Want to make a farmhouse cloche for your home? Here’s a simple tutorial on how I created a chicken wire cloche for only $1.04. Create yours in an afternoon.
This chicken wire cloche is not complicated to build, but it looks so expensive. Here are the step-by-step instructions I used to create this cloche. And the best part? It costs less than a cup of coffee.
Things I Wish I Could Tell My 22-year-old self number #1641.
Make a chicken wire cloche.
ASAP
Don’t blow the candles out on your 23rd birthday cake without a wire cloche on your kitchen counter.
I know you don’t think you need one right now.
I completely understand.
You’re 22.
And you don’t even know what the word “cloche” means.
You have bigger fish to fry.
Like teasing your bangs and spraying aqua net hairspray to make them look all flock of seagulls and wearing high heels with lace socks and fishnet tights with holes in them and making sure your shoulder pads resemble a Pittsburg Steelers linemen.
And learning every word to “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Important stuff like that.
But the day will come when you will buy an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.
And Flock of Seagulls and lace socks and fishnet tights and shoulder pads will be a thing of the past.
You will straighten your hair and wear fancy flip flops with your painted toes and spend an inordinate amount of time shaping your eyebrows.
And things like chalk paint and yardstick stools and recipe walls and railroad signs and pool noodle wreaths will become really important to you.
Really.
And that’s when you can thank me later….because by then….
……your chicken wire cloche will be vintage 🙂
Q: How to decorate with wire cloches?
There are so many different ways to decorate with wire cloches. Here are just a few of the ways I’ve used them in my home.
- place small topiary on a plate and cover it with a cloche
- add a small vase of flowers inside of a cloche
- place a cloche on top of a cake stand and decorate
- add a chicken wire cloche to a stack of books
- create an ivy centerpiece with a wire cloche and ivy
Q: Is it easy to make a chicken wire cloche DIY?
This is one of the easiest crafts. You can make it in under 30 minutes. Simply cut the wires and twist. You’ll want to make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from the sharp ends of the wire.
Q: What supplies do I need to make a wire cloche?
The chicken wire cloche project starts with simple chicken wire for the base. You’ll also need baling wire, wire cutters, needle nose pliers and a crimping tool. As I’ve already mentioned, you’ll also need gloves to protect your hands.
Q: Can you make a larger cloche and how do I make it?
Yes. You can make a larger cloche using a tomato cage. Simply snip the tomato cage and twist ends together to create a form for the topiary. Next, attach the chicken wire to the frame and crimp closed.
Chicken Wire Cloche Project
(for the 22-year-old in all of us)
Supplies
Chicken Wire
Baling Wire
Wire cutters
Needle nose pliers
Crimping tool
Step 1: Buy chicken wire
I know this is so Captain Obvious. To make a chicken wire cloche, you need chicken wire. I got mine from Lowe’s.
It was $12.99 for 25 feet. I only used 2 feet to make a cloche, so according to my calculations that makes this cloche a $1.04.
Really.
For the money….that is so much better than diet coke from McDonald’s.
There are tons of other projects you could make from the leftover chicken wire. This Christmas tree is one of my favorites.
Step 2: Get a pair of gloves
Put them on to make your chicken wire cloches. Make sure they are work gloves with a thicker outside exterior
You will need them because the chicken wire is sharp.
Seriously.
Step 3: Cut wire into a sheet
I used a glass cloche that I already had as a guide for these wire cloches.
You could use a glass cylinder or a 1/2 gallon milk bottle. Lay whatever you are using for your template on the chicken wire. Roll the cloche or the milk bottle from end to end on the sheet and mark where to cut. After you’ve determined the size of your sheet of chicken wire, snip with wire cutters.
My wire sheet was approximately 2 feet long by 18″ high.
Step 4: Combine open ends of the wire sheet
You now have a rectangular piece of wire. Take the two short ends of the rectangle and attach them together. You want to twist open ends together to form an open-ended cylinder.
You will have cut ends of the chicken wire that you can just twist together. Another option when making the wire cloche, another option might be to use small pieces of baling wire to join the two open edges together.
Step 5: Wire one open end of the cylinder together to form the top of the cloche
Now you have a cylinder with two open ends.
