DIY Wire Cloche Project

8 Materials
$5
20 Minutes
Easy

I just love cloches! I've made one before from chicken wire but it just wasn't the look I wanted. I saw this wire trash basket at the Dollar store and thought this would be perfect to try again. My girlfriend and I had lunch the day before and she bought one at Kirkland's but I just wouldn't spend the money. I knew I could make one for a fraction of the cost of hers. So let's get started

Tools and Materials

What you'll need:

  • Wire Trash Basket
  • Wire cutters
  • Aluminum foil 3"
  • Knob (drawer Pull)
  • Glue Sticks
  • Knock-out Seal (Electrical department) 
  • Hammer
  • Wood candle stick
Remove Bottom of the Basket
Remove the Bottom of the Basket


Remove the bottom of the wire basket with your wire cutters. Just do the last row that is around the basket.

Wire Basket with Bottom Removed

Here you can see how I'm removing just the bottom.

Bend and Pinch the Top
Bend and Pinch the Top


After that is off you'll bend the top down and pinch tightly together like an accordion, all the way around making the hole on top smaller.

Make Opening Smaller

You have to keep pushing down and pinching to make the opening smaller and smaller.

Use Candlestick to Smooth Bottom
Use Candlestick to Smooth Bottom


Once you get to a smaller size you'll take the wood candle stick and push the edges down and any bends that are not smooth. Then set that aside for a minute.

Flatten Tabs
Cut Off or Flatten Tabs on the Knock-Out Seal


This is the 2" knock-out seal that I found at Lowes. I wanted something metal to match the basket material, but something that was solid. I did think of a washer but I couldn't have a hole in the middle. The knock-out seal has tabs on it that you can cut off or smash down with the hammer. That's what I did on this one.

Flattened Tabs

Now that it's ready to use, keep it just like this and grab the wire basket.

Set Basket on Top
Set Basket on Top


Set the wire basket on top of it, squeezing it to fit right over it. 

Glue Together
Glue Together


You may need a second pair a hands at this point. While squeezing it use a generous amount of glue and put over the wire all the way around.

Cover with Foil
Cover with Foil


Before the glue dries, grab that aluminum foil and place over the hot glue. Go back to your wood candle stick and press firmly. It may stick but that's okay.

Remove Foil
Remove Foil


Give it a few seconds and make sure the wire and knock out cap are secure. Then peel off the foil. When gluing don't go over the cap edges or you'll see it on top. Also, at this time, shape it if you need to with the wood candle stick so that there are no dents. You want it nice and round.

Turn Over
Turn Over


Now turn the cloche over, it should have a nice clean top.

Attach Knob
Attach Knob


Grab the knob of your choice and glue it on. You could use a finial or a small animal such as a bird. I have seen many different tops. Be creative and give it your personal touch!

DIY Cloche

It's done and I love it! It turned out just the way I wanted it to look, clean and store bought. I have made a few out of the white and black wire trash cans, but you could also paint the basket with metallic paint for a whole different look. See my post to see how I made the white cloche base out of a Dollar store pizza pan and old couch leg.


Let me know down below how you would personalize your own DIY cloche!

Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 19 questions
  • Millies_mom47 Millies_mom47 on Sep 20, 2019

    Couldn't you have cut the tabs into skinnier tabs and fold them through some of the openings in the wire basket? That would help to hold the knock-out seal stay put then you could also use the glue or use construction adhesive or that E6000 glue or liquid nails to do the holding. It wouldn't dry as fast but you wouldn't have to worry about burning anything. But the tabs being cut into thinner tabs it could be really secure and it would help hold it while the other kind of adhesive you used dried. But I think this was a wonderful idea!! Good job!

  • Donna Donna on Dec 16, 2020

    I see cloches on this site from time to time. I can understand a cloche to cover something, like a cake, a Christmas theme, for décor, or something else attractive, all of which usually involve a glass cloche that makes sense to me, but my head can't quite get around how one would use a cloche that does not protect anything it is covering, would let insects fly in,

    allow contents to get sun damaged, or blown over on a windy day, etc. How would one use an open air cloche?

    I see that you have used yours to cover potted plants, but I don't understand why a potted plant would need a cloche that does not protect it from predatory insects, too much sun, etc. The only thing I can think of is if you have indoor plants (small ones) that are toxic to cats and dogs, so you would want to cover them with something that would keep the animals from eating them, but a smart animal would just knock over the wire cloche and eat them anyway, since it is not heavy enough to withstand their efforts, resulting in a ghastly vet bill. I love your project, I just don't get the point of how to use them. I am also curious why you chose not to paint the knock-out-seal black to match the basket and the knob on top.

    Thanks for sharing your creativity!

  • Sandy Sandy on Nov 04, 2022

    The pictures look like the knockout has been painted black. Sis you paint it black or is it just the way the picture looks on the computer ?

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