Wonderful, Whimsical Wire Sheep Gift Idea
I don’t know about you, but I’m all for adding playful décor items to our home. It makes my heart happy, and our friends love it too. They always chuckle when the moss creatures greet them at the front door, and our fantasy bottle light has become quite the talking point. That got me thinking about using stuff I already had on hand to make creative gifts for some of my like-minded buddies. One thing led to another, and on a sunny Saturday morning, I spent a few hours putting together these whimsical wire sheep.
They’re adorable, fun, and, dare I say, stylish too.
I used scrap wood from our pallet stockpile to make these cuties. The big one is about 11 cm long and 8 cm tall, and the little one is only 6 cm high.
The perfect size for a mantle, bookcase, or tabletop.
Right, before I share how I made the whimsical wire sheep, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need
- Scrap wood
- Sandpaper
- Wooden beads
- Nail (optional)
- Jewelry wire
- Jigsaw
- Glue
- Round nose pliers
- Small side cutters (flush cutters)
How to make wire sheep
Did I mention this is an easy DIY gift idea? Start by drawing a sheepish body shape on some scrap wood.
Cut the shape out with a jigsaw. If you’re not keen on using a jigsaw, you can make the sheep out of air-dry clay too. Thick sheets of cardboard glued together will also work. You basically just need a blob shape to work with.
Sand the wood to get rid of splinters and smooth it out.
To make the head, I used pressed wood that’s about 1 cm thick. Just like the body, you can use clay or cardboard to create something similar. Using the sheepish body as a guide, draw the head. If you prefer, you can download this template and resize it to fit your body.
Cut the shape out and sand smooth.
To attach the head to the body, you have two options. You can either glue it directly onto the body or use a nail. I wanted my sheep to be able to move their heads, so I used a nail. Remove the nail head with wire cutters and drill a small hole in the body and the head. The hole needs to be deep enough to hold the nail securely.
Insert the nail into the body and then into the head.
Now we just need to add the woolly wire spirals to finish off our whimsical sheep.
Making wire spirals
Cut a piece of wire and curl it into an open-looped spiral using the round nose pliers.
Where you place your round nose, pliers will determine the size of the inside loop. For a small, tight loop, place the wire towards the tip of the pliers; for a larger loop, use the back of the pliers.
This quick video will show you I made my wire spirals.
Make a whole bunch of different-sized spirals by varying the length of the wire and glue them onto the sheep’s body.
Flip the wire sheep over and glue on four small wooden beads.
And that’s it. The wire sheep are all done.
Now I need to make a few more so we can add them to our décor too.
Who said you couldn’t make a gift for yourself right 😉
What do you think? Do you like using fun décor elements in your home?
If you like the idea of making whimsical wire sheep, don’t forget to pin it for later.
Sharing is caring 😉
BTW, if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉
Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then these beauties may appeal.
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, craft-filled week. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
These sheep are the cutest craft I have seen in a long while. I especially love their curly wool coats lol. I cringed when you oh so casually said draw a head, so thank you for the template. Thats my style.
I’m so happy to hear the template will come in handy, Leanna.
I collect cows, pigs, and chickens. But I don’t have any sheep Yet! Lol. Their adorable, and make the perfect gift.
Methinks you need to get some sheep to add to your farm animal collection 😉
They’re just darling!! I have pigs and chickens, cows and goats displayed in my home, but I don’t have any sheep. I may have to use your design to rectify that!
The little wire sheep would feel right at home in your cottage, Kim.