Use these free plans to build a garden obelisk from wood. Painted in a bold colour, they are both a garden accent and perfect for supporting climbing vines.

We have more afternoon projects for beginners here: 32 Wood Projects for the Garden.

DIY Garden Obelisk

Overview

I built this obelisk using two sizes of lumber (2x2s and 1x2s). The top does not have the traditional pyramid top because I wanted a spot to place a flowerpot and garden art.

I covered the sides in chicken wire to give the watermelon plant’s tendrils something to grab onto.

While there are many ways to build obelisks, I encourage you to use a miter saw: either electric or manual. This enables you to easily cut angles that give the obelisk a more professional and finished appearance.

I understand if you do not have one available for use, but if a basic fear is holding you back, I’ve got a pep talk here for you: How to Get Comfortable with Power Tools (So You Can Make Cool Stuff).

Alternately, for this project you can use a hand saw with a miter box to guide your cuts.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to build your own obelisk and give some tips for keeping the construction process simple.

Materials

Total Lumber

2x2s – 51 feet total
1x2s – 37 feet total

If you want a pyramid top, you will need 59 feet of 2x2s (for an 8-foot obelisk), some scrap wood, and some sort of wooden ball or other topper.

Cuts

2×2 Vertical Wood Posts

(4) 2 x 2 x 6-feet (use 8-foot side pieces if you want a traditional pyramid top)

2×2 Horizontal Rails

(4) 2 x 2 x 24-inch
(4) 2 x 2 x 19.5-inch
(4) 2 x 2 x 13.5-inch

Do not cut the 1x2s until you have assembled the main structure with the 2x2s: the exact wood sizes you need may be slightly different than mine.

1×2 Design Pieces (Optional)

(8) 1 x 2 x 25-inch
(8) 1 x 2 x 22.5-inch

1×2 Top Frame

(2) 1 x 2 x 17-inch
(2) 1 x 2 x 14.75-inch

Tools

Miter saw – my favorite is sliding and dual bevel (lets you angle it in different directions, which is not necessary for this project, but great as you become more experienced with woodworking), and has a laser beam to show your cutting line.
- OR Wood saw with guide to cut 7-degree angles
Electric drill with 3/8″ drill bit for predrilling holes
Electric screwdriver (or drill with drive bit)
Tape measure
Pencil and ruler or square
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (for hiding screw holes- optional)
(32) 2.5-inch deck screws
(40) 2-inch deck screws
Carpenter’s wood glue & clamps
Wood stain or exterior primer and paint
Paint brush
Safety gear: ear protectors, eye protectors, work gloves, work apron
Chicken wire (optional) and stapler

Assembly

Garden obelisk building plan diagram with measurements. — Obelisk side diagram showing measurements and angles

1Cut Wood

Cut 2×2 pieces of wood as listed above. DO NOT cut the 1x2s yet: your measurements may need to be different than mine.

After cutting horizontal 2×2 rails—3 of each size: 24-inch, 19.5-inch, and 13.5-inch—trim the ends at 7-degree angles using a miter saw. The lengths listed are the longest (bottom) edges of the pieces.

Trim ends of horizontal rails with 7-degree cuts.

The end cuts are known as ‘not parallel’, because they both angle inward.

2Layout Wood

Layout all the pieces for your two main sides of the obelisk on the floor.

Each side consists of two 6-foot side posts and three different horizontal rails.

Follow this next diagram to mark where each horizontal rail goes. The distances between rails (in blue) are from the top edge of one rail to the bottom edge of the one above.

3Predrill Holes

Mark and predrill where you will be inserting screws. Predrilling holes with a drill bit smaller than the screws is essential: otherwise, the wood can split.

Diagram showing placement of screws through corner main posts. — Watch that you leave room for screws from both sides

Keep in mind that you will need to place two screws at each corner where two horizontal rails both attach to the same side post. To do this, don’t screw through the middle of each horizontal rail but instead place one screw head lower than the other.

Jig Option

You can also use a pocket hole jig to better conceal your screws.

