diy mini trellis for potted plants

DIY Mini Trellis Ideas for Potted Plants

Adding a mini trellis to a potted plant is an excellent way to provide support for climbing vines and trailing varieties. Mini trellises are the perfect size for houseplants or smaller outdoor containers. With just a few simple and inexpensive materials, you can create cute DIY trellises to beautifully display potted plants.

Benefits of Mini Trellises for Potted Plants

Mini trellises offer both form and function for container plants

• Provides support for thin vines to climb upwards. This allows the plant to grow taller and prevents sagging.

• Keeps top-heavy plants from toppling over by providing an anchor point to cling to.

• Elevates low-growing trailers and cascaders to showcase them better. Gets these plants up off the ground.

• Creates an anchor for plants to latch aerial roots onto. Certain vining plants grow these to attach to supports.

• Adds decorative interest to plain pots. The trellis becomes an attractive design feature.

Ivy, philodendrons, pothos, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other plants can be grown on mini trellises. Make sure the trellis is the right size and height for your plant and pot.

Easy DIY Materials for Mini Trellises

Many household items can be repurposed into small trellises:

• Twigs, branches, bamboo – Cut into short stakes or tied into tepees

• Floral wire, pipe cleaners – Twist into shapes

• Popsicle sticks, craft sticks – Glue into lattice shapes

• Twine, jute, raffia – Wrap around stakes

• Old utensils, cutlery – Bend into shapes

• Egg cartons, berry baskets – Cut apart to make lattice

For use outside, pick materials that won’t get damaged by the weather, like bamboo, metal, and woods like birch or redwood. Indoors, anything goes – get creative repurposing household items!.

Creative Ways to Make Mini Trellises

Here are some fun and easy DIY ideas for mini trellises for potted plants:

Simple Bamboo Tripod
Gather 3 bamboo sticks or wooden dowels of equal length. Arrange them into a teepee shape. Use jute twine to bind the tops together. Push the ends directly into the potting mix.

Metal Wire Coil
Wrap flexible wire, like florist wire, around a cylinder like a jar to create a loose coil shape. Make the coils open enough for vines to thread through. Poke the wire ends into the soil to secure.

Chopstick Ladder
Hot glue or wire chopsticks, skewers, or popsicle sticks horizontally across short bamboo posts. The rungs create a ladder effect perfect for delicate vines.

Twisted Wire Arch
Bend and twist flexible wire into a freestanding arch shape. Place the ends into the potting mix or affix to the container sides with floral putty.

Fork Trellis Panel
Hot glue the tines of plastic forks back-to-back to form a lattice panel. Prop up against a stake in the pot or lean against the pot’s rim.

Picture Frame Grid
Reuse mini picture frames by removing the glass and backing. Hot glue them together into a geometric grid that provides vines with square openings to climb through.

Garden Staple Loops
Hammer u-shaped garden staples into wooden chopsticks positioned vertically around the inside of pots. The metal loops make perfect anchors for tendrils to grip.

Twig Obelisk
Tie three twigs or branches together at the top using twine to create a tall obelisk shape. Place the base ends a few inches apart in the potting mix.

Paddle Pop Sticks
Weave craft sticks or paddle pop sticks into a diamond pattern. Lean the lattice piece against a short dowel stuck in the potting mix.

Get creative with materials you already have to make inexpensive mini trellises that perfectly suit your potted plants! The options are endless.

Helpful Tips for Mini DIY Trellises

• Make sure the trellis is proportional to the pot size so it doesn’t overwhelm or look undersized.

• For outdoor trellises, use weatherproof materials that won’t degrade in the elements.

• Securely anchor the trellis in the potting mix so it stays upright and doesn’t blow over.

• Give young vines guidance by gently winding them around the trellis until they attach on their own.

• Consider painting the trellis a bright color to contrast beautifully with green foliage.

• If using found sticks, bake or soak them first to kill off any bugs or diseases.

• Periodically inspect the trellis for damage and make repairs as needed to keep it functional.

• For a living trellis, use branches that root easily in water like pussy willow or forsythia.

Mini trellises are simple, inexpensive DIY projects that add beauty and functionality to potted plants. Let your creativity run wild dreaming up ways to fashion cute trellises from materials you already have at home. Soon you’ll have thriving climbers and trailers showcased on their very own unique trellis masterpieces!