I made this simple trellis from a combination of reclaimed pallet wood and scrap lumber in a few hours over a weekend.
Legs
The two legs are each 5 feet tall, made from the scraps of a 10 foot treated 1 x 4 that I had ripped down to make some trim. Each leg is approximately 3/4″ wide.
Crossbars
The crossbars are made from scraps of a pallet that I had ripped to make some planter boxes. I alternated between horizontal and diagonal rungs attached to the legs using wood screws. I made sure to start each screw with a drilled pilot hole so not to crack the fragile wood.
Lessons Learned
You’ll notice that the crossbars are laid on top of the legs instead of set inside.
I started this project by setting the crossbars inside the legs and using nails from the outside of the legs to attach them. This arrangement was very weak, and the whole thing fell apart on me.
When I switched to putting the crossbars on top of the legs and using wood screws, the whole thing was much more stable.
Finish
I finished the project by applying:
- One coat of outdoor primer
- One coat of Silver Sage Paint by Restoration Hardwood
- One spray coat of Thompson’s Water Seal
The whole project was easy to do and it will be fun to watch it host our flowering vines!
Necessary:
You can get away with just a table saw, if that’s all you have. The table saw is mainly used to rip the 1 x 4s down to about 3/4″ wide.
Seems like you can never have enough C-Clamps in a project like this
The whole thing is held together by screws. I can’t imagine using a screwdriver. In addition, there are a few areas where you need to drill holes.
Optional
My miter saw is my favorite tool in the workshop. It will make cutting down your lumber much faster and more precise. I recommend a sliding miter saw that has at least a 12 inch blade. If you have a 10 inch blade, you will have to rotate the 4 x 4’s to cut all the way through them.
Leave A Comment