Tomato Cage Topiaries

I thought I’d get a jump on Christmas decorating. Thanksgiving is late this year, and we will be “giving thanks” elsewhere. So, I wanted to start on some projects. My inspiration for decorating this year, are the sea-life prints I hung over my fireplace this summer and a shell collection. Yes, these might sound a little odd to decorate for Christmas with, but anything you have an affinity for, can be showcased in a holiday way. So design a Christmas around the things you have and love.

I was up on a ladder pulling down Christmas boxes from the rafters in my garage… one dropped and a lot of old pine garland spilled out.  I was about ready to toss it, but the “thrifty” area of my brain kicked in. Hmmm, what can I do with all this? They were too ratty to be used as intended… Ah ha, I spotted some old wire tomato cages in the garage and thought I’d use the garland to stuff those cages and make topiaries. They didn’t come out too bad and the price was right.

 Here’s how I made them…( click on photos to enlarge)

• Use 2, any same-size wire tomato cages, mine were about 3′ tall (pull them out of your garden
• Leave as is, or spray paint them green.
• Find about 10′ pieces of pine garland for each cage (more for bigger cages, less for smaller ones).
• 2 feet of thin wire.
• 2 round plastic saucers, or round wood, or heavy cardboard to sit the bottom of the cage on.
• 2 old paint buckets and some fabric or paper to cover them.
• 100 set of clear mini lights per cage.
• Some ornaments or shells or berries etc. to decorate trees.

After spray painting the cages, let dry. Wire the top pointy ends together about 2 in. below the top. Turn the cage over and start stuffing the cage with the pine garland. Stuff smallest end first then work up to the widest. Don’t pack it too tight. Wrap the 100 light set around the cage, starting at the top. Wrap fairly close together. Start to fluff and pull out pieces of garland to disguise the cage and the light wires. Don’t get it too wild, it’s suppose to look like a clipped topiary. Add the ornaments (I added shells, small red ornaments and a bigger shell on top). Keep it simple. Slip a larger ornament, shell, or star over the pointy ends on top of the tree. Cover the paint cans with some fabric or paper. Set the tree on the round saucer or disc. and set all on top of the covered paint can. Plug in and enjoy.

These look best in pairs. Set outside by the entry, or use them inside on the fireplace hearth or mantle. Or, on a long crendenza or at the foot of the stairs. I did change the base of the trees for a more elegant look inside. I turned over some large glass vases for bases. That dressed it up a bit more. I paired my trees with a ceramic crane and more shells on a console table between two chairs. They may be moved again before it’s all over.

Never underestimate the power of reinventing… problem with that…it’s hard to throw anything away!! In this case it was worth it…or so I told my husband, who cannot get a car in the garage. “I’ll throw things out after Christmas”…unless I can sneak them back up to the rafters (shhhhh).

How’s your Christmas decorating coming along? I like to put mine up early and take it down just after New Years. Enjoy the process, it only comes but once a year…so be thankful!