How to Make a Sphere from Dogwood Cuttings

From: Midwest Living

Twist colorful redtwig or yellow twig dogwood cuttings around woody vines to create earthy garden decor in minutes.

Dogwood spheres

When you prune ornamental shrubs like dogwoods, convert the leftovers into nature-inspired crafts projects. Colorful dogwood branches can be twisted into beautiful garden orbs in minutes. The photo at left shows an 18-inch-diameter orb with redtwig dogwood and a 12-inch sphere with yellow twig dogwood.

To make a project like this, you'll need grapevines (or another woody vine), 18-gauge wire, wire cutters and ornamental dogwood branches. Click or tap ahead for step-by-step instructions.

Step 1: Cut and twist

Cut grapevines into a manageable length. Twist the vines into a circle that is roughly the desired size of your sphere. Wrap and tuck the vine ends to hold them in place.

Step 2: Another circle

Make another grapevine circle, about the same size as the first. One of the circles should fit inside the other to form perpendicular axes.

Step 3: Wire

Use a piece of wire to secure the grapevine circles at each point where the axes meet. Twist and tuck in the sharp wire ends.

Step 4: Weave the branches

Add more grapevine to fill out the base for your sphere. Then add your ornamental dogwood branches by weaving each branch over and under the grapevine. Continue weaving branches to fill in large gaps and to add more color. Tuck the ends in to secure the branches in place. Use your hands to press and shape the sphere as needed.

Place your finished orb in a place where it won't roll or blow away.