One of the ends will have a finished edge. That becomes the bottom of the cloche. Take the unfinished edge at the other end and start wiring together to form a dome. On the unfinished edge, you will see pieces of chicken wire that can be just wired together (or attached together with baling wire). The goal is to create the top of a dome.
I used the glass cloche as a guide.
You can shape and form the wire into a dome by working with it until you have it the exact shape you want it.
Step 6: Form the circle for the top
Your cloche is almost done. You just need an ornamental piece to finish off the top of the cloche. You can add a finial to the top of the cloche or any other ornamental top you choose.
I think old school is best. I simply made my own cloche top out of wire.
For the top of my wire cloche, I used a piece of wire, shaped into a circle, with another wire wrapped around it for the top.
Then I attached it to the top of the cloche with a wire.
Step 7: Stand back and admire your $1.04 chicken wire cloche
It is a true work of art. It’s farmhouse decor at its finest with a little rustic elegance added in. My favorite? It adds height to any display but has an airiness about it that doesn’t take up much visual space.
You are a chicken wire cloche rock star.
You finished the project.
Truthfully, you have made this world a brighter place by the addition of another wire cloche.
Then give yourself a high five pat yourself on the back and tell your 22-year-old-self to stay tuned….
…..Billy Ray Cyrus has much cuter hair now. 🙂
PS You can follow along on my YouTube channel for projects similar to this.
Wonderful!! Who said chicken wire was just for chickens? Now you have enough for 10 more!
I love it, Karianne! I worked with chicken wire once. When I did a memo board with it. What a pain. I'd unroll it and then turn to get the frame to lay on it and the thing had rolled back up. I'll bet it looks great in your kitchen!
Just gorgeous, looks great- I will have to get some chicken wire down and make one- or maybe I could inspire one of my big boys to do it for me!
That is amazing! I have some chicken wire left over from a china cabinet redo....I just might have to make a cloche! You would be proud.....I'm in my 20s (very late) and I know what a cloche is :) my husband on the other hand is a different story!
I almost composed a cloche making song for you to the tune of Achy Breaky Heart. ~Bliss~
Love it, good job! Now contacting my 22yr old self well that's another story, trying hard to reach her ;)
Love it! Added to my ever growing list of things to do! Pinning this! blessings, Doreen
You sure did a pretty job of putting the wires together. Your cloche looks amazing. I have mucho chicken wire hanging out in the shed left from the chicks run and plan on making something mahvelous from it in the Fall. LOL........the aqua net yes......the lace socks.....nope. Karianne, have a wonderful wonderful week. xo
look at your rockin' the tutorial. My, what a nice wire cloche you have. :)
I've wanted to make one of these but wasn't sure how to get that nice shape- duh, why didn't I think of using a glass cloche for a form. We need a chicken wire club so we can all go in together and buy one roll to share.
I'm so glad no chickens were harmed in the making of this cloche! It's the wire cloche to end all wire cloches. What's that I hear? The phone is ringing. It's Billy Ray and he wants to order 10,000 wire cloches for his band, roadies, managers, groupies ... Wire cloches make his heart ache after all. Kelly
Darn it! Now I need chicken wire too? I just bought burlap, a drop cloth, and stencils for the first time this weekend....now I want chicken wire, because now I NEED a cloche. I can picture it up on the mantle covering a conch shell... Before I lived in KY, I lived in Charleston, WV. I saw Billy Ray Cyrus on accident at a concert on the Levee...I am scarred for life I think. When he sang Achy Breaky Heart, the girls in ripped jeans with bleach blonde mullets jumped up on the light posts and well...let's just say did their best Dirty Dancing impressions...it was interesting to say the least. So, thanks for the cloche idea, not sure how I feel about the Billy Ray reminder ;)
I am so impressed you just worked Flock of Seagulls, BR Cyrus, and a clever chicken wire tutorial in one post. That, my friend, is talent. Love this idea, and I'm Pinning it for sure.
I absolutely LOVE this! and for the price... thanks for the detailed steps!
