Looking to do a little redecorating? See our picks for the 20 home decor stores that’ll help you deck out your dwelling for less.
Balcony or patio gardening is a challenge, but chicken wire can help plants grow vertically. Use this netting to form a trellised planter that’ll make the most of the space you have.
Chicken wire is a classic solution for giving more stability to papier-mache projects, like this bison head. From ornaments to leaning towers of Pisa, chicken wire can be the craft supply that really holds it together.
26 Creative Ways to Use Chicken Wire
If you see a gorgeous old cupboard that’s missing a door or a pane of glass at a second-hand store, there’s a cheap solution for that. Chicken wire can double as a door for cupboards and the open shelves provide a little farmhouse ambiance to your kitchen.
- Privacy screen
- Vertical gardening
- DIY yard sculptures
- Pest control
- Concrete reinforcement
- Compost or waste bin
- Bird feeder
- Chicken wire baskets
- Jar or glass cozies
- Kitchen or pantry cupboards
- Chicken wire frames
- Chicken wire sconce or lampshade
- Magazine rack
- Firewood storage
- Chicken wire cloche
- Chicken wire shelves
- Treetop star
- Holiday wreaths
- Holiday card display
- Christmas trees
- Lighted Christmas balls
- Chicken wire pumpkins
- Chicken wire ghosts
- Jewelry organizer
- Chicken wire terrariums
- Papier-mache projects
How to Use Chicken Wire in the Garden and Outdoors
It’s an allergy-friendly cheap option that’s easily customized, like this floor-to-ceiling one made with festive ribbon that can be rolled up and stored away. Weave ribbon through the wire, attach lights with zip ties, put a bow on the top and hang ornaments all over.
1. Privacy Screen
Looking to spruce up an outdoor space? Here are the details on how to do it with a 0 budget.
2. Vertical Gardening
Galvanized chicken wire can make for an inexpensive bird feeder like the one in this tutorial. Just make sure the holes are big enough to let the birds peck through but small enough to keep the feed from spilling out.
3. DIY Yard Sculptures
Start with an empty frame and stretch some smaller mesh chicken wire across to create the perfect low cost storage solution for hanging earrings, necklaces and more.
4. Pest Control
You might cozy up to this chicken wire idea of creating sleeves for glass jars or other containers. Not only does it help you get a grip, but it can be a fun choice for backyard barbecues.
5. Concrete Reinforcement
Where Can You Buy Chicken Wire?
6. Compost or Waste Bin
If the deluge of holiday cards is always sliding off your fridge, fashion a holiday card display from a chicken wire frame and some clips.
7. Bird Feeder
Chicken wire doesn’t just keep chickens in. It also keeps pests like rodents, rabbits and more out. Protect from animals that dig into gardens, by installing fencing six inches or more below ground.
How to Use Chicken Wire in the Kitchen
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8. Chicken Wire Baskets
Chicken wire isn’t just for Christmas. Use it to shape other seasonal symbols like pumpkins to compliment your tabletop decor or giant chicken wire pumpkins that sit on your doorstep without making a mess.
9. Jar or Glass Cozies
Give your plants a breath of fresh air with farmhouse-style fencing. Use chicken wire either as a terrarium cover for delicate succulents or as plant display in this video tutorial from Refinery29.
10. Kitchen or Pantry Cupboards
But don’t let chicken wire’s low price and low-profile utility fool you. This unassuming wire comes in all sorts of gauges and styles, making it the perfect material to tackle garden and decor projects alike.
How to Use Chicken Wire for Home Decor
Make a DIY chicken wire tree topper star that provides a touch of farmhouse fa-la-la to your Christmas tree. Just glue a few slats of wood or sticks into a star outline, wrap the joints in rustic twine, and use chicken wire for the backing.
11. Chicken Wire Frames
Source: thepennyhoarder.com
12. Chicken Wire Sconce or Lampshade
If you can dream it, chicken wire can give it shape. Use chicken wire as a medium for whatever takes your fancy, from garden orbs to giant butterflies. If you’re new to working with chicken wire, this tutorial on chicken wire art is a good place to start.
Start thinking outside the coop with these inventive uses for chicken wire.
13. Magazine Rack
Got a roll of chicken wire kicking around and need more inspiration? These craft ideas make a little wire go a long way.
14. Firewood Storage
Ready to stop worrying about money?
15. Chicken Wire Cloche
How Much Does Chicken Wire Cost?
16. Chicken Wire Shelves
Sometimes it seems like a waste to pay big bucks for decorations you use once a year. That’s why chicken wire offers fantastic options for shaping seasonal cheer on the cheap.
How to Use Chicken Wire for Seasonal Decor
Stretching a little chicken wire across an empty frame seems simple, but it’s the start of a lot of practical crafts that are perfect home decor solutions. Use small clothespins and you’ve created a photo display, message board and more.
17. Tree Topper Star
Kaz Weida is a senior writer with The Penny Hoarder.
18. Holiday Wreath
Reinforcing concrete in buildings is something best left to professionals, but you can apply the same methods to create outdoor concrete planters and smaller structures. See how to shape and cure your chicken wire concrete creations here.
19. Holiday Card Display
Put a lid on pretty much anything with an open cloche like the one in this video tutorial. These wire filters are easy items to fashion and give your farmhouse decor a second life.
20. Christmas Tree
Cutting chicken wire can be accomplished with a cheap pair of wire cutters or heavy-duty scissors for thinner gauge wire. The tricky part is keeping it unrolled while you work. Stabilize one end of the wire by fastening it to something using twist ties or twine or weight it down and then unroll and cut the chicken wire from the other end.
Redecorating on a budget? Lean into an industrial-meets-farm look with chicken wire shelves. You’ll still need wood to keep it steady, but the chicken wire provides backing and extra stability.
Take stock of your projects because chances are you’re missing out on an opportunity to put chicken wire to work.
21. Lighted Christmas Balls
Wrap them in lights and scatter a few cheap chicken wire balls in different sizes as Christmas decorations. To let it glow, secure them as orbs from the eaves or trees.
22. Chicken Wire Pumpkins
Does your holiday spirit take a hit when you see the cost of a fresh or artificial tree? Next time, mock-up and decorate a chicken wire Christmas tree.
23. Chicken Wire Ghosts
Fly the coop and head to the kitchen, where you can put chicken wire to good use in a variety of DIY projects.
Other Great Uses for Chicken Wire
Skip the store version and put a fence around loose magazines and other reading materials with a chicken wire magazine rack. This tutorial shows you how to mount a chicken wire magazine holder using wire and a rustic wooden board.
24. Jewelry Organizer
Chicken wire is a poultry mesh available in a variety of wire meshes and gauges. Mesh refers to how far apart or big the holes are in this hexagonal netting. Gauge refers to how thick the wire is. You can buy a variety of chicken wire sizes for relatively cheap prices online and in stores. You can get same-day delivery or free store pickup at most hardware stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot or Ace Hardware.
25. Chicken Wire Terrarium
Because chicken wire is easy to mold, it’s a great material for wreaths. You can fill the chicken wire so it’s on the outside as a wrap or use it as a base for mounting craft or plant materials like ribbons and fabric.
26. Papier-Mache Projects
Another popular use for this wire outside of the farm is for firewood storage. You can shape a basket for logs to stash by the fireplace or an outdoor netting to keep your wood protected from the elements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
As a light fixture with a minimalist aesthetic, chicken wire really shines. You can stretch it to make a sconce for a wall or hanging fixture or use it as a chicken wire lampshade. <!–
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There are lots of other variations too.