Give Your Garden Serious Fairy Vibes With A DIY Moongate Made From A Repurposed Trampoline

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Moongates are Chinese in origin and symbolize birth and renewal. They also have a connection to the moon — of course — as well as other planets in the solar system. Often made of stone and crawling with vines of all kinds, they create an entryway that connects your garden to another part of the yard. However, as @elliebagwell pointed out on TikTok, moongates don't need to be made of stone. Sometimes, a refurbed old trampoline that has lost its spring can be turned into a stunning moongate that brings a little more magic to your yard.

Many adult-sized trampolines range from 10 feet to 15 feet in diameter. Because you're going to be walking through the gate, you may want to go with a slightly bigger size to ensure that you've created enough headroom. Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, or even a second-hand store are good places to look for a used trampoline. Tools like a drill and pliers will help you remove the canvas, the springs, and other parts that may still be attached to the trampoline frame. A sander and a coat of spray paint will transform it into the color of your preference. A shovel is also required for this project.

You'll want to pick up some decorative elements for the moongate, too. A pile of old two-by-fours are the raw materials you'll need to make a path through it. You'll also need some creeping plants and other decorative elements to dress it up, like garden statues.

If the trampoline is still intact, then you need to dismantle it. You won't take it apart completely. However, you will need to remove the big, round stretch of canvas, as well as any springs. You'll also want to remove all of the legs, except one of them. A drill will help you loosen any screws that hold it together. You may also need a hooked tool, like a claw hammer, to remove any springs that are still attached. The claw part of the hammer allows you to get a grip on the springs as you remove them.

You can give the frame a once-over with a sander to make it ready for a coat or two of spray paint. Try something like Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Spray Paint Semi-Gloss Black to cover it. You'll bury the remaining leg, so that piece won't need to be spray-painted, but everything that's going to be above ground does get painted.

Next, you'll dig a hole in the ground. Turn the trampoline on its side and insert the remaining foot into the hole and then bury the leg. This forms the gate. A path of old two-by-fours leading up to, through, and out of the gate creates ambiance and further holds the moongate in place. Finally, plants that like to climb around a structure, like clematises, trumpet vines, bougainvillea, and climbing roses add fragrance and beauty to the moongate. Or if your moongate is going to be a part of a stunning moon garden, choose flowers that open at night, like honeysuckle or passionflower, to climb to the frame.

The path of two-by-fours and the climbing vines make up the first fairy-like elements of the moongate. However, you don't have to stop there. A moongate is a mystical-looking piece, and there's a lot you can do with it to enhance the beauty and the mystery of the gate. For example, why not flank each side of the portal with fairy-like elements? Stone birdbaths and decorative statues of mythological creatures capture the storybook-like vibe. A stone or wooden garden bench placed just to the side of the gate, and surrounded by a bed of garden pebbles or flat garden stones, offers a refreshing place to sit and relax.

Finally, there's more to decorating the moongate than just hanging some climbing vines around it. A set of bamboo wind chimes with solar accent light from Nanatoc brings swells of music as well as a soft glow of golden light once the sun dips below the horizon. Or if you really want to personalize the gate, hang those beautiful DIY wind chimes you made on the gate instead. All you need to do to make either choice a decorative idea a reality is to hook the chime onto the top-most portion of the gate. The wind will take care of the rest.