Here’s how it works:

Use a Kreg jig tool to create hidden screw holes for a more finished look. — Pocket hole jig tool

This is one of my favorite tools. In the photo (above), you can see one of the horizontal rails sitting in the jig. A special drill bit is used to make an angled hole in the wood. Don’t worry, the jig guides it perfectly, so you just have to drill with no measuring required.

Here’s what the jig holes also called ‘pocket holes’ look like. They are actually like little tunnel through the wood, enabling you to drive a screw right through to an adjoining piece of wood. When these jig holes are located on the underside of the horizontal rails, they are not visible. Just a nice extra touch but not essential.

4Assemble Sides

Tip: Use Carpenter’s Glue

Use carpenter’s glue wherever you join wood with screws.

Hold in place with clamps until glue has set.

Now, with all your pieces ready and your holes predrilled, you can go ahead and assemble two identical side pieces.

Work from the bottom horizontal rail up (marked as 1 in the diagram above).

When screwing the pieces together, the ends of the horizontal rails should be nice and snug against the side posts, so there are no gaps. You can also use carpenter’s wood glue to further seal the deal.

5Add Horizontal Rails

With two main sides assembled, add the remaining 2×2 horizontal rails. This is the part where you’re glad you left room for the screws to go through the corner pieces into each of the side rails.

Assembling a diy obelisk for the garden. — Assembled obelisk frame

Tip: Measure as You Build

Once you have the basic structure made from the 2x2s, the rest is best done by measuring your obelisk to confirm exact lengths of 1x2s needed.

The simplest way to do this is to take lengths of wood and hold them against the area you need them and mark you cut lines with pencil.

6Add Decorative Details

Next comes the decorative details using 1×2 lumber. You will want to double-check the measurements needed before cutting your wood.

In the next photo, on the right side, you can see how I do V arrangements with the 1×2 wood. The top V is right side up, the lower V is upside-down)

To get the pieces right, I first marked the middle of each horizontal rail.

I then took some long pieces of 1×2 and measured it against the obelisk to mark exactly where cuts were needed for the pieces to fit between the horizontal rails, on an angle.

Preplan your screw hole locations and predrill them. As long as you sink your screw heads (drill until they are just below the wood surface), they will look fine. You can also use the pocket hole jig to attach these decorative pieces if desired. You know I love it.

Adding decorative details to wood obelisk with 1x2 lumber. — Assembled obelisk with decorative pieces added

If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see I also did a few X arrangements with the 1x2s. This requires additional lumber so stick to Vs if you prefer.

7Add Top Pieces

Add top pieces (see them in the next photo). Measure your obelisk at the top before cutting this wood to confirm what lengths you need.

I used two 17-inch 1x2s, and two 14.75-inch 1x2s.

I found these measures by holding a piece of 1×2 where I wanted it at the top of the structure and measuring the width of the obelisk plus two wood-widths extra. This allows enough length to sandwich the shorter pieces, forming a frame around the top of the obelisk.

8Stain or Paint

Stain or use exterior primer and paint.

Paint or stain the completed obelisk for use in the garden. — Painted wooden garden obelisk

Repeat as needed.

9Add Chicken Wire (Optional)

I added panels of chicken wire with a craft stapler so I could train a watermelon plant around the obelisk. The vine is held loosely in place with twine.

Strong wood obelisks are perfect for heavy vines like watermelon. — Watermelon vine growing on garden obelisk

10Add Top Decor (Optional)

Add a topper or decor.

Ideas include a flowerpot, watering cans, or a giant orb.

You can make a giant orb from wall-mounted metal hayrack planters like these ones:

Use four hayrack planters to create a giant garden orb. — Metal wall planters

I attach four of them together with cable ties. You can also add lights like this:

Here’s the obelisk in my garden with a flowerpot sitting on top:

Make a DIY wood garden obelisk for your garden. — Watermelon vine growing up obelisk

And two weeks later, the watermelon vine is looking very happy:

Garden obelisk with watermelon vine — Watermelon vine growing on chicken wire attached to obelisk

And the fruit is starting to form:

Watermelon fruit forming on vine. — Watermelon fruit forming on vine on garden obelisk

I hope you’ll make one for your garden. But remember, once you get into woodworking, it’s the gateway to many more creative projects.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

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How to Build a Wooden Garden Obelisk (Step-by-Step)