Grapevine... tons of it!

[Bridget399]

I have a few acres that are loaded with grapevine. Receintly a friend of mine and I have begun to harvest it and make wreaths. I made traditional wreaths, wreaths for every season, small wreaths for candle rings, and have added longer vines to the garland around my doors.
What else can I do with it? I'm trrying to think of something unique and something I could make as Christmas presents this year. Please, give me your creative ideas!!
Bridget

 

[1mommahen]

Napkin rings with pretty napkins?

 

[Bridget399]

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That's cute!!

 

[Bridget399]

I like to try to make grapevine balls, but haven't a clue how to start them...

 

[spell]

baskets?

 

[greeneggsnham]

It wouldn't be able to work till next year but I know a guy who starts them wrapping around a post in the spring and after a year it makes a nice looking walking stick. He just uses some kind of sealent (sp?) after it dries out and they are they so beautiful. My dad has one around here that he bought for looks. I'll try to find it and take a pic so you can see.

 

[Bridget399]

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I never would have thought of that!

 

[NanaKat]

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Are you wanting to make the hollow balls or the solid balls?
For the hollow balls, you need to make a small framework by wrapping the green grapevine around a deflatable ball. Make 6 to eight wraps and tie off. Once the frame is dry, you can deflate the ball and slip it out. Next wrap and twine in the outer layer of your ball with more green vine. (If you use styrafoam balls as the core, you need to remove the styrafoam ball before the green vine completely dries. The wrap on the outer layer.)

The solid balls are simply rolled up small vine stems wrapped with larger diameter pieces until you get the size you want and tie off.

I have seen reindeer and angels made from grapevines.....really cute. The reindeer was made in sections. The body was a hotdog shaped piece with the legs made from longer pieces in a U shape attached to the body, anchored and then each foot was tied with twine to gather the vine together. The neck was attached to the head shape and then threaded into the body and hot glued. The antlers were branches of grapvine that had strong Vs or crooks.

The angel wings were woven on a piece of board with nails. The body of the angel skirt looked like it was wrapped on some type of cone to shape it. The head was a hollow ball and the arms were a U shape tied to the body. The pieces were tied and hot glued together.

 

[Bridget399]

Those grapevine deer are so expensive! A few years ago I tried to wrap grapevine around tomato cages to make cylinders (like christmas trees) and it was disasterous...

 

[flgardengirl]

If you have heavy thick grapewood some people use it to mount orchids or other epiphytic plants on it. People also use it for thier terrariums or reptile habitats etc. You might be able to sell larger pieces to orchid dealers etc. You could try listing some on Craigslist...