MAKING AN ENTRANCE

We all know how important an entrance is, the moment all eyes light on you as you walk into a room.  All holds true for how eyes view your home’s entrance when they arrive at your doorstep. Entrance Appeal. Some homes just naturally have it. Your home can have it with this lit Twig Trellis along with a few carefully placed items. It is just what your door needs to greet your guests or welcome you home. Take a little walk with nature and you too can have entrance envy of the neighborhood. Entrance Appeal. The house everyone looks for when they drive by. And all eyes will be on your front door.

This front door entry design can easily transition from Fall, to Halloween to Winter and beyond by switching out some of your decor elements. How beautiful would a pine garland with red sleigh bells and a plaid tartan bow look on your trellis? Or a red, white and blue stars and stripe Fourth of July theme? Just a little imagination and you can easily transform your entry to coordinate with the changing seasons.

This is what you will need for your Twig Trellis-

Six Sticks, about five feet long and about 1 ½” in diameter

2” Deck Screws

Twine

Grapevine or Honeysucklevine Garland (purchased from a local Nursery store)

Mini White Lights, 100 count

Vintage Olive Bucket

Burlap

Pumpkin

Scissors

Pencil

Tape Measure

You will also need access to a saw. I use a power saw, but a hand saw will work nicely too. A drill and safety goggles.

Begin by cutting three of your sticks to finish about five feet. I used limbs of a tree from my yard that had recently been pruned. Fresh sticks will be easier to work with, less likely to split when you are drilling your holes. Use what you can find. A nature walk is a good place to collect sticks too.

About two inches from the top of your sticks, pre-drill holes for your deck screws. I use deck screws because they will not discolor your wood as they weather.

Secure the three sticks together with the screws. One screw for each stick into the adjacent stick. You may need a second pair of hands to help here.

Place your “tripod” over the olive bucket.

Measure the distance between two of the “tripod” sticks, about 1” up from the bottom of the trellis and cut, adding an additional 1 1/2” for overlap to make a horizontal base.

Drill holes into the right and left side of your horizontal stick, then add screws to secure to the “tripod” sticks. Measure, cut and secure each of the horizontal pieces one at a time. There could be variances between all the sticks because they are, sticks. Measure twice, cut once. Words to live by.

Measure up from the base around 30”. This will be about the midpoint to attach a second set of horizontal sticks. Measure the distance between each of your sticks and again, one at a time, adding an additional 1 1/2” for overlap and cut. Drill your holes and secure with screws.

Once the twig trellis can stand alone, wrap twine around all intersections to cover screws, giving appearance the trellis is held together with twine.

Gently loosen the vine garland. Begin at the bottom of the trellis, start wrapping the garland around the trellis, like a candy cane, finishing at the top. Secure the garland by weaving it through the top of the three sticks.

Test your mini lights by plugging them in, making sure all the lights work.

Starting at the top of the trellis, with the “female” end of the string of lights, gently weave the lights in and around the garland all the way to the bottom.

Fill the olive bucket with burlap fabric. Place your pumpkin on top.

Now you are ready to place your Twig Trellis by the front door.

On to the doorstep. There are several principles of design to keep in mind when planning your front door entrance. Theme, repetition, and balance are some of the basics to be considered. We are using a “natural, fall” theme. Repetition comes in the form of vine garlands, white mini lights, fall colors, lanterns and pumpkins. Balance, symmetrical or asymmetrical, are in play by off centered placement of the twig trellis, lanterns, pumpkins, wreath and garland. This is just good information to know.

However, just follow this placement and you will have mastered the art of a well decorated front entrance! Place two lanterns on the left with three pumpkins. One lantern and one pumpkin to the right. A grapevine garland across the top of the door and down the left side. Add a string of mini white lights. I found the mini brooms and tied them onto the garland. A couple of bows in fall colors a wreath and you are set.

With all eyes on your door step, you will have created The Front Door Entrance of the neighborhood, the house everybody wants to visit. Entrance Appeal. Welcome home.