If you haven’t already spotted this trend, fishing wire is the perfect way to create a magical effect with your decorative object of choice. With just a few inches of string, candles are floating, snowflakes are falling, and ornaments appear to be suspended in mid-air. We’ve even spotted sprigs of greens take on a whole new effect as a hovering forest. To help any DIY decorator dress up their space, we collected a few insights and tips from experts who have tried this trend—here’s how you can do the same.
Fishing Wire Is Perfect for Natural Decorations
While candles and baubles are perfect for stringing up, Andrea Manning of Michaels has noticed that one of the top executions involves things you probably already have at home. “One festive example of this is using leftover transparent jewelry cord or fishing line to hang garlands of dried orange slices for natural, upcycled holiday decor,” she tells us.
Consider the Breakability of What You’re Hanging
If you’re set on hanging up ornaments with fishing wire, Sarahli Wilcox of @hauz.and.co has a sensible reminder: “From candles to ornaments, there are many possibilities [of] what you can hang! [But] we want to make sure that the decor is light [and/or] shatterproof and stabilized securely to prevent it from falling [or breaking].” If you’re still worried, Wilcox recommends choosing a wire, jewelry cord, or line that can handle the weight. “The most important attribute to look for in fishing wire is strength and thinness,” says Wilcox. “The thinner you can get it without sacrificing on strength for your decor, [the] better invisible effect.”
Chicken Wire Is Your Friend
Anastasia Casey of The Identite Collective recently shared a stunning take on floating decor on her Instagram: a hanging floral centerpiece above her Thanksgiving table. While she used twine for that particular project, she let us in on a little secret: use chicken wire to hold the stems of your centerpiece in between the fishing wire (or twine!). “Start by taking twenty inches of chicken wire and cutting it off the roll, using wire cutters,” she says. “[Next,] shape the chicken wire into a cylinder shape, [and] secure the chicken wire by folding loose wires back onto itself creating a ‘hook.’ Cut an additional two circles of chicken wire approximately eight inches in diameter each, [and] attach these to the end of the cylinder on either side, forming a log shape. [Then,] tie twine [or fishing wire] to both ends of the chicken wire cylinder.”
Create a Base With Your Large Branches First
Now that your chicken wire is in place, you have a base for weaving in your florals or greenery. “Trim away leaves up 8 inches on each stem,” Casey says. “[Then], beginning with your largest branches first, weave the branches through the chicken wire cage working from the bottom to the top. Continue weaving branches through the wire cage, rotating to all sides, filling in any empty areas.” “Once all branches have been added, carefully insert blooms in small clusters,” says Casey. “After all the florals have been added, hoist the arrangement up (it likely sunk from the weight) and re-secure it 28 inches above the tabletop.” If you’re not sure where to hang your masterpiece, Casey suggests securing the other ends of the twine to adjacent trees, or cup hooks in the ceiling if hanging indoors. So, bust out the tackle box, because fishing wire is officially the perfect must-have for the upcoming decorating season!
