Gardenworld

Wirework has been used in gardens since Victorian times but modern garden designers have recently brought it back into fashion using it to make containers and scultpure.

Barrel Pond Although the wire used in its construction is cheap, the price of finished pots and urns in garden centres can be prohibitive because of the craft needed to transform what is an unpromising raw material into something with symetry, strength and beauty.

You can make your own, however, by following the technique shown below. The trick is to start by making a perfectly even frame and then working methodically and evenly. The result is a unique piece of wire scultpure for a fraction of the cost of a shop-bought version.

You will need....

20m of 2mm galvanised wire

10m of 1mm galvanised wire,

4m of 3mm galvanised wire,

2 3L plastic pots,

Sticky tape,

2 pliers,

Stanley knife

Instructions:

Wirework Urn: Step one Wirework Urn: Step two Wirework Urn: Step three

Step one:
To make the frame of the urn, cut three 90cm lengths of the 3mm wire and thread through the drainage holes of a plastic pot, poking the ends in one side and drawing them out of the opposite hole. Make sure each of the six ends is exactly the same length. Step two:
Push the pot with the wires running through it down into another plastic pot that has had the top two-thirds cut off. The wires will bend in as the pots push together. When in as far as possible, hold in place with sticky tape. Step three:
Bend the wire ends outwards to make a symmetrical cup shape. Then bend each wire outwards again to form a gently sloping rim 12cm wide. As you go, check that all the wires are bent the same distance and in exactly the same place.

Wirework Urn: Step four Wirework Urn: Step five Wirework Urn: Step six

Step four:
Put the roll of 2mm wire on a table with the pot frame inside. Life the end of the roll to meet one of the ends of the frame and loop the two ends together with pliers. Repeat this on the other five 'uprights' of the frame to create the outer rim of the urn as shown. Step five:
Cut the 1mm wire into six 70cm lengths and tie to each of the loops on the rim as shown. Start coiling the 2mm wire around the frame, plaiting it to each upright with the 1mm wire. Leave 1cm gaps between each coil. Step six:
Work your way down taking care to keep the gaps between the wires the same and the overall shape of the urn symmetrical.

Wirework Urn: Step seven

Step seven:
Cut the pots away with a stanley knife to make working easier and finish the sides of with the urn turned upside-down. For the base, spiral the wire into the centre tying in as before.