Make your own garden obelisk

• One 4 x 4 fence post with finial, cut about 14" long
• Four 8' 2 x 2s for 93½" legs
• One 8' 2 x 4 for four 22" spreaders
• Four 4' pieces of ¼" x 1½" lath, perhaps rip-cut from a 2 x 4, for: four 17½" lower crosspieces, four 14" middle crosspieces, and four 10½" upper crosspieces
• Four 7' pieces of ¼" x 1" lath, perhaps rip-cut from 5⁄4 decking, for four long verticals
• Eight 5' pieces of ¼" x 1" lath for eight shorter verticals
• 1¼" and 2" decking or stainless-steel screws

Pro tip: The importance of pilot holes

Especially when you are working with ¼-inch lath, which splits easily, countersink your pilot holes. Pilot holes seem like a hassle, but are well worth the amount of time they require. Use a drill bit that is slightly narrower than the screw or nail. The pilot holes countersink the screws, so the heads sit perfectly flush with the board for a neater appearance.

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