Chicken wire?...How did that term come about..... a fencing just made for the chickens...to keep them at bay?....the pretty 6-sided maze of wire....it should have a cuter name...befitting of it's many ways to beautify our homes...say "Hexagonal Fishnet"........you know, the seagulls fishnet of choice.... Love, love your cloche....so much cuter than my tomato form wrapped in "hexagonal fishnet"....a post for a later day...:)
And you've gone and done it again! Love this project, Kari!! I think I need to quit my teaching job so I can tackle all of the projects of yours that I've pinned to try. Think my hubs and boss would mind? I think projects are so much more fun anyway... :-) xo Heidi
I think everyone loves a good cloche! This is a Qt for sure. I think I should put Austin on this project for me! He needs something to keep him busy this Summer and Jim actually picked up a roll of chicken wire! When I asked why he bought it, he said it was for me, he figured I'd need it for something. What a guy right? LOL Shannon PS-No bashing the Flock though ;) hehe
Such a great idea! I can't believe I haven't seen this done before. It looks so cute on the pedestal you placed it on. Thanks for sharing the tutorial too!
Morning... Item number ?? on my 'to do' list. But a definite do. Get chicken wire... make cloche! Yup, have to move it up on list. I see it covering a beautiful sea shell on a pedestal.
There's something so nice about reading a blog from someone who knew Flock of Seagulls and big bangs (not hair, not the theory) first-hand. And who has me thinking about chicken wire in a whole new way! I find myself fascinated by the oddest things at Home Depot these days (where they should just give us our own spot in the parking lot because we visit about once a day lately). But I doubt I'll ever be creative as this :-)
Now you just have to leave it out all winter to get that "vintage-y" look without waiting...what is it...8 years since you were 22? :-)
Are you taking orders to help you use up the remaining roll of chicken wire? Really love this, KariAnne. Please come stay at my house.♥♥♥
I love these. A lot. Just pinned. Will be making some. You are brilliant. :)
KariAnne you did it again....love the chicken wire cloche. I'm adding this to the never ending list of projects I want to get done before summers end. Till now I totally forgot about shoulder pads. I'm not sure how i could since I use to put two sometimes three under my bra strap. What on earth was I thinking. Oh boy did I ever have big hair. My boys love to look at pictures and make fun. Wonder what their kids will think of shorts with black socks and moccasins. Thanks for the great tutorial and the memories.
Have you checked out Billy Ray's new band? They're called Brother Clyde and they're actually pretty dang good. Listen to "Lately". I dig it. I also dig this wire cloche. Don't you think you should open an Etsy shop so your good pal Amy can start buying your wares?
Karianne, Very cute idea and your tutorial is great. Now you have enough chicken wire left to make 5 more or you could make a chicken wire topiary. Here's the thing, you didn't mention where you got the perfect bottom for your cloche. And I'd would like to know where did you find a white pear? Oh, and I'm wondering why all your scrabble tiles have holes in them? Have a wonderful week! Hugs, Linda
What an amazing craft and tutorial! ;) Seriously though Billy did rock the mullet didn't he? He had the "business in the front party in the back" concept down to a science. I do have to say though that, the extra .04 tacked onto this project might throw my monthly DIY budget out of wack. I'll have to run it by Bama Boy first before I tackle this one! ;oP Okay now, all kidding aside. It's fabulously adorable and you are too clever my friend! Love ya! Heather
Clever! Frugal! Well done! Really awesome! Tell 22 self you "Rock! Snap!"
I personally dig Billy Rays mullet- thank you!! :)
Uh oh.....my hubby just lost a piece of chicken wire from his garden. hahaha
Genius!!! Love it! Thanks so much for the tutorial too. WIll share it on my FB page :)
Very cute... I love making those. Happy Monday Bristol
That is super cute and you should have been telling me this when I was 22!!!! Loved the whole post - so fun to read and made me smile a lot!
