Easy How To Make A Garden Pyramid

• 3 identical boards, each about 3 feet long (the ones pictured are 34 inches long) FYI: in lumber yards, boards called 2 by 4s are actually 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
• Exterior paint or shellac
• A drill with a 1/8 inch bit - large enough for your twine or wire to pass through
• One piece of twine or wire about 2 feet long
• Wire cutters or scissors
• Optional: 3 tent stakes and 3 pieces of twine or wire about 12 inches long

1. Clean or sand the boards.

2. Drill a small hole centered in one end of each board about 1 inch from the end.

[Optional: also drill a similar hole at the other end of all boards if you will need to put wire through to a stake in order to secure the sculpture to the ground.]

3. Paint or shellac as beautifully as you’d like; allow to completely dry for at least 24 hours.

4. Prop the 3 boards up in a pyramid with the connector hole end at the top. Lace the wire/twine through one hole and continue to lace through the hole in the next board. Then lace the wire through the last board. Pull it tightly like a purse string being closed. Twist or knot it to hold the sculpture in place.

5. Place in desired spot in your vegetable garden, flower garden, or lawn.

[Stake into ground if needed.]

I am a “dumpster diver,” a “garbage picker,” a thrift shop shopper. Ok, I do not poke around through my neighbors’ trash cans, but if a piece of broken furniture or lumber is sitting out for the next morning’s garbage collection, I feel that it is free for the taking. That is the way I obtained three pieces of weather-treated lumber from a discarded picnic table set out for trash collection. However, you could easily use any lumber because the painting or shellacking will weather-proof it.

I can easily imagine these posts further decorated with nailed-on ornaments, reflectors, or streamers, depending on one’s tastes. Also, if this is a family project with children, who knows what great ideas they will have to add to the creation. Additionally, some people might want to attach driftwood, decals, or other materials.

For those who grow flowers or vegetables requiring staking, this pyramid structure serves very well as a framework around which to tie tender, floppy stems.

This was a no-cost sculpture for me, because I owned many cans of paints, wire, and all the necessary tools. Since I found the pressure-treated lumber, I was set.

Whether or not you are similarly stocked, this is not an expensive project. I hope that you enjoy it.