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Writer's pictureVicki Liston

Pyramid Trellis


Add a focal point in your yard with a pyramid trellis for climbing vines. Whether it's in one spot or multiples in symmetry for a statement, these are super easy and super fast to assemble. Use in a yard when you're renting and can't put in anything permanent or grow vines vertically when space is at a premium. The best part is that they are totally movable. You can rearrange to your heart's content without any new digging or anchoring!

Here's what you'll need:

* 3 wood trellises (found at a local home improvement store):

* 3 to 9 zip ties (depending on if you are anchoring to a base or not)

* Wire cutters for cutting the extra length from the zip ties

* Small hand saw or dremel

* Yardstick or other long straightedge - you don't need to measure, just something that can lay from one wide end of the trellis to the other for marking purposes. This type of trellis is usually used with the narrow end at the bottom and the wide end at the time. Not for this project! We'll be turning it on its top and using the wide end for the bottom.

Since it needs to stand flat, you'll need to cut the extra from the vertical slat so everything's flush with the ground. Use the straight edge and line it up with the two exterior slats, which are your shortest ones. Mark the others along the line and use your hand saw or dremel to cut them. Do this to all three trellises:

If you are not anchoring your trellis to a base, lay two trellises down and line them up so their sides are parallel. Very loosely zip tie them at each level – 3 for each side, using 9 total. Be sure to leave them very loose - we'll tight them later.

With two sides loosely attached, stand them up and zip tie the third trellis on, making a pyramid. Use that wiggle room you left yourself to position your three sides into an equilateral triangle, with each side sitting on the next side as straight as possible. Once you are good with the positioning, pull the zip ties tight and clip the extra off with your wire cutters. If you want a heavier base to help anchor the trellis, use three (2x4s)in a triangle along the inside of the bottom legs. Screw each into each other with a couple of screws.

Only zip tie the top levels of each trellis as you may need a wider spacing between the trellises to get the base to fit.

Set the trellis pyramid up over the base and attach. I used a nail gun and some thin wire to attach each trellis side to its corresponding base 2x4.

That's it for the basic version! Want to go a little further with it? Here are a few ideas: * Add a fence post top and finial at the top for a fun, finished look.

* Put a decorative pot underneath to catch the eye

* Add a strand of outdoor white lights

* Stain or paint to match your house

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