How to Construct a Bamboo Arch

Lay an 8-foot by 3-foot piece of plastic sheeting flat on the ground. Place a soaking hose on the plastic and lay two 6-foot bamboo poles onto the plastic.

Soak the bamboo poles for three to four hours. While raw bamboo is naturally flexible to withstand strong winds, dried bamboo is not. Soaking the bamboo in water will make the poles more flexible and easier to assemble at the top of the arch.

Place four 8-foot long bamboo poles flat on the ground next to each other.

Wrap a 4-foot long piece of twine a foot from the bottom of one pole. Extend the twine to the pole next to it and wrap it around the pole. Move to the next pole and wrap the twine around it. Continue until you secure the four poles, tying them together with twine every 12 inches. Use a crisscross pattern when you wrap the twine from one pole to the other, until you have 3 to 4 inches of twine left. Tie off the end of the twine securely.

Wrap the twine around the poles a foot apart until you reach the section 1 foot from the top of the poles.

Place the remaining four poles on the ground and attach them in the same manner. These two sections make up each side of the bamboo arch.

Remove the 6-foot long poles from the wet plastic. Dry them with towels. As you work the poles into an arch, they will dry in that position.

Stand the two side pieces 4 feet apart. Ask a friend to help you hold them straight and evenly apart.

Raise one of the 6-foot long poles and place it across the two sides, so it sits on top of the twine ropes. Leave a foot of the pole hanging over on each side of the ends.

Connect the smaller pole to the twine with a 24-inch piece of twine. Wrap it securely around the pole and the connecting twine. Tie the end of the twine securely. Connect the other side of this pole in the same manner.

Raise the other 6-foot long pole and connect it to the top of the archway in the same manner as in Step 10. After you tie all four sides together, pull on the poles gently to ensure the attachment is secure.

Place two to three palm fronds across the top of the arch. Secure the fronds by wrapping them to the poles and twine with floral wire.