Bookmark our Freebies page for fun printables.
Faux Wicker Garden Decorations with Foam Noodles! (part two)
© Stephie McCarthy
— watch the video here — coming soon!
— click to watch the video tutorial — coming soon!
Our raised-bed basket made of foam was so easy to make, we decided to make an arch to match.
Here's the original basket project ...
— raised-bed garden basket—
Wicker Garden Arch from Foam Noodles
This arch took two hours to make and we are amazed at how realistic it looks!
The woven arch was added to the top of panels salvaged from a gazebo, ready for a blooming vine.
This foam product, called 'backer rod,' is a lot like pool noodles but skinny and sold by the foot. It's used for filling cracks in constructions projects. It comes in many different diameters.
We wove our backer rod into metal wire fencing to create the arch. The edges were parts of a wire hoop tunnel twisted with backer rod. We used 1/2" backer rod for the main arch, with 5/8" for the twisted borders.
Next came this arched entrance above. This was much more complicated than the basket, but took only two hours to weave and assemble.
We decided to attach wooden sticks to the fence with cable ties to add natural charm to the arch. The yellow circle is an example of attaching a stick at regular intervals with a cable tie. The red circles show where we used wire cutters to remove the leg of the fence. The scalloped edge is on the bottom, adding a pretty detail to the finished arch.
Working with this type of fencing is very squirrely! We used a barrel hoop to help hold the shape while we worked. Shown above, cutting the sticks to the right length for the arch. The barrel hoop on the ground keeps the fence from twisting and contracting. You could also push legs of the fence into the ground while weaving, or loop it around a large round container to hold its shape while constructing.
We cut backer rod long enough to weave through the arch, folded it in half and started each row from the center, weaving toward the ends.
The weaving is easy.
We eventually trimmed the sticks a bit shorter and shortened the fence, but we left enough wire to fold it back over the backer rod to help hold everything in place. It's all very informal construction, with great results.
The foam, wire, and sticks weigh no more than if this were made of cardboard but the weather doesn't phase it .
These small cable ties were very helpful in holding the foam and sticks to the wire where ever needed.
— watch the video here —
– Shop with Sweet Home Stephie McCarthy –
Check Out our Latest YouTube Videos