Building strong structures with branches.

Craig and I spent an afternoon this week constructing some 3-D hearts out of red-twig dogwood to get ready for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday.  The dogwood when freshly cut is quite pliable yet also quite strong.  The process of bending the willow and adding the attachment wires really requires two people unless you happen to be skilled at wrestling a bear!!!

In the past I’ve used copper-colored hog rings along with hog ring pliers to build sturdy wreaths and other armatures.  I still use them often, but for attaching 2,3 or 4 large branches all together and feel very confident that they will stay very attached and sturdy my new secret weapon in one I saw Klaus Wagenar ( a European florist ) utilize.

This tool is amazing for providing a quick and very secure attachment.  Like the hog rings, I actually find the industrial look of the twisted wires to be a compelling contrast to fresh flowers and foliage.  Even just with branches as shown in our hearts, I like the uniformity of the twist and the deep steel color.

Here’s an image from Amazon of the tool.  The wires you use are also available on Amazon in different lengths.

Look for the video I first saw this being used on YouTube under Klaus’s name.  I have found it to be a useful addition to my tool box.