How to make chicken wire baubles

First up, you'll need to roll out the chicken wire and measure out its dimensions. To make a spherical shape, it must be twice as long as it is wide.

Next, pop your safety gloves on and cut the chicken wire at the measured area using the wire cutters. If it's not lying flat, use something heavy to weigh the wire down before cutting.

Place the two cut sides together and connect by twisting the wires around each other. Once they are secure, it should have a cylinder shape.

Sit the cylinder upright and start to pinch the edges together with your pointing finger and your thumb to create a triangle. Continue your pleating motion until you reach the end. Repeat on the other end of the cylinder.

Your chicken wire probably won't be round just yet. Continue to sculpt the chicken wire to make it as round as possible, by pushing in the curves and pulling on the end to create a spherical shape.

Once you have a bauble shape, it's time to wrap it up with lights!

As we're using solar net lights, all you have to do is throw this over the chicken wire ball.

If you're using alternative fairy lights, take your first string and wrap it around the ball, repeat with the other strings until you've used them all and your ball is fully wrapped.

Once you have your lights in place, grab a few cable ties and secure your lights. Push the solar panel into the ground, ready to capture the sun's rays.

The versatility of fairy lights means you can turn them on when it gets dark enough, and turn them off during the day. As they are solar, the lights also won't affect your energy usage, meaning no nasty surprises when the bill comes through.