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11.08.2022

diy tomato cage cornucopia

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one of the enduring traditions of Thanksgiving is the familiar image of a cornucopia.
also known as the 'horn of plenty', this cone-shaped basket (originally an animal's horn)
laden with an abundance of harvested food in fall
reminds us of the many ways we are provided for on this earth.

i had an element on hand that i knew would be perfect
for transforming into a cornucopia for our Thanksgiving decor,
and boy does it make an impact!

continue reading for my not-so-easy diy tutorial and detailed photos...

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i used a large size wire tomato cage, and this thing is HUGE!
it barely fit on the credenza in my studio, in front of the faux fireplace mantel.
i had to add that extra piece of old wood just to hold alla' the stuff i put IN the cornucopia!

i'd suggest you use a small/regular size wire tomato cage
unless you want the Hulk of Cornucopias like i have.
(although i think it actually looks a lot like the sorting hat in Harry Potter!

ready to make your own version?! let's get started...

supplies
one wire tomato cage . needle nose pliers . medium zip ties
hot glue gun + glue . @6 binder clips or clothespins
a large brown paper grocery bag
burlap or other rustic textured fabric . rope or heavy twine

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you can see in the two left photos above that i GENTLY bent the tomato cage,
creating a bend between the two lower support rings.
use your hands and slowly make several gentle bends to create the beginning of a curve.
*be very careful not to cause the rings to pop loose from the uprights*

after you have a curve in the middle, move upward and continue bending gently
so that the top section of the cage becomes a pointed curved shape - 
it's almost like a pumpkin stem, if that helps!
mine curves up and to the right of the main 'body' of the cornucopia.

 use a zip tie to hold the top of the upright wires together,
and then bend the pointed ends back on themselves using the needle nose pliers.
(this keeps the wire ends from popping through the burlap)

lay the cage down on a work surface, and flatten out the bottom of the rings - 
again, gentle manipulation works best. i used my hands.
this step helps the finished cornucopia sit level.
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the next step is to take a large brown paper grocery bag, open it up,
and then insert it inside the large end of the wire cage.
i let mine overhang the outer rim on the front by about an inch -
and then folded it over the rim (from inside to outside edge) to hold it in place.
this creates the surface that you'll secure your fabric to.

my piece of burlap is OLD and ratty (and that's why i chose it!) and rectangular.
i wrapped it around the wire cage with the edges together on the bottom, unseen.
four binder clips hold the fabric in place around the opening while it is being glued.
section by section, apply a generous bead of hot glue to the paper bag near the front edge,
then use a wood skewer to press the fabric onto the glue as it dries. 
(don't use your fingers!!! ouch!)

when complete and the glue is dry, remove the binder clips.
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working from the large end, twist the fabric as you wrap it around the wire cage.
use the binder clips as you go to hold the folds/twists if needed.
at the top end, fold the fabric over the bent wire ends and tuck into the last fold,
then hot glue that end in place.

use rope, heavy twine, or textured yarn to create a more pronounced twisted effect
by wrapping it in a spiral from the small top end to the large open end.
glue the rope ends to the inside of a fold on top and inside the large cornucopia opening. 
remove any binder clips you used to hold the fabric in place.

i have this cooool rustic rope that i use in many ways - so i didn't cut mine.
i just started on the top end, wrapped it as i worked my way down,
and then let the unused part of the rope spill out of the opening.

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i love how this turned out, and had fun styling it.
after piling up pumpkins in various finishes to spill out of the cornucopia,
i added leaves that i've made this fall using paper and fabric (posts linked below).

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(did you notice that you don't even notice the paper bag liner inside? it disappears!)

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in case you're wondering, yes, Deb DOES occasionally BUY NEW THINGS!

the gorgeous 'rattan' pumpkin is actually resin, from Big Lots THIS fall.
(an ad came in the mail with a discount. i saw this pumpkin and lost my tiki-lovin' mind!)
the two small 'woodgrain' resin pumpkins were from Target's Bullseye Playground LAST fall.

after i had finished this project - and it worked! -
i did a search on Google images and Pinterest, to see if anyone's done it this way before...
there are variations by florists, but not on wire tomato cage frames.
the only thing i found that was similar was a cornucopia on the Duke Manor Farm blog,
and though hers is a bit different than mine and i don't know when she posted hers... 
Laura beat me to it! ;) 


related content:






shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #652
thank you for including my project in your feature, Miss Donna!

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #119
thank you for featuring my project, Miss Beth and friends!

fall,Thanksgiving,pumpkins,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,seasonal,re-purposed,crafting,tomato cage crafts,up-cycling,wreaths,centerpieces,home decor,Thanksgiving decor,Thanksgiving cornucopia,cornucopia,farmhouse style,November decor.

4 comments:

  1. Some people grow tomatoes on cages. But Deb gathers up all her craft supplies in her magic bowl and whips up something that belongs on a movie set! Goodness gracious Deb, this is a spectacular project! It reminds me a little of the Harry Potter hat that chooses the teams. Make that next?! LOL

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    1. you are so kind, my friend... thank you for your glowing words of encouragement! i can't tell you how much they mean to me. and yes, as i mentioned in my post, i feel the same way about this project looking a LOT like 'the sorting hat' from Harry Potter! (which of course has me thinking of OTHER ways to use it.... LOL) thank you so much for including it in your link party feature this week, Donna.

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  2. BRILLIANT Idea Debi! We will be featuring you starting Wednesday at the Creative Crafts Linky Party!
    Creatively, Beth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you so much, Miss Beth! i am honored to have my project featured along with so many other creative ideas!

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