Garden Arbor Sample Info

Holy and The Arbor

The Loving Stitches Quilt Shop Stickware Sidewalk Arbor makes a tasteful addition to any garden setting. The arbor is 9ft tall, 8ft long, and tapers from a 4ft width at the sidewalk to a 3ft width at the 8ft cross brace. The arbor is made from maple structural members and willow branches for the arching top. The arbor takes its name from the Loving Stitches Quilt Shop at 7291 Red Arrow Highway, Stevensville, MI. The owner of the Quilt Shop, Holly Martin, is pictured with the arbor.

These Building Plans provide easy-to-follow directions to build your own sidewalk arbor, adjust the dimensions to fit your needs, and find building materials in the most environmental-friendly manner. It’s fun! Why not give it a try? Tools and materials needed are listed on the back side.

Overview

This section describes locating materials to build Stickware projects, techniques for joining members together, and adapting these basic plans to your particular needs. The sketches which are included in this pamphlet are straight line drawings. Remember that few natural items are straight or dimensionally consistent. These natural bends and crooks help give these projects their natural charm.

Locating and Preparing Materials

1. It is HIGHLY recommended to obtain building materials for Stickware construction in an environmental-friendly manner. Also, it is ESSENTIAL to get permission before taking or cutting material from property which you do not own. GET PERMISSION FIRST!!

2. The first place to find material is in brush piles. These can usually be found on farm land, municipal dumping areas, and in new subdivisions which are taking over wooded areas. In most cases, these materials are waiting to be burned and you will be allowed to take all you want, provided you don’t make a mess. Don’t forget to look for fallen trees and limbs in wooded areas.

3. Another good place for material is in overgrown wooded areas. The young trees grow straight, quickly - trying to reach the little available sunlight. These scrub saplings are often long and slender, with few branches - idea for Stickware. Also, their removal will generally not impact the mature trees. Make sure to leave some scrub saplings to eventually replace the mature trees.

4. Trimming mature trees is also a good place for material. Start with the dead branches and limbs. Also, look for sucker growth at the base of mature trees and double (multiple) trunks or limbs. Often, these extra items can be removed for Stickware and the mature tree is much healthier in the process. Make sure any trimmings are a small percentage of the total remaining tree, otherwise, too much trimming can kill a healthy tree.

5. Materials can be prepared by trimming off the leaves and smaller branches. Make sure any trimmings are placed in a compost area or other suitable location.

6. It’s a good idea to get raw materials which are a foot or more longer than needed for a finished project. Trimming may be required to square ends and to match other members. In most projects, extra length can be trimmed after final assembly.

7. When planning material, cut your largest members first. Usually, any extra length can be used for braces or that next project.

Joining Members Together

There are only three basics to remember in making a screwed joint:

1. Drill completely through the SMALLER of the two members to be joined to make a good joint and to avoid splitting.

2. Select a screw length which will penetrate into the larger member a depth roughly equal to the diameter of the smaller member.

3. Sometimes a screw tip will extend all the way through the larger member. If it protrudes just a little, file or grind off the excess. If the screw protrudes more than 1/4" - or if it starts to protrude and the screw is more than 1/4" from being all the way in, back the screw out and select a shorter screw.

Construction Details

Overview

Two side sections will be made by joining three uprights and an upper and lower horizontal. Each of the intersections of the sticks will be braced.

Steps

1. Establish a flat work area which will accommodate the assembled width and height of the side section. A patio block area works best in that the lines of the blocks provide useful work lines.

2. Lay out flat the three uprights (blue sticks) as follows:

A. Place the left one on the left side of your flat work area

B. Place the right one on the right side of your flat work area, at a distance equal to your desired width. A temporary piece of tape or a chalk mark on the flat work area can help identify alignment points.

C. Place the middle upright half way between the left and right sides

D. Adjust what will become the bottoms of the three uprights in a straight line, so the side section will stand properly

3. Lay the top horizontal across the three uprights. Drill and screw the top horizontal to the left upright at the desired height. To avoid splitting, be sure to allow about 2" of overlap with each member.

4. Align the right side of the top horizontal on the right upright. Make sure the intersection is the same distance from the bottom of the upright. Allowing for overlap, drill and screw the horizontal to the right upright.

5. Make sure the bottom of the middle upright is in line with the bottoms of the left and right uprights. Also, make sure the middle upright is parallel to the left and right uprights. Drill and screw the horizontal to the middle upright. Due to the shape of the horizontal, the intersection point on the middle upright may not be at the same height as the left and right uprights - this is OK.

6. Lay the lower horizontal across the three uprights, about half way between the base of the uprights and the top horizontal.

7. Allowing for about 2" of end overlap, drill and screw the lower horizontal to the left upright, then the right upright, then the middle upright.

