- 1). Find suitable wood for your arbor posts on your property or that of a friend. Look for six sticks 3 to 4 inches in diameter and branches or saplings that are straight and measure approximately 8 to 9 feet tall, depending upon how tall you want the sides of your arbor to be. You will also need sticks that are 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Strip the bark off with a knife to give your posts a finished appearance, or leave the bark on the sticks for a more rustic look. Cut two of the sticks in half with a jigsaw and lay them to the side for the top framing of your arbor. - 2). Mark the post locations for your arbor, positioning them in a 4-foot-square area for a basic arbor. Dig a hole 18 to 24 inches deep hole for each arbor post, using available tools, such as a posthole digger or shovel. Insert the first branch post into one of the holes in the ground and tamp the dirt around the base of the post to secure it in place. Repeat this process for each of the remaining three arbor posts.
- 3). Nail the four top framing sticks to the arbor posts to create a square along the top of your arbor. Position the ends of one framing stick against the top ends of two of the posts and nail it into place. Repeat this process for each set of posts. Stagger the stick placement slightly, and allow the ends to overlap the posts to increase the support strength of the structure.
- 4). Create a side framework by laying additional sticks with 2-to-3-inch diameters between two of the posts. Position the sticks perpendicular to the posts, and lash or nail them in place. Leave approximately 6 inches between each horizontal stick to provide enough surface area for your plants to climb. Allow the ends to jut out approximately 2 inches to make your arbor look more rustic. Repeat this entire process on the opposite set of posts to create the sides of your arbor.
- 5). Lay 2-to-3-inch-diameter sticks across the top of the arbor, and nail them into place. Position the sticks approximately 3 to 6 inches apart, and lay them parallel to one another. Weave thin branches in and out between these sticks to create a more solid roof framework, if desired.
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