How to Update Plain Vases or Bottles With Wire Netting and Stones

5 Materials
$12
1 Hour
Easy
Want to enhance a plain vase or bottle for a decorative look? Here's how easy it is to add wire netting and colorful stones or beads. And the best part, you can use this technique on just about any type of vase or bottle!
First, cut 18 gauge wire long enough to wrap around the stem of the vase, criss-crossing in the middle. Make sure the lengths are even on both sides from the overlapping.
Next, take round nose pliers and curl up each end by twirling the wire around. This will be the anchor wire for the netting.
Then, cut  the 28 gauge wire about 3 ft. long - a length you can easily handle -and wrap one end several times behind and over the anchor wire (around) where it criss-crosses to help make it sturdy.  Make sure the coils are nice and tight and pushed together with your fingers. The anchor wire might be a little loose but that'll make it easier to insert the wire behind it. You will then have a short tail on one side and the rest of the 3 ft. or less wire on the other side.
Next, pull the longer wire straight down and make a loop (holding it down with your thumb). Take the end of the longer wire and insert it behind and down under the 18 gauge anchor wire  .  .  . coming out over the loop wire, and pull to the right, being careful not to kink up the long wire. Continue to wrap the wire by pulling the wire down to make loop, inserting the  wire end up behind the 18 gauge wire and down over the loop wire. Try to keep all the loops uniform as you make them and being careful with the wire kinking. Gently undo any kinks as you go. 
As you make the loops, hold the previous loops down to stabilize and hold their shapes. You'll get the hang of it after making a few loops.  Just remember to take the wire up and behind the anchor wire, down and over the loop wire and pull. Make sure to look how the wire comes out - sometimes it will end up under the loop instead of over - especially if you're trying to undo a kink.  If that happens, gently pull it out and take the wire over the loop. 
When you reach the spot where you started - and to continue onto the next row, pull the wire behind the anchor wire and pull down, going through the first loop (where you started) - over and behind the anchor wire and over the loop wire and pull. You will then have the beginning of first loop of the second row.
Continue as before, with the same technique - only this time you are taking the end wire behind the above loop wire (in the first row) and down over the new loop wire and pull.
To end the wire and add a new extension wire:  when the wire becomes too short and you want to end it, take the end wire through the last loop you just made and wrap it around 2-3 times, pulling it tight and pushing the coiled wire together - then, use your flush wire cutter to clip off remaining wire to end.
To add a new extension wire, cut another length of wire 2-3 ft long and thread it through the last loop you made, leaving a tail to wrap around the wire of the last loop 2 or 3 times, pulling tightly and pushing the coils together. 
Trim off the tail. And then continue wire wrapping .  .  . as before, looping and wrapping wire around for your second row.
To add a bead: After you've finished making a couple of rows, start another row, as before, but this time add a stone-like bead ( or any type of bead) onto the wire, sliding it down to the middle of the loop and continue - taking the wire up and behind the top row loop, down and over the loop wire and pull.  
Continue wire wrapping this row - creating a loop, adding one bead at a time, per loop - looping wire behind and over and pull. Keep going all the way around to the spot where you started with the first bead. If you want to continue adding beads (I didn't) make the next row with plain loops, and add the beads onto the next row after the plain loop row - so it won't look so crowded.
End the wire, as stated before - by taking the wire through the last loop you made 2-3 times pulling tight and clipping off wire to end the row. And finally, adjust and straighten any wire loops and beads for an awesome look!
Now, stand back and admire the pretty decorative effect of  .  .  . wire netting!
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Gail@Purple Hues and Me
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  1 question
  • Barb Barb on Aug 27, 2018

    How did you get the original look of the vase before adding wire?

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