NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
A freestanding 7-foot ceremony arch from four 2x4s and one 1x4 — self-supporting feet, 45° braces, built the week before and finished with whatever the florist brings.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 84" | — | ☐ |
| Feet | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 32" | — | ☐ |
| Foot braces Long point to long point, both ends 45° off square, NOT parallel. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20 1/4" | — | ☐ |
| Header | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 92" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Top corner braces Long point to long point, both ends 45° off square, NOT parallel. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 24 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft Legs, feet, and all braces. | 4 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft The header. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive SPAX or similar. | 20 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, #8 x 1-3/4", star drive | 10 each | ☐ |
| Mending plates Optional — one way to fasten the top braces at their base; pocket holes are the other. | 2 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Center each 84" leg on its 32" foot and fasten with the 2-1/2" screws — screws up through the foot into the leg's end grain, plus toenailed screws from the sides for real grab. End-grain screws alone are weak; the angled ones do the work.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the 45° foot braces from each foot up to its leg. These little triangles are the entire reason the arch stands on its own — set them tight to both surfaces before driving, because a gap here is a wobble at 7 feet.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pencil, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #8 x 1-3/4", star drive
Mark equal overhangs on the 92" 1x4 — 4" past each leg — and screw it across the leg tops with the 1-3/4" screws. Stand back and check it reads level by eye from ceremony distance; that's the level that matters.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, #8 x 1-3/4", star drive, Mending plates
Fasten the 45° corner braces from legs to header — 1-3/4" screws at the top, and either pocket holes or a mending plate at the base of each brace. The diagonals keep the frame from racking side to side under swinging garland.
Sand everything fabric will touch, finish or don't, then stand it up on real grass and push on it like a nervous groomsman. Windy venue? Stake or sandbag the feet on the day. Then let the decorators bury your work in flowers — that's the job.