Make a “Grapevine” Wreath from Invasive (or other) Vines
Mid-summer to late fall is the season to harvest vines to make a vine wreath or two. Although you can buy grapevine wreaths quite readily, if you have access to your own vines, why not try making your own?
By Steffie Littlefield
(This article was first published in The Gateway Gardener November/December 2015.)
- What to use: Mid-summer to late fall is the season to harvest vines to make a vine wreath or two. Although you can buy grapevine wreaths quite readily, if you have access to your own vines, why not try making your own? Grapevines, of course, are ideal for this craft project, as are other native vines like Virginia creeper and trumpet vine. And if you want to start eliminating some of that invasive wintercreeper, Japanese honeysuckle or English ivy, here’s your perfect excuse!
Caution: Poison Ivy is sometimes mistaken for Virginia Creeper, which has five leaves not three leaves, and often the two plants can be found growing alongside each other — so make sure you know which plant is which!
- Harvesting the Vines: Grapevines should be cut anytime after the grapes have been picked, up to first frost. I’ve found that Virginia Creeper is usually vigorous enough to harvest in mid-summer. Cut long lengths of vine to work with – anything from 3 feet to 10 feet is a workable length.
- Cut off the Leaves: However, on a small leafed vine like the euonymus, you might want to let some leaves dry on the vine to form the first decorations. Leave the curly clinging tendrils in place to make attractive corkscrew shapes.
- Coil them in a large bowl or laundry basket and cover with water overnight so they remain pliable and easy to weave. If you are using older vines that are dry, soak them in water to rehydrate the material to make it more flexible.
- Begin at the thicker end of one vine length, and coil this first round of vine in a circle slightly smaller than the size you want. Begin with a coil of two or three rounds before weaving. Build on this set of rounds, and the wreath will grow as you weave it. Now begin weaving, pulling the vine in and out of the circle and working your way around the wreath until you come to the end of the vine. Tuck the end in place between the coils.
- With the second length of vine, start by tucking the thicker end in at a different spot than the first vine. You may want to coil more rounds before weaving again, or you can weave in and out of the circle right away; it partly depends on how much vine you have, and how thick you want the wreath.
- Keep adding vines in this way until the wreath is the size and thickness that you want. It is up to you whether you weave the vines tightly or loosely. You can also weave in smaller bunches of vines or twigs and leave the ends free to extend the size of the wreath.
- Attach a wire or string at the back for hanging and decorate your vine wreath as desired.
Steffie Littlefield is a St. Louis area horticulturist and garden designer. She is part owner of Edg-Clif Winery, Potosi, MO. www.Edg-Clif.com.