How to Make Dried Grapevines Into Garland

Soaking Dried Vines

• 1

  Fill a 5 gallon plastic container with warm water.

• 2

  Place the dried vines into the bucket and completely immerse them in the water. If any vine is uncovered, pour more water into the container to cover it fully.

• 3

  Allow the vines to soak overnight. Fine vines may become pliable after a few hours. Check to see if you are able to manipulate a thin vine after two to three hours of soaking time. You can remove it from the water if it can be curled into a circle without tension.

• 4

  Remove the vines from the water. Place them on an absorbent old towel or paper toweling to soak up excess moisture.

Making the Garland

• 5

  Lay the strips of drying grapevine out on a large, flat work surface. Unfurl a few feet of craft wire or baling twine from the spool and set it on the work surface. Put on a pair of protective gloves.

• 6

  Pick up several strands of the grapevine and hold the ends of them in one hand. Add more to achieve the thickness that you want the garland to have. A 4-inch to 6-inch thick garland will support medium-weight decorations. Align the ends of the vines against the palm of your hand.

• 7

  Wrap the wire or twine two or three times around the center of the bundle of vines to tightly secure it. You can continue to hold the vines or hang them from a plant hanger or nail on a wall for better holding control.

• 8

  Keep the wire or twine on a diagonal slant as you wrap it from the center and down toward the end of one side of the garland. If a thick piece of grapevine is hard to manipulate due to a crooked shape, wrap it around the side of another vine as if you are making a braid.

• 9

  Wrap the twine or wire tightly around the end of the garland five or six times to secure the it. Cut the wire or twine with garden pruners leaving a 7-inch tail.

• 10

  Thread the end of the wire up under the wrapped end and into the vines. Wrap this loose end of wire tightly around a vine until it is hidden inside of the garland. If using twine, pull the end through the wrapped twine and knot it to the underside to secure it in place. Complete the other side of the garland using the same method.

• 11

  Cut two or three thin pieces of grape vine that are the length of the garland. Hold the pieces together and tuck the ends into one wired or wrapped end of the garland. Slowly wrap the thin vines tightly around the circumference of the bundle to cover the exposed twine or wire for a finished look. Tuck the ends into the opposite end of the garland to keep them in place.