8. After one last check that the bases of the uprights are in a straight line and the uprights are perpendicular to their base lines, drill and screw to add braces to each intersection. Refer to the sketches on the previous page. Braces should have at least 2" of overlap. Note that the middle upright is braced in both directions. A total of 8 braces will be added to each side. The lower braces connect 12" below the horizontal and 12" from the upright. The upper braces use 8" in both directions.

9. After the 8 braces have been added (and your completed side section looks like the sketch), stand the completed side section and set it aside.

10. Repeat steps #2 - #9 for the second side section.
Placement of Side Sections

Overview

Each side section will be arranged in its intended final location. The sides will be aligned with the sidewalk (or path), leveled, aligned to each other, and staked in place. Several sets of helping hands are useful for these steps.

Steps

1. Take a moment to think about what you want your finished arbor to look like. Have helpers hold the two sides in their intended final locations. Experiment with size of the opening at the end and the amount the two sides will lean in toward each other. Stand back while others hold the side sections in the desired positions to get an overall view of the structure and how it harmonizes with the things around it. It will be REALLY HARD to change your mind once the sides are staked in place! Also, it’s a good idea to think ahead about leveling and matching the two sides - will you dig out the high spots or fill in the low spots (or both)?

2. Stand one side unit along the walkway (don’t worry about lean-in for now) with the horizontals outside. Adjust the uprights to be about the same distance from the edge of the walkway.

3. Using a level (or good eye) adjust the side to be level from front to back. You may need to dig out some ground or place a brick under an upright, depending on the contours of your land.

4. Caution: Ensure there are no underground utilities in the area where stakes will be driven. Take the time to make sure!

Stake the three uprights by pounding in tent stakes at the base of the three uprights. For better holding power, angle the stakes at an opposite angle to the upright. Drill a hole through the base of the uprights for a tie down wire. Drill the holes about 2" above the ground. Run galvanized tie down wire through the hole in the upright and around the head of the stake. Twist the wire securely. Tap the stake down a little more until the hold down wire is snug.

5. Repeat step #2 for the second side section.

6. Repeat step #3 for the second section, HOWEVER, you will ALSO need to match the second section to the first. Using a level (or good eye), compare the ends of the lower horizontals. Raise or lower the second section to match the first which was staked in place.

7. Stake the second section in place by repeating step #4.
Final Assembly

Overview

In this section, the two side sections will be connected to each other and braced to form a sturdy, free-standing structure.

Steps

1. At one end of the arbor, rest a cross piece on top of the top horizontals. Lean the two side sections toward each other to achieve the desired top width. Drill and screw the cross piece to each of the two uprights. This sets the width but does NOT create a stable structure without bracing.

2. Prepare the end braces by drilling and screwing both of them to the uprights, 2ft below the top horizontal. Do not attach the upper ends yet.

3. Using a plumb bob (or good eye) adjust the lean of the two sides until they are equal. A plumb bob hanging from the center of the cross piece should be centered over the walkway.

4. Drill and screw the upper ends of the braces to the cross piece, 12" in from the upright. Allow at least 2" of the brace to run above the cross piece, although the length may be allowed to continue and touch (or even cross) the top of the other brace.

5. Repeat steps #1 - #4 for the middle sets of uprights.

6. Repeat steps #1- #4 for the remaining set of uprights at the other end.

7. The final structural members are two diagonal braces. The sketch on the right shows a view from below the arbor. The green lines are the top horizontals and the orange lines are the cross pieces. Add two diagonal braces as indicated by the magenta colored lines. Drill and screw them to the top horizontals for stability.

Caring For Your Arbor

Your Loving Stitches Quilt Shop Stickware Sidewalk Arbor should give you years of enjoyment and faithful service. Due to the aging of Stickware materials, the loading of vegetation, and the effects of weather, items of your arbor may break from year to year. Since power screws and wires were used in construction, broken items are usually easy to replace. You can help prolong the life of your arbor by limiting the weight of vegetation allowed to grow on it and by replacing any individual broken member.

If you decide to move your arbor to another location, you must first clear off all vegetation. Then remove the wire which anchors the arbor to the tent stakes. Remove the tent stakes as well. Using plenty of helping hands, slowly raise the entire arbor, then carefully shuffle along to the new location. Try to hold the arbor steady during the move. Once in its new home, level the unit and stake the uprights.

Ornamental Arch Top (Optional)

Overview

An arching top can be added to give the arbor a rounded look on the top and a fuller looking side. This detail is ornamental, does not provide any structural strength for the unit, and is therefore optional. As indicated by the Materials List, the members selected for the Ornamental Arch Top should be very limber and easily bent. Willow is suggested.

Steps

1. Attach the bottom of a limber arch member to the lower horizontal, just inside the attachment point for the brace. Allow for 1" overlap and drill and screw in place.

