you wondering why I have Margo and Kimi demonstrating, but then don't show their cloches?  Silly me!  We did this twice.  I forgot to take instruction photos the first time and forgot to take finished cloche photos the second.  Ha, ha!  How funny is that?
 
In my post My Fair Ladies the cloches became wire skirts.  Like I said, the possibilities are endless! 
 
Hope you will share your chicken wire cloches if you decide to give this a try!
hugs,
Jann
 
I will be sharing with these lovely parties:

29 comments

20 North Ora said...

Oh Jann - these look like so much fun!! I love all of the varieties. I think I will try to make one of these. Thanks for sharing the tutorial.

Judy

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Jann,
I lOVE these!! What a great idea!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Thanks too for stopping by as often as you do!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Debra@CommonGround said...

Perfect for the garden or a Farmhouse accent. LOVE them, especially all decorated!!

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

Very cute! I could use them to protect my plants from marauding squirrels. So much prettier than the chicken wire tornado-looking cage that I made to protect my tomato plant last year.

GranthamLynn said...

Very cool. Great ideas. I came over to thank you for hosting Share Your Cup!
And let you know that I have a new Book Review Blog. If I can get enough followers (150 Whew!) then I can post all my reviews there and free up My Journey Back. Would you come over and visit and follow me over there....http://myreadingjourneys.blogspot.com/.
Thanks! Have a great weekend. And Happy Memorial Day!
XXOO

cynthia lee designs said...

Jann...these are so cute...love all of them.
~Cindy

Sarah said...

Looks like you are having way too much fun! '-)
Thanks for sharing this idea. Cloche Encounters! Love your sense of humor.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Joy Junktion said...

I bet it is really fun to have friends to craft with! Fun ideas to share, giggles and results! Looks like a really fun project and I love all the different embellishments! Enjoy a beautiful weekend! Blessings, Cindy xo

Ann said...

OH MY goodness, I have a big roll in the shed. I LOVE the embellishments and also the skirts. The possibilities are endless for sure.
thanks for sharing
Ann

handmade by amalia said...

These are brilliant, Jann. Such fun. I adore the one with the clown.
Amalia
xo

Kim said...

All those chicken wire cloches are such fun. Thank you for showing us how to make these. As you say the ideas are endless. What will you imagine next, I wonder. =)

Laurie said...

Perfect, practical and super cute!

Bernideen said...

What a darling idea - mine don't look like this. I had to do them as the bunnies ate all the early clematis I planted. Very cute idea Jann!

happyone said...

What a cute idea and very creative. So many possibilities.

Patti said...

Wow Jann, I am loving your cloche demonstration! So, so pretty in the garden! I do love the doll cloche - and think I might make one of those. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this post together!

Anne's Attic - Design said...

Wonderful tutorial dear friend. I will be pinning this one. Have a wonderful holiday weekend. xx Jo

Christine at Little Brags said...

omg , cutest chicken wire project ever!!! Love it!

decorayadora said...

Hi dear friend ,, que idea más bonita con ese alambre ,,Espero que tengas un buen domingo junto a tus seres queridos
Cariños

Cheryl said...

So fun!! Thank you for showing us how. Looks fairly easy that I might just try it. Thanks again.

Decor To Adore said...

Truly charming cloches! Thank you so very much for joining us at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Junkchiccottage said...

Jan these are so creative and pretty. Love this! Happy Week End.
Kris

Sandi Magle said...

Adorable....chicken wire is such a pain to work with, but this result is worth the scratches. Love it, Sandi

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Thanks for the tutorial for Cloche Encounters, Jann! All of the designs are just too cute for words!! Happy Memorial Day!

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

Very clever! I like the idea of putting them over a plant in the garden.

Kris said...

Oh my gosh Jann, those are gorgeous!!!! Love them! My hands would be bleeding like crazy!!! I wrangle with chicken enough here, between my flock, and keeping them out of the places I don't want their messes!!
Happy Memorial Day to you. How is that little shed coming along!?
xo Kris

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

Super cute! I need a few of these to keep the critters from eating my plants!

Jeanie said...

These are just fabulous, Jann. And how I would adore to make a few for the garden. The critters are voracious! But they're wonderful inside, too. Bookmarking this one to return to!

Creations By Cindy said...

Well Jann, now that is about the cutest thing ever...making cloches out of chicken wire! WOW! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Judy Biggerstaff said...

Perfect for the garden or cute for the house. I think I need to make a couple of these. Thanks for sharing, love it.

Instagram