Girl....you better get yourself an Etsy store, and start cranking out the wire cloches! These are seriously the next big thing! SO, SO cute!!!! Maybe you could transform the art house to your studio, and blast some Billy Ray Cyrus, or Flock of Seagulls and dance around while you create! Now, if only we could have told our 22 yr old selves to save our fishnet stockings, so that we could resurrect them, and cover various sized and colored pumpkins for fall like the ones floating around Pinterest! Who knew? You are officially my idol! Love ya! xo-Lisa
LOve!! You always have such creative things!! I could totally see this in my house or on my porch! fantabulous!!! ;)
I'm home from the lake (a vacation to top ALL vacations) and now, instead of getting the REST this olden, tired body of mine NEEDS, I HAVE to go in search of CHICKEN WIRE (of all things) because my cute little friend that makes me laugh so hard sometimes, I p my pants, has made an adorable WIRE CLOCHE that I MUST have, at allllllll costs. AND, that was a killer RUN ON sentence.
i dare you to line dance RIGHT NOW!! I know you want to!! Great project - great tut - I'm soooo going to make one (or 5) because you KNOW i have chicken wire and baling twine just waiting in the wings for this project! Who knows what music will be in the background ....or how big my bangs will be! ;) xo
LOVE THIS!!! Perfect and you know they would charge $22.50 in the store for this, right? Couldn't you just kick your 22 year old self for the things that you spent money on back then? I could. I could seriously be rich by now if I had learned not to buy things that were completely useless (like 100+ VHS tapes... that was helpful).
You are too funny...there are many things that I wish I could tell my 22 year old self and now you have given me one more! Since I have a 22 year old daughter, I am going to pass this post on to her as well...she should know what a cloche is. You have the best ideas!!
OMG this is amazing. Like sooo worth getting excited over! If I had made this, I think I'd be more excited about my new wire cloche than about the Batchelorette tonight. I mean it's a close call, but that's pretty dang cool. :)
So neat! You are so creative Karianne!
Darn those 22-year-old-selves! Mine keeps drinking and eating and thinking it will never be hard to lose the weight, just eat carrots for a day and poof, off it goes! Ha! Just wait til you have 3 kids, then we'll talk! Jessica stayathomeista.com
i will not be waiting until i am 22 to try this...since i am one of those Leap Year babies, i am still in my teens, but if i wait until i am 22, i will likely have to make it in Heaven, and i doubt it will coordinate with the Pearly Gates and the streets of Gold and the twelve gates made out of single gems...i will be trying this even though i am only 13...lol ;)
Can I just say that I have a pile of notes to tell my 22 year old self? It's exhausting all of the things I'm learning now that I need to make sure I can go back in time and edu-ma-cate my oh-so-off-track-youth-days. It's ridiculous. Oh, well. I think I'll just start a bonfire and burn it all of those notes and just pretend that I was always this wise and mature. And let's hope that in the very near future they discover the fountain of youth for real so I have plenty of time to live out the days of my mis-spent "youth"...
Awesome. Yet another one of your projects rocks my world. That husband of mine has been wanting to throw out the chicken wire that's been sitting on the side of the house for too long. I've been telling him that I still need it. I just didn't know what for-- until now. I'll really throw him for a loop when I tell him I need it for a "cloche". Gotta keep the mystery alive somehow, right? ;)
Sheer brilliance! and I was just thinking last night as I viewed my 101st chicken wire cloche on Pinterest that I really should make a couple of my own. Your tute is fabulous too. I had the shoulder pads and the teased up bangs only my hairspray was called something like Ice. Those were the days!!! I still had one of my jackets from the 80s this spring and decided (foolishly) to remove the shoulder pads to see if I could make it over since it still had a whole lot of life in it. It looked like a deflated balloon. Not meant to be. If I was Linda, I probably could have pulled it apart and sewn it up and made it into some beautiful cushion with a union jack flourish or a beautiful burlap floral accent or even a gorgeous number stamped on it. But I'm not Linda so into the trash it went. Poor thing. xox
Ik it looks so easy but me if I tried it I would end up cutting myself why because I am all thumbs at times.............lol Ok I do like your final outcome but you are a lot more talented and creative them little old me................lol
I loved your cloche. I have chicken wire in the garage. This one I have to do. Thanks for the tut. I am a new follower, Please come by to visit. Ginger:)
You rock! This is perfect! Duh, why didn't I think to use a glass cloche to help form this! Thanks for such a great tutorial! I needed it!
So after reading this I had to YouTube Flock of Seagulls and share the "I Ran" video with the kids ... and then you lost me at Billy Ray ... but you pulled me back in with the tutorial. And yet, I'm still trying to figure out 1) what exactly is the role of a cloche? And 2) Does my soon-to-turn-49-year-old-self need a cloche? And where would it go? And what would I cloche in it? :) me
I was all- your 22 year old self. That's cute. Until you got to the punch line, then there was a huge guffaw and a bunch of kneeslapping involved. Of course the cloche is super amazing, too! xo Becca
Genius, Karianne! Confession: I didn't know what a cloche was until a couple years ago. And, I didn't know how to properly pronounce it until last year.