2. Attach the top of the limber arch member to the top horizontal, keeping the same distance from the upright. This will normally place this connection outside the top braces which were done with an 8" lateral offset. Drill and screw in place, allowing at least 3ft to extend above the top horizontal.

3. Repeat steps #2 and #3 to add arch members at the remaining braces of the lower horizontals on both side sections.

4. Add one additional limber arch member to the horizontals, half way between the uprights.

5. Position a step ladder at one end of the arbor. Bend the limber arch members from opposite sides until they cross each other. Bend a 4" length of galvanized wire around the two members to hold them together. Before wrapping the wire too tightly, slide the members through the wire to place the joint above the center of the cross piece, with the desired amount of arch.

6. Bend the over-run from one member to lay alongside the opposite member. Secure with another length of 4" galvanized wire about half way along the arch. Trim off any remaining over-run. Repeat the process for the other limber arch member. This should complete the arch at one end of the arbor.

7. Measure the height of the top of the arch in relation to the cross piece. You will need to match this at the opposite end of the arbor.

8. Repeat steps #5 and #6 at the opposite end of the arbor. When adjusting the members, remember to set the height of the arch to match the height measured at the first end.

9. Tie a string from the top of the arch at the opposite ends and stretch taught to form a work line for the remaining arches.

10. Form the arch at the middle uprights, using the techniques previously described and paying attention to the string work line.

11. Form the remaining two middle arch members as before. Remove the string.

12. Your arbor is now finished!

Adapting Basic Layouts

Adjusting the basic layout happens much as you might expect. If a shorter or taller arbor is desired, make your adjustment in the length of the uprights. Adjusting the width can be done by adjusting the base at the ground and the length of the cross piece.

The length of the arbor is a bit more challenging. As illustrated by the sketch on page 2, this Building Plan makes an 8ft long arbor. This is controlled by the length of the horizontals. To make a shorter arbor, reduce the length of the horizontals. To make a longer arbor, extend the length of the horizontals. For REALLY LONG walkway arbors, add additional uprights every 4ft or so.

Try other adjustments to personalize your arbor. Consider allowing the cross pieces to over-run by a foot or more for hanging birdhouses. The arbor is just sticks and power screws - so try some ideas this month and try something different next month. Experiment. Have FUN!

Materials Needed

Building material colors match the color code on the sketches

Lengths assume a straight member, diameters are approximations

6 - Uprights - 8ft long, 2" diameter tapering to 1" diameter

2 - Lower Horizontals, 8ft long, 1-1/2" diameter tapering
to 3/4" diameter

2 - Upper Horizontals, 8ft long, 1-1/2" diameter tapering
to 3/4" diameter

3 - Cross Pieces , 3-1/2ft long, 1" diameter

6 - End Braces , 4ft long, 1" diameter tapering to 3/4" diameter

2 - Top Section Diagonal Braces, 4ft long, 1" diameter tapering
to 3/4" diameter

Side Section Bracing , 20ft total, 3/4" diameter, in lengths of 1ft (top braces) and 18" (lower braces)

Optional Arch Top - 12 lengths, 7ft long, 3/4" tapering to nearly nothing, use limber material like willow or a fresh-cut member which can be bent. 8ft length of string for layout.

Galvanized Power Screws:

1-1/4" (about 50) 2" (about 25) 3" (about 12)

6 - Tent Stakes , at least 10" long

Galvanized Wire

For the Tent Stakes hold down wire - 6 pieces, each 1ft long

For the Optional Arch Top - 18 pieces, each 4" long

Tools Needed

Saw

Measuring Tape

Phillips Screwdriver (or comparable power tool)

Electric Drill with a 1/8" bit

Metal file or grinder

Step Ladder

Level (or a good eye)

Plumb Bob (or a good eye)

A couple of really good friends to help

Bluebird Meadows of Stevensville, Michigan

Loving Stitches Quilt Shop Stickware Sidewalk Arbor Building Plans (Bluebird Meadows is pleased to provide the following complete text of our Arbor Building Plans for FREE)

1. It is HIGHLY recommended to obtain building materials for Stickware construction in an environmental-friendly manner. Also, it is ESSENTIAL to get permission before taking or cutting material from property which you do not own. GET PERMISSION FIRST!!

5. Materials can be prepared by trimming off the leaves and smaller branches. Make sure any trimmings are placed in a compost area or other suitable location.

6. It’s a good idea to get raw materials which are a foot or more longer than needed for a finished project. Trimming may be required to square ends and to match other members. In most projects, extra length can be trimmed after final assembly.

7. When planning material, cut your largest members first. Usually, any extra length can be used for braces or that next project.

