Trellis Planter DIY

Sep 11, 2019 · Modified: Mar 23, 2025 by Vikkie Lee · This post may contain affiliate links · 531 Comments

Here I show you how I made a planter to sit under my latest fan trellis. However, it didn't look great with my plant's round plastic plaster. So I made this trellis planter using wood leftover from previous projects.

For a while, my husband had been asking me to make some trellis to tidy up the old garage doorway. It had been bricked up by the previous owners, but they hadn't blended in the new bricks with the rest.

And once I had made and installed my new trellis, it was so nice. So much in fact, the round plastic flower pot didn't do it any justice.

So I decided to ditch the two pots and make a nicer one, but out of offcuts in my garage.

WHAT PLANTS CAN I USE FOR TRELLIS?

Here, you can see how I used two Clematis plants to trail up my trellis. Mine blossom with a pretty pale pink but they come in many other colours.

Other trailing plants you could use are:

Ivy
Wisteria
Honeysuckle
Espalia
Campsis
Pyracantha
Virginia Creeper
Mandevilla
Many food varieties
And more

It's worth noting that some prefer to grow annual plants so when they die, they can treat the trellis each year before planting flowers again.

WHAT I USED TO MAKE A TRELLIS PLANTER

Wood - refer to cutting list below
Evolution mitre saw (gifted) or hand saw
Evolution stand
Speed square
Pencil
Tape measure
Combi drill
Trend pocket hole jig
Coarse screws for pocket hole jig
Waterproof wood glue
Clamps
Hammer
25mm finishing nails
Jigsaw
Bag for life - weave style
Scissors
Staple gun

TRELLIS PLANTER CUTTING LIST

Please only see cutting list as a guide. When using saws and circular saws, often your measurements will then be reduced by 1 or 2mm.

Also, when cutting trim, I personally would only use the 8.5cm wide if you have enough. The reason mine are different sizes is because I only used what I had left to clear my garage.

As for the OSB, you may prefer to use plywood instead, but ideally purchase pressure treated timbers. If not, you will need to preserve with a wood preservative to protect from the elements and top up once a year at least.

WHAT WOOD SHOULD I USE?

If you want to build something to last, then it is best to use pressure treated timber. However, if like me and you are using off cuts left from previous projects, it will need treating with a preservative. Ideally, annually.

It's debatable, for example whether OSB is suitable as it is similar to chipboard. But I find it's great in damp conditions, so have treated with Ducksback which is water resistant.

Also, try to use woods where you avoid the end grain being exposed. Again, I break this rule and use up plywood cuts I have to prevent going out and buying more wood. For the face trim, a picket fence panel, like I used for the top frame would be ideal as I did on my dog kennel project.

HOW TO MAKE A PLANTER FOR TRELLIS

First, cut your trellis planter's internal frame using chop saw. The longest side of your frame should look like this, depending on how big you want it.

Note, my lower batten was 40mm from the base so I could treat them as feet.

Now lay the pieces for one of the longest sides.

Drill pocket holes for the two horizontal pieces. I made two holes at each end, but only one on of the sides.

To find out how to use set up the Trend pocket hole jig or use it, then you can watch from 1:49 here.

Then glue the cut ends with waterproof wood glue. However, I realised later that I used regular glue.

Oh well. We'll be covering the edges later.

Square up the corners and screw in the pocket holes.

Now start screwing the side pieces on which are also pocket holed.

Temporarily clamp it all together, ensuring square with a speed square. Then continue screwing before releasing the clamps.

Now to cut strips for the base. The trellis planter slats offer drainage with used with a weed control type weave fabric.

I could have cut OSB with notches for the corners. However, I had some wonky panels that were perfect as they'd be hidden.

To fix to the base, I just nailed down. I didn't use glue as I may find over time, I'll want to replace them, so didn't want to make it a struggle later.

originally, I was going to router the insides and nail some OSB panels inside the grooves. But because I didn't want to sacrifice any internal space, I opted for sketching around the frame to hammer around the outside.

After drawing around it with a pencil, I cut out with a jigsaw. I wasn't worried about being completely accurate as the raw edges would be covered with trim.

Then I decided to glue the panels on first to help prevent any soil pushing the panels away.

Next, I hammered on the panels around the sides with 25mm panel pins. Or finishing nails if you will.

For the trim, I used what I had enough of, which 20mm deep cut of 15mm thick plywood. However, I recommend using wider trim that's more than the thickness of your OSB and trim put together.

Otherwise and OSB cut will be visible, which is sloppy. So by the time I got to my next corner, I looked or alternative offcuts I had.

To get around this, I found a deeper off cut perfect for the remaining trim. However, not enough to rip the others off and make uniform.

I then glued and hammered in to place and cut to fit between the top and bottom trim.

To make the top, I then wanted to make a mitred lip. A bit like a picture frame. For this, I used old picket fence strips. Then the end off with my Evolution mitre saw at 45 degrees.

Next I measured how long my mitred piece should be, referring to the internal corners. Then cut the opposite end with a 45 degree end. I recommend triple checking your measurements for this.

To get my exact lengths, I marked the measurement I needed on a straight off cut. Then held it from my first mitre cut, then marked where my off cut ended and that's where my next mitre cut should start.

I tried gluing and clamping my top frame away from my trellis planter but it was all over the place.

Instead, I found it more useful gluing the lining up with my trellis planter first.

Then I put one nail in a corner, then moved on to the next piece so I could easily adjust as I go.

Note, these picket fence strips were previously stained from an old project.

To treat for all weather conditions, then I recommend treating with a wood preserver and leaving until dry before painting.

However, you can buy coloured preservers, but instead, I jumped straight Ducksback in Autumn Gold for efficiency and left to dry.

In an ideal world, I would have stained the trim sections first for contrast. But my husband wasn't keen on me going with all black. But the top trim breaks it up and looks stylish against my magnolia brick wall with trellis.

painting trellis planter with ducksback autumn gold

And since we're recycling what we have here, to line it, I reused an Asda bag for life! It was a weave style one and the exact size for my trellis planter.

However, it was too tall, so I cut slits in the corners with scissors to fold over.

slicing a bag for life as trellis plangter membrane

Then stapled to the inside of my trough planter with my Stanley stapler.

Now to take it outside and show it its new home! I had two clematis plants that I transferred in to my trellis planter.

And no, Hans isn't sniffing my bum(!) Sadly he had a poorly shoulder, standing funny but keeping close by for company. Poor thing 🙁

Now this was the tricky part! Detangling my clematis to then wrap around the trellis itself.

But with a few deep breaths, I got there in the end.

I can't wait to see how it blossoms over time!

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