Heavy Gage Wire Welding

I am a retired DYI type but nothing I've done in the past has had anything to do with welding. My project now is to make figures out of heavy gauge wire for the holidays using the wire that was suppose to be used to attach the chain link to the post. I think this is about 8 gauge galvanized and I would like to be able to weld the wire together for stability and longevity before I paint it so first I need to know if I can weld this stuff then I will need to know how I would go about it with as little expense as possible.