Hey there Remodelaholics, and welcome to any new faces! We are so excited for this 2×4 and More week of projects because we have built a lot of things using inexpensive 2x4s and other structural lumber, so we love showing off the versatility of readily available lumber. Today we’re joining forces with some fellow DIY bloggers in a #2x4andMore Challenge to show the variety of projects you can build with basic boards — see all of the projects (and share yours) here or by scrolling to the bottom of this post, and be sure to subscribe by email or RSS and follow along over on Facebook and Instagram to see all of our 2×4 and More posts!
Two years ago my sister asked me to build her a garden arbor for her wedding reception. I recently realized that we have not blogged about it yet and this was the perfect week to talk about it.
When she asked me I thought that it would be a good challenge and a great gift for me to give to her for her wedding. I asked her what she wanted in an arbor design and she only had one small image that she liked. Here is the image that she gave me.
She trusted me and knew that I would be able to come up with something great. So I started to look at the current design to see how I could build it.
I started sketching my version and this is what I came up with. (We also built a similar style garden arbor and trellis here.)
As soon as I had a good idea of the design, I built a model in 3d to figure out how I was going to build it. One thing that I had to consider was building it in sections so I could transport it easily and rebuild it on site. It also had to be tall enough for them to stand under during the reception for greeting guests and for a good photo backdrop. I found that having a top and two side sections was to best option and corbels would end up holding it all together.
How to Build a Garden Arbor for a Wedding
Click here to get a free printable version of this building plan
Plans with dimensions:
Front View
Side View
Top View
Materials:
All pieces were made of redwood lumber purchased at our local hardware store.
- (3) 2x4x8 – Redwood (ripped down for the trellis pieces)
- (4) 4x4x8 – Redwood Posts
- (2) 2x8x8 – Redwood (for the corbels)
- (2) 2x6x10 – Redwood (beams)
- (4) Post Brackets (This is what we used to attach to deck. You will have to find out what would work best for your situation.)
- (50+) 2 1/2″ – Deck Screws
- (20+) 1 1/4″ – Deck Screws
- (1) Gal. – Stain ( I stained the pieces first then assembled it. Pick the color that works best for you.)
- Wood Glue (I used wood glue to hold the side trellis pieces together.
Cut List:
Sides
- (4) 96″x 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ – Posts
- (2) 60″ x 1 1/2″ x 1″ – Long Middle Trellis
- (4) 48″ x 1 1/2″ x 1″ – Short Side Trellis
- (4) 16″ x 1 1/2″ x 1″ – Trellis Brackets
- (2) 36″ x 5 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ – Top Side Bracket
Top Trellis and Corbels
- (2) 120″ x 5 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ – Beams
- (11) 24″ x 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ – Top Trellis
- (4) 32″ x 7 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ – Corbels
Tools Used:
- Circular saw
- Table saw (for ripping 2×4 trellis pieces to width)
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Saw horses
Construction Steps:
Cut Out All The Pieces
Start by cutting out all the pieces and shaping any ends. I started with the top trellis ends first. I sketched out the pattern on some card stock, cut out the pattern and transferred it on the ends of the 2×6 redwood. Once it was drawn on, I cut out the shape with a jigsaw.
Assemble the Side Sections
Assemble the Top Trellis Section
Assemble the Garden Arbor
Check out all of the other 2×4 and More Challenge posts here:
15 minute coffee table | The Ugly Duckling House
tiered corner plant stand | Charleston Crafted
single-board rolling bar cart | Woodshop Diaries
outdoor bench w/rope detail | At Charlotte’s House
wall planter and herb garden | Making Joy and Pretty Things
upholstered x-base bench | Frazzled Joy
jumbo tic tac toe | Ginger Snap Crafts
porch bench | Everyday Party Magazine
console table | Hertoolbelt
farmhouse patio table | North Country Nest
easy flower planters | Our House Now a Home
treadmill incline | Practical and Pretty
patio side table | Small Home Soul
Oh gosh… what a lovely project! So impressed you were able to keep track of all the angles… mine would have been completely off kilter. 🙂 Thanks for organized this fun challenge! xx
Thanks, Charlotte!
Your arbor is beautiful!
Thank you, Ginger!
This is so beautiful, it looks fantastic with snow on it. I’d love to have one of these on my side yard as it’s the perfect size for that space.
Thanks for hosting the challenge and giving me the courage to build my first piece of furniture 😀
Thanks for joining in, Toni! Your tables are wonderful!
What a beautiful project and what a special gift! I love it!
Thanks, Denise!
Such a creative idea! I love the garden arbor. Thanks for hosting the 2×4 challenge!
I’ll be getting started on this soon for my son’s wedding in September! Thanks for the great design and details!
You’re welcome! We’d love to see photos when you finish. https://www.remodelaholic.com/share-brag-post/
What color stain did you use and brand for the arch? Thank you!
I believe the brand was Thompson’s water seal acorn brown.
Are the plans for the garden arbor still available? Looking forward to building the arch for my son’s wedding next month. Thanks!
Hi Bob,
Yes, there’s a button/link below in the post — click that and enter your email, and we’ll send you the printable plans. (or you can click here 🙂 https://remodelaholic.lpages.co/leadbox/14019ed73f72a2%3A10b2bf937f46dc/5735049026600960/)
Enjoy! We’d love to see photos!
Thank you for sharing these plans. We are in the process of getting the materials to build this for our wedding and have a couple of questions. Are there 2x6x10’s that are needed but not included in the materials list? How long were the 2×4’s that you used? On the corbels, what is the length from point to point (lengthwise) and what is the length from the top of the board to the points at the bottom (the bottom of the arches)? Thank you for your help?
Jennifer, the 2x6x10’s are for the top trellis of 120″ long. I had some wrong numbers in the cut list that were confusing but I fixed them. The 2×4’s are for the top trellis pieces that you have to rip in half. The corbels are about 32″ long. Send us a photo after you get it done. We would love to see it. Sorry about the delayed reply.
This is a really good looking arbor, but there are some errors in your materials list and cut list. As a result there was another trip to the lumber yard for 3 2x6s. We had a finished product that was not a wide as your diagram as we didn’t figure it out until we had already made decorative cuts and didn’t want to pay for another pair of 2x6s of cedar, as they are spendy.
Suggestions:
The top trellis beams are 2×6 (5 1/2″ x 1 1/2) and are not included in the materials list. Although the beams are on the cut list and as (2) 96″ x 5 1/2″ x 1 1/2″, the diagram shows the top beams to be 120″.
The Top Side Brackets are also missing from the materials list which also would add a 2×6 (5 1/2″ x 1 1/2).
Thanks for pointing that out and sorry for the mix up! I’m excited you are building it. I would love to see pictures.
Hello, thank you for sharing all of your ideas/plans w/ us DIY’ers!
We are going to be building 2 of the arbors(w/ slight mods) for a rose garden. Looking at the plans it seems that the cut list has a typ-o. The “top trellis beams” need to be cut to 120″ not 96″. Based on your drawing, those beams measure 120″.
Thanks!
Thanks for the heads up I will fix that now.