How-to tips for
A Sensational Season
GROWING WILD, page 27 At the center of this custom container is a glass vase with a woven basket on the outside. Reg made bundles of eucalyptus bark, binding them with wire, and attached them to the basket with a wire-twisting tool (as the photo below right, where he used the same tool to bundle straw). Then he used spray foam insulation to fill in the cracks and hold it all together. Acid stain colors the foam and gives the bark a blackened look. He set the vase on a pedestal to work on his design.
LEAF HOLDER, page 43 To make a simple fall centerpiece, cut old fence posts or other straight and narrow pieces of reclaimed wood to the same length and nail or glue them together. Large dried leaves with stems attached can be inserted into the narrow space between the pieces of wood and used to provide support for various colorful dried materials, along with fresh ones that will dry in place or can be replaced. GO WITH THE FLOW, page 32 To make a tall, organically textured pedestal, Reg used fig vine, which grows in abundance around his shop. He set a wide PVC cylinder in a Lomey Designer Dish, poured cement into the base and let it cure. Next, he clipped the vine, wrapped it around the cylinder, secured it with Bind Wire, and let it dry. Finally, he covered the vine with cement sand and colored it with acid stain. Cascading floral materials are designed in foam in a Lomey Designer Dish that sits in the top of the pedestal. The photo shows how Reg secured the heavy branch of golden pomegranates and other heavy materials, anchoring them with downward-pointing stakes that can later be clipped short.
DRIFTING, page 31 To build a “driftwood pile” or other structure with fairly thick wood—a structure that could become heavy when you are done and that you will want to save and reuse over time—you may prefer not to rely on glue. Since you can’t really pound away on driftwood without destroying your creation, the key to your operation is to use a battery-operated nail gun.
FIELD FLOWERS, pages 38-39 (and other designs) A wire-twisting tool with a J hook is handy for making secure bundles of straw or other materials. It quickly twists a wire binding tight; the job goes much faster! AUGUST 2017 45