How to Build a Bamboo Gate

A bamboo gate makes an exotic addition to any yard or garden.

You can bring some of the exotic beauty of bamboo to your own corner of the globe by building a bamboo gate to fence off your garden or lawn.

1. Measure the distance between the two poles where you will be mounting the bamboo gate.

2. Construct a square out of lumber that fits the width of the gap. Leave a quarter of an inch on either side for spacing. So, for example, if your gap is 36 inches wide, you'll want to cut the width pieces of the square to 35 1/2 inches. You can use any type of scrap or new lumber, but keep it thin, below half an inch, so it can hold the bamboo. Add a crosspiece running from the bottom left of the square to the top right.

3. Cut down the pieces of bamboo you wish to use for the gate. You will need fairly thick pieces for the four sides of the gate, approximately 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches wide.

4. Cut the bamboo you need for the gate. You can run the bamboo either horizontally or vertically, but a vertically placed bamboo gate gives a nice, symmetrical effect. Measure the height of the gate and use this as a guide for cutting the bamboo with a hacksaw.

5. Place a piece of bamboo across the gate. Drill a screw through the bamboo and into the crossbar on one side of the gate. Then repeat the process on the opposite crossbar with the bottom part of the bamboo.

6. Continue placing the bamboo and securing it with screws until the gate is covered.

7. Mount the gate to the adjacent fence with hinges. Finish by attaching latch hardware.