# Need ideas for Grapevines



## Wisconsin Ann

Folks, I've got miles of wild grape vines. A lot of the vines are decades old. They've climbed over the trees, fences...all over and I'm going to be taking a bunch down. so.

Anyone have ideas on how I can use them? What I can make with them?


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## Maura

Wait until after the first frost, then pick the grapes. After that, just keep cutting and pulling. Grape vines are used in wreaths. I think they look quite nice, either as a grape vine only wreath, or mixed with another type of vine. Don't break the twirly ends! If you don't want to make wreaths, you can get in touch with someone who does that sort of thing.


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## CraftyDiva

Grapevine balls are pretty neat. You could use them in or out of the house for decorating. Hang them outside wrapped in mini lights for Christmas or even in the house for that matter. Put them in the garden, as garden art.

Easy to make.......... soak vines till they're soft enough to work with and wrap around a blow-up beach ball. When vines dry, let air out of ball and you have a grapevine ball.














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## GrannyG

I was looking at a magazine that had the grapevine balls and they had tiny Christmas lights inside. They were beautiful.


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## Queen Bee

DD has a sunporch on the back of her house and even though it has some lighting, after dark it was dark and dreary.. So she took my cuttings and made a very long swag (the lenght of her long wall) and 2' wide and wove the mini white lights through them. She attached it to the ceiling with small white cup hooks and florist wire. It looks beautiful..Just enough added light. I have also seen the same thing done over exterior doors at a B&B in PA!! You could weave a 'fence' to attach to posts for green beans or other blooming vines to grow on! QB


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## pamintexas

Turn one of those wire tomato cages upside down, bind the pointy ends together with wire then loosely wrap all the wires with grape vines. Used and rusty cages will work better for a rustic look. Place around in your flower garden (they will be bottom side up and pyramid shaped).


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## Wisconsin Ann

Cool! what great imaginative ideas. The farm should look really awesome this Christmas! 
I think I'll try out a fence tomorrow. saplings or willows as uprights....maybe I can hang grapevine balls from the poles. ooooo this is kinda of exciting! thanks


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## CraftyDiva

As an after thought to my grapevine ball post.

If you want smaller (then a beach ball) balls, you can fill balloones (size you want) with water and freeze them. Placing balloones in a round bottom bowl to keep it's shape. I've seen smaller grapevine balls displayed on a fireplace mantel, several in a bowl on a coffee table, and bookshelves as an accent.

You'd need to work faster before the ice melts and you loose the shape. Once it's done, it really doesn't matter if the ice melts, it should hold it's shape. When dry, break balloon and remove.

And don't forget, you'll need to weave the vines (over/under each other) rather then just wrapping them for a stronger end product.


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## ARMORER

wrap in a tight circle and make "dream catchers" and "mandella's" with them-Keith


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## Meg Z

Don't forget baskets.

And, if the grapes are that old, and you have thick pieces, you can make rustic furniture out of it. Also, twisted but overall fairly straight pieces can be made into walking sticks. 

For just about everything, though, you'll need to dry the vines, then resoak them to use, so you've got lots of time to come up with ideas...and the grapevine will wait for you.

Meg


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## susieM

The bigger pieces can be used to BBQ with, as a charcoal substitute.


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## Wisconsin Ann

I did try making a wall basket last year with grape vines. turned out okay I thought, for my first effort. Think I'll try making something larger this year, maybe make it to put fall squash and indian corn in...leave the leaves on the vines and all...

there are grapevines that are 2inches in diameter and straight for 5 feet. I like the furniture idea, too. hadn't thought of that. I've been wanting a couple of chairs and a small table for the porch. Chainsaw, here I come. OOoooo...could tie the pieces together with the smaller vines...maybe.

Walking sticks, too. that's great. 

have to dry them first, hmmm? well piffle. I did try a wreath with green vines, and they just snapped and split...that explains that! Can I cut them now, dry them, and then use them? Or should I wait until they go dormant after the frost?

Charcoal sub? wow. I would NEVER have thought of that. going to have to try that out in the next couple of days. 

thanks all


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## Meg Z

The less natural sap they have in them, the easier they'll dry. The thinner stuff should be okay now, but I'd wait until after first frost to tackle the big stuff. Let Mama Nature send it to sleep first.

Back when I did vine baskets, I just coiled the vines loosely, tied the coils in three places with twine, and hung the coils anywhere the rain couldn't get them...to the dismay of my husband. (they were everywhere!) Next summer, when it's hot, put coils to soak overnight in a kiddie pool...and spend the next hot day playing with wet dirty vines. Wear old clothes and have all the stuff ready for a shower when you get done. You'll have a good, messy time, and be hooked!

The support pieces for the furniture needn't be soaked, but any pieces you want to weave through will need to be.

There are some good books on making baskets or furniture with vines. Amazon probably has some of them. The techniques and tricks can carry over to your own designs easily enough. Every vine basket is an original.

While you're collecting, gather cones, non-poisonous lichens, etc., to decorate baskets and garlands and balls with. Dry them, too. Most of them can be hot-glued on without the glue showing later. Cattails, small gourds, antlers, roots, branches...all kind of things work! 

Have fun!


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## RoseGarden

What about a tall Christmas tree for your porch or yard made out of grapevines? 

I've seen them in Country Sampler magazine, and they're EXPENSIVE. I'd love to have one but!

To me, they look like they are made of wreaths, biggest diameter on the bottom, and each wreath all the way up being slightly smaller in diameter than the one under it. The really nice ones are like 6 ft., and strung with lights and ornaments of pine cones, acorns, etc. 

Man, I wish I was brave enough to undertake that kind of job.


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## Tricky Grama

CraftyDiva said:


> Grapevine balls are pretty neat. You could use them in or out of the house for decorating. Hang them outside wrapped in mini lights for Christmas or even in the house for that matter. Put them in the garden, as garden art.
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> Easy to make.......... soak vines till they're soft enough to work with and wrap around a blow-up beach ball. When vines dry, let air out of ball and you have a grapevine ball.
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Do you just soak the vines in plain water? How long? Such great ideas!

Patty


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## CraftyDiva

Patty,

Yes plain water. You'll need to soak the vines between 12/24 hrs, depends on vine size. Keep testing to see how easy it becomes to work with. If you don't want to go thru all the hassle of testing every now and then, just soak them for 24 hrs and call it a day.  



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## Ravenlost

RoseGarden said:


> What about a tall Christmas tree for your porch or yard made out of grapevines?
> 
> I've seen them in Country Sampler magazine, and they're EXPENSIVE. I'd love to have one but!
> 
> To me, they look like they are made of wreaths, biggest diameter on the bottom, and each wreath all the way up being slightly smaller in diameter than the one under it. The really nice ones are like 6 ft., and strung with lights and ornaments of pine cones, acorns, etc.
> 
> Man, I wish I was brave enough to undertake that kind of job.


Oh, what a great idea! I'm going to try this with kudzu vines!


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