How to Use a Bed Frame as a Trellis

Clematis vines climbing an old bed frame will turn it into a colorful garden feature.

Instead of tossing an old bed frame into the trash, where it will end up in a landfill, recycle it into an attractive garden feature. Convert the frame into a simple trellis. Covered with vines, this piece of junk furniture becomes an object of beauty. Install the bed frame trellis in an area of the garden where you need an archway to accent a flower bed. Use it as a framework for growing pole beans or tomato vines. This reused piece of household furniture will add an unusual touch to your garden while being practical at the same time.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Shovel
• Concrete reinforcement bar
• Hammer
• Galvanized wire
• Wire cutters
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Measure the shortest dimension of the bed frame. Dig a 1-foot-deep trench the same length as the frame's short dimension, plus an extra 2 inches at either end.

2. Drive a 4-foot length of concrete reinforcement bar into the ground inside the trench at each end. Use a hammer to pound the rebar 6 inches deep into the soil. The embedded rebar should extend 2-1/2 feet above the top of the trench.

3. Cut four 2-foot lengths of galvanized wire. Wrap the center of a wire piece twice around each rebar, 6 inches down from the top of the bar. Wrap the remaining two wire pieces around each of the rebars, 1-1/2 feet down from the top.

4. Set the shorter end of the bed frame in the trench so the frame stands upright. Wrap the loose ends of the wire attached to the rebar around the frame. Twist the wire together once. Wrap the remaining wire around both the rebar and frame, twisting after each wrap to secure the bar and frame together.

5. Fill in the trench with dirt. Tamp the soil down firmly with your foot after the trench is half full and again when it is completely full. Soak the trench with water and let it sit for a week for the dirt to settle. Fill in any sunken areas with more dirt and tamp down firmly.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more colorful trellis, spray-paint the bed frame before installing it.

• Some vines that climb by twining or tendrils may have difficulty attaching to the metal bed frame trellis. Loosely tie those types of vines to the trellis with soft cloth strips until the vine has matured sufficiently to envelop the frame as a support.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Arbor, Trellis or Pergola - What's in Your Garden?
• Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service: Annual and Perennial Vines