Here’s a quick, easy way to turn extra snippets of greenery into a handsome decoration for a door or wall.

 

You’ll need a wire hanger and a 12 by 18 inch rectangle of chicken wire or 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Stiffer hardware cloth makes a sturdier frame, but chicken wire is more flexible and a bit easier to work with.

 

First, pull the hanger into a diamond shape shown below. Then, wearing work gloves to protect your hands, fold the hardware cloth or chicken wire onto the hanger. Now tuck your greens into the frame, working from the bottom up. Cedar, fir, spruce, and pine are good candidates, you might also use holly or pycacantha. Finish off the cluster with ribbons, ornaments, fresh fruit, or other decorations.

 

 

Hang the cluster with the hanger hook, or trim off the hook and push foliage and frame onto a nail.

 

These clusters will stay fairly fresh outdoors if the air is chilly; in non freezing weather, a light misting will help preserve the greenery.

 

 

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Illustration 1Fig (1)

 

Form the frame from a rectangle of hardware cloth or chicken wire and a wire hanger.

 

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Illustration 2Fig (2)

 

Pull the hanger into a elongated diamond and, wearing work gloves, fold the hardware cloth around it.

 

 

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Illustration 3Fig (3)

 

Working up from the bottom, tuck in overlapping scraps of greenery to cover the wire.