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    Home » Gardening

    How to Make an Awesome Garden Trellis Almost for Free

    April 19, 2017 by Patti Estep 8 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Twig trellis on brick wall
    Tree branches patterned for trellis

    Learn how easy it is to make a garden trellis by using extra branches and twigs from your own backyard, and a spool of twine.

    DIY garden trellis from branches in your backyard.

    Making a garden trellis can be as easy as gathering together branches and twigs in your own backyard. Especially at the end of winter, or early spring, when you are out cleaning up the debris.

    Instead of tossing them all in the compost pile, or burning them, save some for a rustic garden design that you can make with your own two hands.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there's no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    Layout branches for making garden trellis.

    How to Make a Garden Trellis from Tree Branches

    The process is very easy. Gather your branches and experiment with the layout on the ground or patio.

    Lash branches together with natural twine.

    Using natural twine, lash the branches together at intersecting places.

    Green branches work well for curves parts of the garden trellis.

    If you want to make an arch or any curved area, consider using live branches that you have pruned for the season. In the case above,  I used a sapling of some wayward tree, that decided to show up in the wrong spot in my garden.

    DIY garden trellis from branches in your backyard.

    The inside of the arch seemed much too bare, so I added a couple of hydrangea branches that I just pruned from my huge Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' shrub in a heart-shaped design. Typically live thin branches are easy to bend into the shape you want.

    Choose a vine plant to grow at the base.

    Dig a couple of holes for your trellis to be set into. Tamp the soil down around the base to keep it in place.

    I planted a clematis that was growing on my hillside. The area is so over-crowded I thought this would be a perfect place to relocate the vine. I think most clematis plants would do well here and the trellis could handle their size and weight.

    I'm not sure if a climbing rose or some of the other perennial climbers would work, because they may be too big for this little guy. However, annual vines, such as morning glories or black-eyed Susan vine would be perfect for this trellis.

    Garden trellis on back wall of house.

    The final result is a little crooked. However, I don't mind it. I know it will look great when it is covered with vines and all the other plants fill in here.

    This area at the back of the house used to be shaded by a huge evergreen. I have hosta, perennial begonia, and goat's beard planted here. They will still have some morning shade, but by mid-day, the area will receive a lot more sun. So, I may need to change things up a bit. 

    Make your own garden trellis from extra branches and twigs.

    Just another excuse to buy more plants.  😀 

    Patti signature

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    Handmade garden trellis with tree branches
    DIY garden trellis from branches in your backyard.
    Print

    How to Make an Awesome Garden Trellis Almost for Free

    Gather branches from your yard to make an almost free DIY garden trellis. This will add interest and texture to your yard or garden.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Active Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: DIY Garden Art
    Yield: 1 Garden Trellis
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $3-$5

    Equipment

    • scissors

    Materials

    • Tree Branches
    • Natural Twine

    Instructions

    • Gather your branches and experiment with the layout on the ground or patio.
    • Using natural twine, lash the branches together at intersecting places.
    • To make an arch or any curved area, use live branches that you have pruned for the season.
    • I added a couple of hydrangea branches for the center.
    • Dig a couple of holes for your trellis to be set into.
    • Tamp the soil down around the base to keep it in place.

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    • 2023 Plants of the Year - Easy Picks for this year's garden
    • Hanging Teacup Planter Upcycle

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. BEATRICE VEGAS

      April 19, 2020 at 9:46 am

      whoa luv this. wonder if it will work for my passion flower - its in a pot.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 19, 2020 at 2:04 pm

        I don't see why not Beatrice. Give it a try.

        Reply
    2. Irene

      August 03, 2019 at 10:06 am

      Extremely helpful, simple cheap and easy. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        August 04, 2019 at 7:17 am

        Yes it is Irene. I'm glad you like it.

        Reply
    3. Sue

      April 21, 2017 at 8:57 am

      Just love this Patti - we have just cut down some really thick vines so they will be a good start to a new trellis
      Beautiful weather here in Gettysburg with some wonderful rain in the night, the wild flowers are starting to show themselves 🙂

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 21, 2017 at 9:42 am

        Hi Sue,

        That sounds like a great idea and we've had some wonderful rain in SW Pa too. I think I'll get out and transplant a few things today while the ground is wet and the air is dry. Tomorrow they are forecasting more rain so that's always a good time to plant.

        Have a great weekend and enjoy the wild flowers!
        Patti

        Reply
    4. Carole

      April 19, 2017 at 6:07 pm

      I really like this idea and you've got me inspired because all those trees we're clearing out at the property I could take some of those smaller ones and turn them into a trellis or two for the garden and all those other gardens I need to install. Thanks for this awesome idea Patti - I love this concept.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 20, 2017 at 7:17 am

        Hi Carole,

        This was a throw back project that I did at the first house we lived in when I really started to get into gardening. It's fun to do and many people have lots of branches laying around that they could use. Now you have more than enough and you could even use nails and/or screws for more durability or larger structures. I'm sure they would be gorgeous.
        The weather here is beautiful!
        Hope you are enjoying the spring in your new property.
        Patti

        Reply

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