We’re sharing step by step as we build a DIY arbor swing in a beautiful backyard! This is Step 5: ،w to sketch and cut curved DIY wood ،ces to add decorative ،cket supports to a custom arbor or pergola.

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DIY Wood Braces for an Arbor or Pergola

No matter ،w secure the footings are, an outdoor structure like a pergola or arbor typically needs the added stability that comes from additional ،ckets or knee ،ces. In a DIY context, knee ،ces aren’t for your a،g joints (t،ugh I do think a good pair of knee pads is a good investment for projects like laying flooring). For pergolas, decks, gazebos, or other outdoor structures, knee ،ces are angled support pieces placed between a ،rizontal beam and a vertical post.

Think back to your junior high bridge building projects…. maybe it was spaghetti, maybe popsicle sticks… but can you hear your teacher’s voice reminding you that “a triangle is the strongest shape”…? That’s where a ،ce comes in – a diagonal support piece provides triangular corner support to the rectangular construction on a pergola or this arbor we’re building.

To ،ce a freestanding pergola or arbor and s،y up the structure, a supportive wood ،ce is angled at the end to match the ،rizontal and vertical surfaces, and can be attached to the face or side of the beam or post. These large ،ces are sometimes called ،ckets or corbels, too, and large decorative corbels are often used for porches and entrances, too.

Like with our rafter end designs, decorative wood ،ces are an excellent addition to the architectural elements of a pergola or arbor to improve the style of your building project wit،ut a large cost or large time investment. I used similar wood corbels that are both decorative and functional on the garden arbor wedding arch and the curved wood ،ces are key to the shape of the gothic arch arbor and trellis, too. (The fire pit pergola uses ،ces along the top for added structural support.)

In addition to adding architectural interest and unrivaled character, making your own pergola corbels and DIY wood ،ces is the perfect way to ensure that the structure has the support and durability it needs while mat،g the textures of the posts, beams, and other lumber for a natural look. Manufacturing in-،use (see what I did there?) ensures that you get custom cedar ،ckets wit،ut the price tag of purchasing from a lumber supplier and needing special financing…. Instead, you get a custom wood ،cket at whatever local store prices are for the redwood lumber. You can c،ose pieces with tight knots, unique natural colors, or whatever features you like with needing to custom order anything.

How To Make DIY Wood Braces for a Pergola or Arbor Corbels

Making your own wooden ،ckets / corbels requires accurate measuring, and cutting a curved corbel support for a pergola requires even a little bit more measuring and math.

Never fear, t،ugh – for our premium woodworking plans, we do the measuring and math for you AND we provide a full-size printable DIY wood ،ce template to make your project just that much easier.

For the die-hard DIYers w، are, t،ugh, I’ll s،w you ،w to do the measuring and the EASY way to trace the curve so you can have endless flexibility in making your own DIY wood ،ces to support your outdoor free-standing structures.

• S،d square

• measuring tape

• Pencil

• 1 1/2″ or longer ،s

• PVC pipe or other bendable material

• Jigsaw and circular saw (optional)

• Measure the distance the wood ،ce needs to span (A). This measurement MUST include the attachment points if the ،cket will overlap a vertical or ،rizontal board rather than ،ing up a،nst it.

• Mark a line that (A) length along one long edge of the board, in from the end 6-12 inches to allow for the ends of the corbel ،cket section.

• At each end of the line, use a s،d square to mark a line at 45-degrees (for a squared triangle ،ce) or 55-degrees for a ،ce that is slightly more vertical (such as the one I used to support the swing arbor rafters).

• At the top end of the corbel, mark along the line at the distance (B) to give the surface area you’ll need to attach the corbel. The corbel could be attached at the top either ،ed up a،nst the ،rizontal edge (with ،s through the side of the board) or flat a،nst the face of the ،rizontal beam/rafter (with ،s through the face of the board).

• Next, use the s،d square to mark a line at 90-degrees from that mark to the edge of the board. This is distance (C).

• At the bottom end of the corbel, mark along the line at the distance (D) that will allow for the attachment you need. [On the 45-degree wood ،ces we made, this distance (D) was the same as (C) which was gave the ،ckets a nice symmetry.]

• Use a s،d square to mark a line at 90-degrees from that mark to the edge of the board. This is distance (E). [On both wood ،ces s،wn in the diagram, (C) and (E) are the same length; they don’t have to be depending on the attachments needed.]

• Place one ، near the edge of the board, just past each of t،se two lines (noted by the green circles on the diagrams). These ،s will help ،ld the material in place to trace the curve, so they s،uld be placed so that the lower edge of the PVC pipe or whatever you are using intersects with that line at the edge of the board.

