How to Build a Trellis

Cultivate living wallpaper by training a flowering vine up a trellis stuck in the ground or mounted on an exterior wall. The result: a wall treatment that's lively as well as artistic—watch for the bees and butterflies to be drawn to the flowers. The possibilities for DIY trellises are endless.

Use rot-resistant wood, such as cedar or pressure-treated pine, to give your garden trellis durability. Use exterior-grade stain or primer and paint to protect your wooden trellis. Painting before you assemble pieces may spare you brushwork later, but may require touch-ups where screws have been inserted.

Build a trellis with metal gates following these steps.

• 1×2 cedar in 6- or 8-foot strips (amount needed depends on design)
• Chalk
• Saw 
• Screwdriver or electric drill
• 1¼-inch exterior screws 
• Exterior paint or deck stain (optional)
• Posthole digger
• Shovel
• Gravel
• Vining plants

On a sheet of paper, sketch out your trellis, including dimensions. Tally and gather the number and lengths of boards needed. Cut the boards to the correct size, according to your plan.

Learn how to use a circular saw.

Using one of the straight cedar boards as a guide, draw several parallel lines 6 inches apart on a concrete surface in chalk. This will serve as a simple guide during assembly.

Draw another series of parallel lines perpendicular to the first set, creating a grid of 6-inch squares. This is not intended to create an actual pattern for the trellis. Rather, it offers a visual reference so that when you lay out the pieces of your trellis, it's easy to keep the boards parallel with right angles true. 

Create the desired trellis pattern by laying out the boards on the chalk grid. Feel free to try laying out a few designs before deciding on the one you want. Before securing with screws, make any adjustments to get the pattern you want.

See how to make lacing for a DIY trellis here.

Wherever boards intersect, drive two screws. Do this from the back side, so the screw heads won't be visible on the front. After securing the trellis pieces together, you can stain or paint the trellis as desired with stain or exterior paint. Or, leave the cedar boards and allow them to turn gray with age naturally.

Dig postholes at least 10 inches deep and fill the bottom few inches of the holes with gravel. Place the garden trellis posts in the holes and plumb them. Backfill with soil, tamping every few inches to ensure the posts are stable.

Plant vining annuals, perennials, or shrubs at the base of the structure. Morning glory, black-eyed Susan vine, and sweet peas are particularly easy to grow and striking when grown on garden trellis panels against a lackluster wall. They'll quickly light up the wall with a colorful flower show. Remove the spent vines at the end of the growing season.

See more garden trellis ideas and vine supports.