10 Easy DIY Garden Trellis Ideas

Copper plumbing pipes are a great way to create your own metal trellis without spending a lot of money.

Simply cut the pipes to the length you need (it’s easy with an inexpensive pipe cutter like this one*). Then join them together with elbow joints to create the frame.

Finally, string wire across it to create the trellis. I would use copper wire to go with the frame.

Another way to create a trellis against a wall or fence, is to use a decorative garden panel.

To give the plants room to grow behind them, install wood strips on the surface at the top and bottom of where your panel will go. (If it is tall, you may need another one in the middle).

Then attach the panels to the wood strips with cable clamps.

If this trellis is for a large vine, you may need to install more than one panel in a row to accommodate the size. Like my mother did for the trellis (pictured above) she made for the climbing rose on the side of her garage.

You could also make your own decorative panel using these black resin sheets that look like wrought iron.

I used them to make this standalone screen, but it could also installed against a fence or wall, similar to the panels above.

This panel has been out in the hot South Carolina sun in my backyard for 7 years and still looks like new. So they are tough and don’t fade.

If you are putting up a trellis in front of a wall or fence and want a super easy way to do, picture frame wire (or string) with some eye hooks is all you need.

Screw in eye hooks at regular intervals around the outside edges of where you want the trellis to be.

Then string the wire between the hooks. Pull tightly to get it as straight as possible.

If your plants are fairly well-behaved and use tendrils to attach themselves (such as Clematis), you can even get them to grow along the wire so it creates a pretty diamond pattern.

Using wood lattice is a really quick way to make a trellis since it already has a pattern that plants can grow through.

Simply build a wood frame the size you want and attach the lattice to it.

If you want a sturdy trellis, use 2″x4″ wood pieces for the frame and bury the bottom ends in the ground. Lighter trellises can use 2″x2″ wood for the frame. (But I wouldn’t put them too far under ground since they will rot pretty quickly)

Similarly, you can make your own lattice using 1″x2″ or 2″x2″ boards. Just screw or nail them together at equal intervals.

This usually works well when you want to have larger holes than lattice would provide. By putting it together yourself, you can customize it exactly how you want it.

And it blocks less of the view behind it than lattice, so it’s a good choice if that’s what you want.

Bamboo can also be used to create a grid trellis that has a slightly different look and feel.

You can attach the poles together in a crossing pattern using wire or string.

Then put a small nail or screw in at the joins to keep them from moving.

For an even more rustic look, try using wood sticks instead of boards.

They will need to be at least an inch thick to prevent them from breaking or rotting too easily (and maybe larger depending on what you want to grow on the trellis).

But if you have a lot of trees in your yard, this could be the most economical trellis of them all.

For a trellis that is totally different from everyone else’s, try repurposing metal garden art.

It comes in interesting shapes, is meant to be outside and can often be installed either on a wall (like the panels above) or in the middle of the garden.

Just make sure it is large enough to support the plant you are trying to grow on it.

Whether you’re using one of these DIY trellis ideas or a store-bought version, painting it is simple way to give it new life.

I love using a color that really makes the flowers pop (like the pink Clematis against the black trellis above).

And the paint makes the trellis look good in the winter, too. So it becomes a year-round enhancement for your garden.