People freak out about pruning like it's plant murder. But seriously, it's just maintenance. Take my grandma's rose bush. She hacks it back every year, and it explodes with flowers. Without that, it'd be a tangled mess. Trust the process, even if it looks harsh.

Oh man, I'm with @anna681 on this one. Just because you make it yourself doesn't mean it looks good, it often just looks cheap. Some of these covers look like a five year old went wild with clip art.