How to Build an Easy $25 DIY Lattice Trellis
If you need a unique and beautiful idea for how to add a vine to your house, this post is for you! I’m showing you how I built a DIY lattice trellis to help grow some Star Jasmine on the front of our house.
Our house has a lot of flower beds. It was one of my favorite things about it when we first saw it, but now that we’ve been here a year I’m realizing it also means I have a lot of work to do! None of the beds are currently set up the way I’d like them to be, and I’ve decided to tackle one at a time until we get them all done.
I got a little work done on one of the back beds earlier this year when I added a wire trellis to the siding. And, well, I wanted to continue that theme up front! Since the front of the house is stone, I knew that I didn’t want to attach anything directly to it. So, I decided to build some simple DIY wood trellises for the front of the house! It was a really simple one-day project that is super beginner-friendly, so today I’m walking you through it.
How to Build a Trellis: Video Tutorial
Here’s a video that shows you every step of the process. I’ve got more details down below, if you’re a reader, but this video gives you a good idea of how simple it is to build your own trellis!
Easy DIY Lattice Trellis
Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty! Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for this simple lattice trellis.
Material Needed
Amounts listed below are for one trellis. I was building two, so I doubled it! Also, I was working with a narrow area so I used 2′ wide trellis boards. They also sell them in 4′ widths, so you can grab whichever one you need and cut it down, if necessary!
- (3) 1×2 pressure treated boards
- (1) 2×8 trellis panel
- Wood glue
- 18-gauge nail gun + 1″ nails
- Stain (and optional, paint sprayer)
- Miter saw
- Circular saw (or a hand saw works, too!)
How to Build a Lattice Trellis
I started by cutting 6″ off of two of my 1×2 boards. This was due to the height of our roof line – if you have a taller roof, you can absolutely make your trellis taller! I mitered the edges of my boards so that they fit together perfectly, but if you’d rather just leave the edges straight, you can do that too.
Cut a piece of the 1×2 with mitered edges to be 25″ long (from the longest edge). Add wood glue to the ends and place it in-between the two long boards. Use your nail gun to drive a 1″ nail into the corners to help hold everything in place while it dries.
Then, cut one more piece of 1×2 (with straight edges this time) to fit between the two boards and complete the frame. Add wood glue and use a clamp to attach it 12″ up from the bottom of the long sides.
Note: if this is clear as mud, I recommend watching the video above, as it should make it much easier to follow!
With your frame built, you can cut your lattice board to fit (using either a circular saw or a hand saw) and then use your nail gun to attach all the way around. I simply placed one nail in each place the lattice board overlapped the frame.
Finally, you’re ready to paint or stain! You could leave it plain, but staining and sealing it will help it look great longer. I used this stain + spar urethane combo! I highly recommend using a paint sprayer to stain or paint it, as lattice is a pain in the rear to paint by hand.
Once it’s all dry, lean your trellis up against the house (you can dig down into the dirt a bit and “bury” it to help it be more stable) and plant your vines!
Budget Breakdown
This is a super budget-friendly project. I already had the tools and wood glue on hand, so I just spent about $50 on the materials for two trellises.
- 1×2 boards (5 at about $3 each): $15
- 2×8 lattice boards (2 at $17 each): $34
Total (for 2 trellises): $49
It’ll be a bit more expensive if you need to grab wood glue or nails, but not much!
What to Grow on a Trellis
I went with Star Jasmine for my lattice trellises. I haven’t planted it before but I love the white flowers it produces and I wanted to try it out. My other favorite vine to plant is a Tangerine Beauty Crossvine. We had them at our last house (p!) and it’s also what I planted in the back. They’re fast-growing, hardy, and produce gorgeous flowers.
Other great options to grow on your trellis include:
- Climbing roses
- Clematis
- Honeysuckle
- Passion flower
I’m so excited to watch these trellises fill in over the next few years. My goal is to eventually build a small pergola over the garage door so they can grow across the front of the house! But, it’ll be a while before that’s necessary. So, for now, I’m just going to enjoy this new setup.