How to Build a Copper Trellis
Build a copper trellis with soft copper tubing and copper wire to stand against your house, fence or garden wall. You can find all of the supplies needed to build a copper trellis that's 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide at your local home-improvement store. Hang crystal prisms, pieces of stained glass or other decorative objects from the center and sides of your trellis for added interest. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soft copper tubing
- Pipe cutter
- Measuring tape
- Drill
- Copper wire
- Wire cutters
- Needle-nose pliers
- 7 crystal prisms
Instructions
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1
Cut a 12-foot length of soft copper tubing. Straighten it so that it lies flat. Measure and place a mark 1 3/4 inches, 3 1/2 inches and 5 1/4 inches from one end. Repeat these measurements and marks from the opposite end.
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2
Drill ¼-inch holes at each of the marks you made in Step 1.
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3
Cut three 2 1/2-foot lengths of 12-gauge copper wire. Cut three 5 1/2 foot lengths of 12-gauge copper wire. You can use thicker or thinner wire if you like.
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4
Bend the copper tubing at the center in an even "U" shape that measures about 2 feet across. It's easy to bend soft copper tubing by hand, but you can also bend it around a 5-gallon bucket. Line up the holes on each side of the tubing.
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5
Insert a 2 1/2-foot length of copper wire through the top holes in the copper tubing. Leave an even amount of wire on each side of the tubing. Twist the overhanging wire in the center into a loop with large needle-nose pliers. Repeat on the other side.
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6
Insert two 2 1/2-foot lengths of copper wire through the remaining holes and loop the wire on the ends to form the trellis' horizontal wires.
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7
Attach a 5 1/2-foot length of wire, vertically, every 6 inches across the three horizontal wires. Fold one end of the wire over the top wire with needle-nose pliers to secure it in place.
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8
Cut six 5-inch strips of 20-gauge copper wire. Twist the 20-gauge wire strips around each intersection of the 12-gauge wires to hold them in place.
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9
Hang crystal prisms on each of the loops you made with the 12-gauge wire and in the center at the top of your trellis.
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Tips & Warnings
Copper gains a greenish patina over time that many people find desirable. You can apply a polyurethane finish to your copper tubing and wire to slow down the aging process if you like.
Wear safety gloves when cutting copper wire.
