Handmade Trellis

Slats

• A slat trellis is simple to make, requiring only some small nails to connect the slats and paint if desired. You can make wood slat trellises in a fan shape, with three tall support stakes held close at the bottom and spread wide at the top and connected by horizontal cross members nailed in place. Traditionally such trellises are white-washed, but you can paint them to match your outdoor vision. All wood slat trellises aren't fan-shaped, however; tall rectangular slat trellises are also common. These typically have two horizontal support stakes and both horizontal and vertical slats nailed together in a plaid pattern.

Branches

• You can make handmade trellises from branches and sticks to give an earthy look to the garden. A very natural trellis can be fashioned by taking several long branches with many side branches and overlapping them. Just lay them on the ground and overlap two or three highly branched 1-inch diameter fallen trees, and wrap wire around the places where the branches overlap. These kinds of trellises often work best if laid up against a wall or fence for additional support.

Willow Cuttings

• Willow branch cuttings are very flexible when freshly cut, and you can bend and weave them to suit your purposes. After the willow cuttings dry, they will hold their shape. Cut many long willow branches, and wrap them together with floral wire or even zip ties. Bend the willow branches around a form, or use a fence to hold the branches while they dry by attaching the willow branches along the fence face with zip ties, bending the willow into the shape of the trellis as you go.

PVC

• You can cut 1-inch PVC pipes and assemble them into a rectangular trellis using T-connectors. Lay out your pieces, and cut them evenly with a pipe cutter. Assemble everything before applying PVC glue. PVC pipes work especially well if you want to train a very long vine horizontally as you can make them as wide as you need to by adding pipes to each other. You can also use copper piping to assemble similar trellises; although more expensive, they are enduring and bring a classical ambiance to the garden.