Adding a wooden Tiki frame to your outdoor or patio furniture can give your backyard a tropical feel. When you have guests over for a barbeque or for some other occasion, the Tiki umbrellas -- along with other tropical-style elements such as Tiki torches -- can enhance the setting. Make your own Tiki frame to avoid the high expense of purchasing one from a furniture or home improvement store. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Bend saplings to the shape you want for the umbrella. The saplings should be 1.5 inches in diameter. You can bend the saplings by placing one end of the saplings into the ground. Then slowly bend the sapling until the other end is on the ground. Make sure the sapling is as arched as you want and place the other end into the ground.
2. Repeat this step with at least one more piece of sapling. The saplings that are being placed into the ground are the vertical parts of the frame. The second and the third saplings should be placed either over or under the first one.
3. Tie the vertical saplings together using a piece of string. The string should be tied at the top where all of the saplings meet.
4. Measure the length around the frame of the vertical saplings. You will want two or three horizontal saplings.
5. Cut the saplings according to the length around the frame. Because the frame is dome-shaped, the lengths of each of the horizontal saplings will be different. Cut the horizontal saplings about 3 inches longer than they need to be.
6. Bend the first sapling around the frame until the two ends meet. Using string, tie the two ends of the sapling around each other. Then tie this horizontal sapling to the vertical saplings at each place they intersect. Repeat this for all horizontal saplings.
7. Place a bamboo stick into the ground. You should be able to look down at the top of the bamboo stick.
8. Pull the umbrella frame out of the ground. The frame will retain its shape because of the horizontal saplings. Place the frame on top of the bamboo stick so that it aligns with the place at the top of the frame where all of the vertical saplings meet.
9. Secure the frame using screws and an electric screwdriver.
Tags: horizontal saplings, into ground, vertical saplings, around frame, bamboo stick, horizontal saplings Place, length around