How to Make Tomato Cages

I am so excited to share a DIY of how I made these tomato cages. It’s an easy and fun project that anyone can make.

Last week I asked all of you which DIY Wood Building Project you wanted time to share. The choices were wood tomato cages, wood tabletops, and a french champagne crate.

Over a thousand votes came in and the tomato cages were a clear winner.  I am very excited to be partnering with Walmart and Hart Tools to share how to make Tomato Cages.

Three years ago I made these “well-weathered” tomato cages. My handyman did the cutting but I did everything else.

I was barely blogging at that time and, unfortunately, I forgot to take photos and document how I made the cages. 

A few months ago I had the pleasure of traveling to New York with Walmart and Hart Tools. We were introduced to the new Hart Tools which are sold exclusively at Walmart. I tried all of them out and knew they were exactly what I needed to start my DIY projects.

When we returned home we received a full set of tools.

Just for the record, this is my first set of REAL tools, ever. 

HART Tools Used in This Project 

HART 20-Volt Cordless 6 1/2-inch Circular Saw

HART 20-Volt Cordless Impact Driver Kit, (1) 1.5Ah Lithium-Ion Battery

HART 20-Volt Cordless 2-Piece 1/2-inch Drill

HART 25-Foot and 30-Foot Pro Grade Tape Measure Combo Set

HART 68-Piece Impact Driver Bit Set with Storage Case, Torsion Zone

HART 29-Piece Titanium Drill Bit Set with Protective Storage Case

HART 24-inch Aluminum I-Beam Level with Top-Read Window

HART Clear Flex-Fit Safety Glasses, Anti-fog, Ultraviolet Protection

HART Impact Work Gloves, 5-Finger Touchscreen Capable, Medium

I set out all of my tools and soon my two grown sons, Matt and Michael, were at my work table and sharing with me their tool safety guidelines from Shop Class with Mr. Rainey in the 7th grade. 

Oh brother. 

Then they started lining up the boards for cutting.

The next thing I knew, they were posing for photos.

I appreciated their input but soon realized my project had been hijacked. I now had two assistants who were in charge.

But I am not stupid, so I welcomed their help.

What You Need to Make Tomato Cages 

(All items listed are to make one tomato cage.)

Four 8ft. long, 1″x2″ Spruce Pine Fir Boards

Approximately 30 Flathead, multi-material screws, 1 1/2″ 

One wood decorative Finial (with a screw on the bottom) 

How to Make Tomato Cages

Measure each 8 ft. board to cut one each of the following sizes: 58″, 12″, 10″, 8″ and 3″. (You will have three of the 3″ boards leftover.) 

I used my level to mark the lines on each board. 

 

Since I (we) were making four cages, I (we) cut 16 total boards.

All safety precautions were followed, including goggles, long pants, covered shoes, and more …

You need four 1″ x 2″ 8 ft. boards to make one cage. Cut each 8 ft 1″ x 2″ board into five different lengths. Cut one 58″ board and then cut four shorter lengths as shown below.

While the boys were cutting, I predrilled holes for the screws. The holes should be drilled about 3/8″ – 1/2″ from the edge.

Somehow I was able to do this job entirely by myself.

I drilled one hole in the center end of each board, except the 3″ board. On the 3″ board I drilled four holes, as seen below. Please note you only need one 3″ board per tomato cage.

Next, mark each board at 30″, 40″ and 50″ from the top. These are the locations where you will place the horizontal boards.

Place two of the 58″ boards on a flat surface with one end of the boards flush. Next place the 8″ board 30″ from the top. Place the 10″ board, 40″ from the top, and place the 12″ board 50″ from the top. Spread out the 58″ boards so that the 12″ board lines up first. Secure with screws and do the same for the 8″ and 10″ boards.

Make two of these sides for your tomato cage.

Place the two side cages on a flat surface and add the three remaining boards on both of the open sides.

Be sure to keep the top ends of the tomato cage flat. 

Next, drill a hole in the center of the 3″ piece. The hold should be slightly smaller than the screw in the bottom of the wood finial top of the cage.

Attach the 3″ wood piece to the top of the tomato cage with four screws, using the drill holes as guides.

Secure tightly.

Attach the decorative finial by screwing it into the drilled hole.

The cages are done!

Don’t they look fabulous in my raised vegetable garden?

I do have to admit that these new cages are made much better than the older cages. I think I might go back and try to repair the ones I made three years ago. The finials weren’t attached securely. (And guess who thinks these are better because of their handy 7th-grade woodshop skills? No comment.)

I did want to express how much I love these Hart tools. They are very easy to use and have lots of safety measures. They are all cordless and the batteries are interchangeable. And they are lightweight and easy to use.

Matt and Michael loved them too. Although these tools are MINE, they are very excited about my their new tools.

I absolutely love how these tomato cages were made. And the cost for each tomato cage was about $8.

DIY Video How to Make Tomato Cages

To really get a sense of what this day was like, watch the video below! You will see that my project really was hijacked. Hahaha.

And one last thing, I am also going to make the wooden tabletops. Now that I have two eager assistants I am sure this is going to happen very soon.

 

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