How to Make a Ball Out of Chicken Wire

A ball made of chicken wire is a very versatile shape for your craft and gardening projects. You can line the ball with moss and attach colored eggs for an Easter decoration, use wire balls to form a snowman for wintertime fun, or attach evergreen boughs and red ribbon for an old-fashioned holiday ornament. You can also use chicken wire balls of various sizes as topiary frames to help you prune your plants into ball shapes. Chicken wire balls are easy to make, and are an inexpensive way to use your creativity.

Things You'll Need

• Heavy work gloves
• Needle-nose pliers
• Wire clippers
• Chicken wire (12-by-24-inch)

Instructions

1. Use the needle-nose pliers to bend back the sharp edges of the chicken wire, forming little hooks.

2. Gently roll the wire into a tube and use the hooks you formed in step one to hook the short ends together.

3. Gently bend the long ends together, then hook them together.

4. Use the needle-nose pliers to squeeze the hooks tightly shut so the ends will stay together.

5. Use your hands to gently shape the ball.

Tips & Warnings

• A 12-by-24-inch rectangle of chicken wire will make a ball with a diameter of about 5 or 6 inches.

• Be sure to wear heavy work gloves when you are working with chicken wire, since the edges can be very sharp.

References

• National Home Gardening Club: Easy Evergreen Ball. By Michelle Leise.
• eHow.com: How to Create a Topiary Frame with Chicken Wire. By Janet Beal.

Resources

• GardenWeb Topiary Forum: Make some of your own topiary frames