Constructing a Decorative Sphere from Barbed Wire
Sam Murphy
Barbed wire can also be made into an art form.
Known also as barb wire, barbed wire gained widespread use in the American West initially for dividing and penning livestock. Its effectiveness as a barrier comes not from physical strength but from the threat of injury it presents, and it can be put up with relative ease. In the years since, it has been adapted for defense and military applications in addition to farming. Manufacturers produce barbed wire with varying appearances and even different barb designs. More recently, artists have employed barbed wire to craft works ranging from basic wire spheres to elaborate sculptures.
Step 1
Don the safety goggles and leather work gloves.
Step 2
Take one end of the barbed wire and curve it into a circle, reaching for pliers when needed. If a more consistent form is desired, a cheap plastic ball can serve as a template for size and curvature; otherwise, simply coil it the way you would a ball of twine.
Step 3
Wrap the end around the wire forming the loop, then squeeze it with pliers to lock it in place.
Step 4
Keep winding the wire into a spherical shape, letting pliers assist in controlling the form. Repeat this process until the ball reaches the thickness you want.
Step 5
Use wire cutters to trim away the leftover barbed wire. Loop the end around one of the wire loops and crimp it with pliers to hold it fast.
Step 6
If a plastic ball was used as a guide, stab it with a blade to let the air out, then grip it with tongs and extract the leftover material from within the barbed wire sphere.
