The front of the house here at Sweetwater has five light fixtures.

Two on the sides of the door and three across the front of the garage.

So nice to have all of that light.

Not so nice if I want to decorate those lights for the holidays.

Buying swags for FIVE lights is really not an option for someone as CHEAP thrifty as I am!

So over the years, I have learned to make my own using stuff that is almost free.

Read on to learn the trick behind this pretty swag.

 

Did you notice how this swag has a lot of dimension from front to back? 

I used to just gather up some greens….wire them together in the middle and tie it with a bow.

They looked okay but were sort of flat!

AND THEN….

I discovered a trick for making these fuller versions.

 

Chicken Wire! 

An eight inch strip of chicken wire can be cut using a sturdy snipper.  I am so lucky that Mr. S gifts me with these romantic type presents!  I guess he knows what I will actually use!

Form the eight inch strip into a cylinder by folding it over and pinching the sides in.  It is helpful to use work gloves when you do this…chicken wire is really hard on your hands.

Now you have a form/base for your scraps of greenery.  I love the fact that you can use some pretty shabby greens in the back of your swag.   Just keep snipping greens and pushing them into the wire.  After you have the top and bottom of the swag the shape you like, start adding greens that stick out and make the swag look full from the front to the back.  You don’t need to put a lot of greens in the center because your bow will go there.

 When you are pleased with the greenery, you add a bow.

Bows seem to be intimidating to people.  Making a fancy bow is really pretty easy.  Check out this link to see a step by step of the process.

 I used some of that fun netting as the background for the bow on these swags.  That stuff is easy to find…I have seen it at the dollar store, Lowes and Micheals.  I like how it makes the plaid ribbon stand out.

These swags on the wire cages are especially nice because of how they can be attached to the lights.  Simply run a length of ribbon through the back of the cage.  This ribbon can be tied around the light.  No worries about wires that can scratch your fixture.

 I am always pleased that the swags look like something that I went out and purchased!

They frame the entry and add a lot of holiday oomph for little or no money!

Happy Decorating….

Before I go…..The Sweetwater entry is decked out for the holidays too!  I had an old grapevine wreath that was the perfect size.  A few scrap greens and some leftover ornaments from the Festival of trees event…..I am liking this a lot!