Create a Unique Altar Trellis for Your Wedding Day

If you are planning an outdoor wedding, then a shabby chic or vintage theme for outdoor wedding decorations will look beautiful in a backyard or garden setting. Many of the things needed for this setting are things that can easily be obtained at flea markets and estate auctions. This outdoor wedding altar trellis will transport your outdoor wedding to another time using an old iron bed and salvaged porch posts for a one-of-a-kind decoration. It can be used in your garden after the ceremony by placing a bench under it for a quiet reading nook.

Old iron bed
2 reclaimed porch posts
8 tube strap plumbing pipe clamps, 1 inch
Miter saw
Hack saw
Drill with small bit and screwdriver bit
1 1/2 inch wood screws
Measuring tape
White house paint
Paint brush
6 greenery and rose garlands, 6 feet long
Craft wire

1 Find the center of the iron bed foot board and mark vertically down the middle. Cut the foot board in half at this mark using a hack saw. This will give you two gate-like pieces that will be used for the sides of your altar trellis. Measure and cut the reclaimed porch posts six feet long.

2 Lay a porch post on the ground and place a cut foot board half along side it. The cut ends of the foot board should stand on the ground and the leg of the foot board should be even with the bottom of the porch post. Place a tube strap pipe clamp over the top cut bar of the foot board and against the porch post. Drill small pilot holes in the porch post through the holes in the clamp. Place wood screws in the holes and attach the clamp to the post. Place a tube strap pipe clamp over the bottom cut bar of the foot board and against the porch post. Attach the clamp in the same way. Repeat for the other foot board and porch post.

3 Lay the headboard over the top end of the porch posts as they lay parallel to each other. The entire length of the legs on the headboard will overlap the top of the posts. Attach a tube strap over the leg of the headboard at the top and front of a porch post and another tube strap over the bottom end of the leg. Attach the other leg to the top of the other porch post in the same way. Set the altar trellis up and open the attached foot board halves at a 45 degree angle to balance the trellis so that it stands on it's own.

4 Paint the entire trellis with white house paint and allow to dry.

5 Cut several six inch lengths of craft wire. Starting at the top center of the altar trellis, drape and wind the greenery rose garland around the headboard, down one post and around one foot board. Attach it in random areas with the cut craft wire. Repeat for the other side of the altar trellis.

Tips
To complete the shabby chic look, place bouquets of roses in several large urns on both sides of the aisle.