You are brilliant Karianne! Such a creative use for chicken wire! Angie xo
You crack me up, Kariane! This is totally cool, & I'm definitely borrowing (sounds much nicer than "stealing") this idea! Thanks so much for sharing your brilliance! CAS
This looks adorable ! I wish my 22 year old self had come home from the bars often enough to make me. Afew of these! Man did she miss out!
I'm MUCH older than 22, but I'll admit I didn't know what a cloche was until I read this post. :) I'll have to put this on my list of must do's! Thank you. :) Anna (aka Askaanna)
Brilliant! You always cease to amaze me Karianne. Is there anything you can't do? Wait don't answer that,haha : )
Hi KariAnne: What a charming wire cloche--I definitely want to try making this! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Ok, I REALLY love the two wreaths in front of the platter. What is your secret for getting the bow to stay in just the perfect postition? Thanks !
*position
Love this, i have been looking at one for 12 dollars but you know how cheap i am, now i will be making one if not many of these!!! Thanks KariAnne for participating wishing you luck in the drawing!!!! My twentytwo year old self was into art deco, i shutter at the thought of black lacquer now!! LOL
Great post, and such a cute project.
Love it and I'll be making several . This time by golly I'll finally be able to post at Marty's Cloche party.. You cant imagine how thrilled I am to see your creation and get the instructions for making my own. Thank you sooooooooooooooo much..
LOVE your wire cloche!!!!!!!!! Great idea and looks so chic too! I remember mall hair.I don't know why they called it mall hair.But it was big and you used LOTS and LOTS of hairspray(more like glue) and gel (more like glue) in your hair.And it would not move for anything. ((((Hugs))) Anne
This is so cute!! Who would've thought to put the chicken wire around the candle!! Brilliant!! Come link up to Centerpiece Wednesday and share this idea! Karin
I love your wire cloche! I would totally go for the silver look, but I was looking at your pinned image and had a thought. If you wanted that vintage look, maybe a very light coat of oil rubbed bronze spray paint would whip it into shape? But in its silver state, I still like it. I may have to play around with that one!
It's beautiful and I know how hard working with chicken wire is! Love it!
Another awesome project!
This is gorgeous and brilliant how you made it too!
Cute, cute, cute post. Yes, I had a lot to teach my 22 year old self too. Your chicken wire cloche is fabulous, I love it and your instructions are perfect. Now I really need to make one. Thanks so much for joining the party, I love this. Hugs, Marty
This is fantastic! I have truly always thought about trying my hand at a wire cloche, I see them, then I don't do anything about them. I happen to have a bunch of small chicken wire on hand. I think I know what I might be doing this afternoon! Pinning this first!
Just bought some chicken wire, might just have to make that!
I KariAnne! Cute Cloche....especially for a twenty-something...which I'm not. :D I just saw similar wire cloche on a Swedish blog tonight. It seems that now I must make one. One was a dream...you gave a tutorial. That, I'm sure, will make it a reality! Happy New Year!!
I've used chicken wire for all kinds of things, including protecting tree trunks from deer, and making cages to protect my veggie garden (same deer). It never once occurred to me to use it to make a cloche. What a cool idea. Cute post too. Our 21 year old selves becomes so different from our 31, 41, 51 (and up) year old selves (if we're lucky). If we only knew then right?
Hi Karianne, I was online looking to buy a wire cloche, after seeing the price`s I thought I would Google a DIY wire cloche, ah-ha...there YOU where, SO, after reading your tutorial, I went outside in three feet of snow to find the old skid that had flagstone on it wrapped with chic wire & cut a chunk off, following your step by step instructions I made a 18" wire cloche, sprayed it with Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, and topped it with a little moss birdie & set it over top a lovely pot of paper-whites, and, Ohla.. it looks SO BOTANICAL(BEAUTIFUL) on my fireplace mantle...<3 it!! Wish I could post a pic. Thnxs, Annel