There are only three basics to remember in making a screwed joint:

1. Drill completely through the SMALLER of the two members to be joined to make a good joint and to avoid splitting.

2. Select a screw length which will penetrate into the larger member a depth roughly equal to the diameter of the smaller member.

Construction Details

1. Establish a flat work area which will accommodate the assembled width and height of the side section. A patio block area works best in that the lines of the blocks provide useful work lines.

2. Lay out flat the three uprights (blue sticks) as follows:

A. Place the left one on the left side of your flat work area

B. Place the right one on the right side of your flat work area, at a distance equal to your desired width. A temporary piece of tape or a chalk mark on the flat work area can help identify alignment points.

C. Place the middle upright half way between the left and right sides

D. Adjust what will become the bottoms of the three uprights in a straight line, so the side section will stand properly

3. Lay the top horizontal across the three uprights. Drill and screw the top horizontal to the left upright at the desired height. To avoid splitting, be sure to allow about 2" of overlap with each member.

4. Align the right side of the top horizontal on the right upright. Make sure the intersection is the same distance from the bottom of the upright. Allowing for overlap, drill and screw the horizontal to the right upright.

6. Lay the lower horizontal across the three uprights, about half way between the base of the uprights and the top horizontal.

7. Allowing for about 2" of end overlap, drill and screw the lower horizontal to the left upright, then the right upright, then the middle upright.

9. After the 8 braces have been added (and your completed side section looks like the sketch), stand the completed side section and set it aside.

10. Repeat steps #2 - #9 for the second side section.

2. Stand one side unit along the walkway (don’t worry about lean-in for now) with the horizontals outside. Adjust the uprights to be about the same distance from the edge of the walkway.

3. Using a level (or good eye) adjust the side to be level from front to back. You may need to dig out some ground or place a brick under an upright, depending on the contours of your land.

4. Caution: Ensure there are no underground utilities in the area where stakes will be driven. Take the time to make sure!

5. Repeat step #2 for the second side section.

6. Repeat step #3 for the second section, HOWEVER, you will ALSO need to match the second section to the first. Using a level (or good eye), compare the ends of the lower horizontals. Raise or lower the second section to match the first which was staked in place.

7. Stake the second section in place by repeating step #4.

1. At one end of the arbor, rest a cross piece on top of the top horizontals. Lean the two side sections toward each other to achieve the desired top width. Drill and screw the cross piece to each of the two uprights. This sets the width but does NOT create a stable structure without bracing.

2. Prepare the end braces by drilling and screwing both of them to the uprights, 2ft below the top horizontal. Do not attach the upper ends yet.

3. Using a plumb bob (or good eye) adjust the lean of the two sides until they are equal. A plumb bob hanging from the center of the cross piece should be centered over the walkway.

4. Drill and screw the upper ends of the braces to the cross piece, 12" in from the upright. Allow at least 2" of the brace to run above the cross piece, although the length may be allowed to continue and touch (or even cross) the top of the other brace.

5. Repeat steps #1 - #4 for the middle sets of uprights.

6. Repeat steps #1- #4 for the remaining set of uprights at the other end.

Caring For Your Arbor

Ornamental Arch Top (Optional)

1. Attach the bottom of a limber arch member to the lower horizontal, just inside the attachment point for the brace. Allow for 1" overlap and drill and screw in place.

3. Repeat steps #2 and #3 to add arch members at the remaining braces of the lower horizontals on both side sections.

4. Add one additional limber arch member to the horizontals, half way between the uprights.

6. Bend the over-run from one member to lay alongside the opposite member. Secure with another length of 4" galvanized wire about half way along the arch. Trim off any remaining over-run. Repeat the process for the other limber arch member. This should complete the arch at one end of the arbor.

7. Measure the height of the top of the arch in relation to the cross piece. You will need to match this at the opposite end of the arbor.

8. Repeat steps #5 and #6 at the opposite end of the arbor. When adjusting the members, remember to set the height of the arch to match the height measured at the first end.

9. Tie a string from the top of the arch at the opposite ends and stretch taught to form a work line for the remaining arches.

10. Form the arch at the middle uprights, using the techniques previously described and paying attention to the string work line.

11. Form the remaining two middle arch members as before. Remove the string.

12. Your arbor is now finished!

Adjusting the basic layout happens much as you might expect. If a shorter or taller arbor is desired, make your adjustment in the length of the uprights. Adjusting the width can be done by adjusting the base at the ground and the length of the cross piece.

Try other adjustments to personalize your arbor. Consider allowing the cross pieces to over-run by a foot or more for hanging birdhouses. The arbor is just sticks and power screws - so try some ideas this month and try something different next month. Experiment. Have FUN!

Loving Stitches Quilt Shop
Stickware Sidewalk Arbor
Building Plans
(Bluebird Meadows is pleased to provide the following
complete text of our Arbor Building Plans for FREE)