Hi
I just posted that same question on the Garden Junk forum LOL.I thought they were beautiful also, but haven't a clue as to how they made them. Maybe one of us will get an answer.
Carol

Use the large "beachballs" sold at the "mart" stores. Wrap them with grapevines and then deflate the ball. The balls come in a very large size in my area. I plan to do this later this summer--there are wild grape vines in the woods across from my house.

What an interesting idea Nonacook. Ive never seen really huge beach balls, but have seen exercise balls and a bouncy ball for children (with handles). Hummm. Will have to give this some thought.

I imagine you might get a smoother round shape if you soaked the grapevine in warm water for several hours to soften it before you wrapped around the ball.

Won't the grapevine puncture the ball? The smaller ones I've seen have 2 or 3 rounds of larger diameter branches and then the 'ball' is made from the smaller stuff. Are we talking about the same thing??

i saw a show on how to make these grapevine balls you're speaking of... they used a very durable excersize ball and wrapped the vine around it, i'd soak it or get it fresh off the vine.. after the vine dried they deflated the ball.. wala!!! hope this helps

Okay, this is a really old thread, but maybe someone still wants to talk about it. Regarding the giant grapevine balls. . .what do you do with them when they are done? I'm usually pretty creative, but I can't think of a place to put such a thing.

I bought a grapevine star a looong time ago, it just had twigs nailed into star shape, and grapevine wrapped around it, anyway, I shoved white x-mas lights in it and hung it on my porch ,it was really pretty. If I had a grapevine ball I would do the same thing.

Could you do this with honeysuckle, do you think?
Nell

It looks like this may continue for some time as new people find the thread.

The best way to use grape vine for any craft is to prune the vines in the early spring when the sap is still rising. Shape it however you want and put it in a safe place to dry. For the ball, you already have your mold, so nothing special needs to be done. For wreaths, it is best to lay them flat. If it tends to warp, put a board over it and weight it down till it dries.

Yes, you can use any kind of flexibe vine for crafts. Why not try baskets, they are fun to make, too, and each one is unique.

hi! I'm getting married in October and I need to have 4 grapevine balls, that are 8 inches wide! I can't find them anywhere! I've been to all the craft stores I can think of, and I have even had my sisters look in NJ, RI, and PA...as well as here in NC. If anyone knows a place where I can purchase some, please let me know! We are decorating them with silk flowers and fall leaves and my bridesmaids are carrying them instead of a boquet!
Thanks! ~Chantel - The Crazy Bride to Be!

They are so pretty to sit them on a stand in the garden, much as you would a gazing ball..just do not try like I did to spray one white, so it would be fit into my moon garden. That is another nightmare in itself!

I made a couple that were about 30" in diameter. I made four circles from grapevine, each one progressively smaller so they could fit inside each other. I tied the ends of each circle together with twine so they would hold their shape. I used fresh and very pliable vine but soaking it in hot water helps if the vines are dry. I use a round tub full of water and the vine takes on a slight curve which is very helpful when making wreaths. Anyway, I fit the cicles together to make a sphere shaped frame. I tied the frame together with more twine on the top and bottom and then wove grapevine on the form. Since I made one ball to fit on a twig oblisk I left a hole in the bottom. To make a really large ball you might use heavy grapevine or even willow or another kind of pliable twigs to make the frame. If the frame material is large enough in diameter you could nail or staple the circles together instead of tying with twine. After the vine is woven on you really can't see the form or the twine. It was pretty easy but took time. I hope this makes sense to everyone.

Pam

I like the beach ball method the best. Last year I got grapewine in november and wrapped it around a tomatocage, stuck it upside down in a nice planter, wrapped it with lights and voila, beautiful porch display for holiday season. If you look carefully you can see them next to green post on porch.
{{gwi:2110584}}

Here is a link that might be useful: my garden

I have some various sized grape vine balls that I wish to use either inside or outside. Besides using mini lights what else can you use to decorate them for Christmas?

Your garden is beautiful Ullis, thanks for sharing!

I saw some grapevine balls in a magazine recently and went looking for how to make them and found this old (but VERY useful!) thread! I have lots of wild grapevine in the woods on our property, so I'm going to begin saving them and will try to make them this summer. I want to see what they'd look like covered in morning glories.

Julie

You might enjoy this pic...

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

once the bal has been deflated how do you remove it?

Once deflated, it will fit between the vines to be pulled out.

I see this thread is a little dated, but I'm hoping someone can help me! I started my own business and we make favors, decor, etc. I am making grapevine crosses for easter and I was wondering how I could make grapevine baskets also...anyone know?

This is an old thread, but thank you for all the useful information. We have a llama and alpaca farm and I have been trying to find something to do with the second material. I will try making grapevine balls and filling them with the fiber for the birds to make nests.