About Free Arbor Building Plans

Resources

• Woodworking websites offer forums and links to woodworking blogs where plans are posted by DIY woodworkers. Check nurseries online or in your area for free plans. They have an interest in helping you care for their plants, so they might have arbor plans to go with their flowering vines. If you have a favorite gardening or home improvement TV show, check to see whether it has a website with free plans. Your local lumber and hardware stores can also be good resources.

Styles

• Having a clear image of what you want can help you quickly sort through the free plans you find. In addition, the kind of arbor you want to build might help you direct your search. Conventional arbors are arched with lattice running the length of the arch. Other styles include peaked arbors, pergolas and even themed arbors. Consider building an arbor with wagon wheels for a Western garden or a mini-arbor just for your kids.

Materials

• If you're interested in a wrought iron arbor, you might find those plans at a metalworking website. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association has several free plans for cedar arbors. Vegetable garden arbors are often made of less decorative materials, look for those plans at hardware and garden supply stores.

Some Precautions

• Be wary of free plans you find online. Just because a blogger or DIY-enthusiast built an arbor, it doesn't mean it was constructed properly. Do your research, learn about the materials you'll need, including simple items such as nails and adhesive. Ensure that you have the tools to properly complete your project. Talk to experts or go to your local garden center to look at the arbors they have for sale and see how they are constructed.