Question
Hello, I am interested in making swags, can you give me a starting place? Thanks

Answer
Hi Tammy,

There are two ways of making swags.

One way is to get a length of thick cord on which to bind your material. Use a natural colour for the cord or you might see it. Then wire up all the materials you are going to use (leave about 5 inches of wire in which to bind with on each peice) and begin to add piece after piece of material, twisting the wire around the cord as you go, forming a wide band of foliage/flowers. Continue until you reach the desired length. This method is good for an even thickness of material, suitable for swagging around bannisters or around poles.

The other method gives a thicker middle and thinner ends and is for fireplace mantles and above doorways.  You need chicken wire for this method and I also use a piece of cord too. Form a roll of chicken wire, that is fatter in the middle and tapers to both ends. Run the cord through this, so you have a piece each end for fixing. The fill the chicken wire with moss. You end up with a wire sausage, fat in the middle, thin at each end. Use this as a base in which to poke your wired material. Start in the centre and work outwards from the central point. so that from the middle you have material heading left and material heading right. If it's all going in the one direction it doesn't work so well. You can add ribbons at each end if desired.

Have fun.

Sue.

p.s I am based in the U.K