Indian Corn Swag

This is one of those projects that just had to evolve, know what I mean?  I started out with one idea, which led to another, and another.  So, a little more timely and frustrating, but I LOVE the end result.

I am making a thanksgiving banner, so I originally thought I'd make this a swag that I could hang.  I didn't have enough indian corn for it to make a statement, though.  It looked a little puny against the wall by itself.  And I didn't want to hunt down more indian corn, or have to wire any more if it together.  I posted this pic last month from Country Living magazine.

Well, I have tons of sap buckets laying around, so the idea was born to hang a swag around the rim of one of my buckets.  

Easier said than done.  Hanging anything around something that tapers in hard.  Thank goodness for the little hole drilled in the back of my bucket (since they were originally hung on trees to catch sap, this is a signature feature of sap buckets).  Hey, I sounded like Martha Stewart just then - giving you a bit of history and all. ;)

I digress.  So I wired my indian corn together, just a few at a time.  I suggest reinforcing the husk to the corn with some hot glue, a few of mine popped off while I was connecting them together.  I ended up with 4 bunches of indian corn wired together, and then I wired each of those pieces together.  I tied a piece of twine onto each end of the swag so I'd have something to tie around the bucket.  Using the hole in the back of the bucket, I was able to anchor the twine onto something to keep the swag from drooping too much in front.  I hooked a paper clip over the front of the bucket and under the middle of the swag as well, so it was anchored over the edge of the bucket in front, too.  Make sense?  Sorry if it doesn't because I didn't take a picture of it.  I was too busy swearing under my breath. ;)  Just kidding!  Sort of!

So now my swag is on my bucket and all I see is a hot mess of wires wrapped here and there.  To cover them up I wove ribbon in and out of the husks.  Love how that looks!

I tied a few pieces of ribbon/strips of fabric to the ends of the swag too.  So now it's cute from behind, as well.

So what do you think? So glad this didn't turn into a craft fail!