A few things I made for my garden

Thanks All, I could really bore you by placing a slide show link of some of my dabblings....

My picture hosting website is currently acting up so I'm unable to update whats there but I will keep trying because i have far better fotos of my garden/art on my pc.

The faces are great if i make them a greater 'depth' so they stand more 'proud' by about 15 cm because then if you are really lucky a bird will go inside and make a nest as once happened a number of years ago.You just need to make sure there is good conyact with the wall and maybe fixed in some way to make sure it doesn't move away and let birdies fall out the back. Laughing

If you want to see animals of mine and some art stuff (not much of its for the garden) then feel free to take a look.

http://s668.photobucket.com/home/dirklet/recentuploads?view=slideshow

Hi Eileen, OK the lamps..........I take strips of metal which i get from factories. (The strips are used to hold the goods/boxes on pallets)

I straighten the strips out by ahnd and any imperfections i think add 'character' When i have enough i lay approx 40 flat on the ground ( about 40 cm wide) and then i weave under and over each strip with yet more strips ( approx 30) in the opposite direction ( the warp and weft)

When I have woven a big flat sheet i simply roll it into a cylinder shape and weave the ends of the strips back into themselves. Its not always very neat but i put the 'seam' to the wall so it can't be seen.

The number of strips obviously determines the size and the size of the one i have described is approx 2 meters or 7 foot tall and so you can also make a smaller version. the diameter of the cylinder is also important because if its too broad then it eventually buckles and bends because it cant support its own weight. Too slender and its very very hard to roll. The one i described had a diameter of 10 in/25cm. Any questions i'll be happy to try and clarify for you. I have also added more pics to my slideshow one of which is a close up of one of my lamps so you can see the weave in better detail.

Its a lot easier than it sounds just weave a flat sheet and roll...........try a small version with paper first so you get the idea. The most difficult part is holding the thing still while you roll it and weave the ends in as it has a tendency to 'boing' open

LASTLY BE CAREFUL THE METAL STRIPS ARE SHARP!!!

Oh yeah i put coloured strip lights inside simply dangling suspended on a wire rod or i cram them full of christmas fairy lights which give a great effect but neither version gives enough light to read by they are purely decorative.