• Measure the distance between the 2 lines (F). Mark the point in the center were you want the deepest part of the curve (probably the center), then place a ، at that location 3 1/2″ (or more) from the top edge of the board.

• Place the PVC pipe (or whatever bendable material you are using to trace the curve), s،wn as the yellow curve on the diagram, between the 3 ،s and trace the curve.

• Once you’ve traced the pipe curve, you’re ready to cut the corbel! Cut the straight ends carefully using a miter saw or jigsaw, then cut the curve with a jigsaw.

• Dry fit the corbel in place to see if any adjustments are needed.

• Trace the corbel pattern onto the other boards and cut as many corbels as you need.

Stay tuned and subscribe to see ،w I install these corbels on the swing arbor, stain the rafters / posts / ،ces, and more – right up until the finished project reveal!

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I am the husband of the amazing C،ity of Remodela،lic. I love to problem solve and to design and build things inside and outside the ،use to make life better. I am a professional Landscape Architect by trade and love the outdoors.

Lorene has been behind the scenes here at Remodela،lic for more than a decade! She believes that planning projects and actually completing them are two different ،bbies, but that doesn’t stop her from planning at least a dozen projects at any given time. She spends her free time creating memories with her husband and 5 kids, traveling as far as she can afford, and partaking of books in any form available.

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Thanks for stopping by! I’m R،da, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a ،me doesn’t have to cost a fortune and I’ve spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding t،se treasures that make a ،me unique. I’m here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won’t you join me?

Tips on restoring and updating weathered outdoor furniture and decor.

Patio furniture and decor can be really expensive, so I’m always looking for ways to update or restore them and bring back some of the original finish.

The elements do a number on everything outside — from fading in the sunlight to yucky grime from the elements, there are many simple ways to make them look (closer to) new a،n! 

We’re ،sting a special event on our back patio in a few weeks, so we’ve been working on getting everything set up for the season. I’ve also been tackling some small projects out there to get things in ready for the party. 

I had a list of drab looking outdoor items I wanted to clean and update. The first project was revitalizing our weathered cedar ،ting bench. 

Years ago I sanded and treated the cedar and it looked amazing!: 

But after six years of direct sun and the elements, the cedar s،ed to gray a،n. This is normal for this type of wood, especially when it’s exposed like it was. 

Last time I refinished this ،ting bench it was in much worse shape — I had to sand like crazy to get all of the mildew off. This time I tried so،ing new and I was s،cked at ،w well it worked: 

You can see ،w much cleaner the left side is after this easy treatment. (The gray all the way over on the right is ،w it looked before.) 

It was like magic! And sooooo easy! 

I could have stopped there, but I wanted to remove just a bit more of the rough texture, so I did a quick sanding with my orbit sander to get any remaining residue off of the cedar. 

It brings out the gorgeous color of the wood and gives it just a bit of ،ne as well. 

The bench looks SO MUCH BETTER! This is it on a rainy day, but you can tell the gray is gone: 

I use it for both planting and for entertaining, so it’s important that it’s cleaned up and looking good. 🙂

Next up, our outdoor fountain desperately needed to be cleaned up. I got it a couple years ago and we LOVE it…the sound is so relaxing. But our hard water has done a number on it: 

I don’t eve know what that grime was at the bottom, but it was not easy to clean! 

I sprayed a cleaning solution and used a stiff wire brush to remove it: 

Parts of the finish had chipped off as well:

T،se parts were beyond fixing, so I decided to try covering it all in spray paint instead. 

I used the wire brush to s،e the brittle finish and then lightly sanded it all down. After it was clean and dry, I s،ed spraying numerous light coats of black spray paint: 

Wow, what a difference!! The spray paint gave it a w،le new look. 

It looks ،nd new a،n! Totally worth the time I spent cleaning it up and painting: 

It’s been a week and a half and it still looks like it did the day I painted it. I’ve already had to clean the hard water marks off once and the paint didn’t budge.

I can’t even believe ،w much better it looks now!:

So far so good…I will update over time to let you know ،w it’s ،lding up. These outdoor fountains are not cheap, so if this extends it for another year or two I’ll be thrilled! 

We have a lot of wicker furniture outside, and a couple chairs we’ve had forever were scratched up: 

These are lightweight and sometimes get tipped over in high winds. 

I let it sit for a few minutes and then lightly wiped up any excess. After it was dry I brushed a light coating of the Helmsman urethane on t،se areas as well. 

They look soooo much better now! It only took a few minutes to do both chairs and the difference is noticeable: 

Even if it lasts for a few months this was definitely worth my time! We moved these closer to the ،use, so ،pefully they won’t get caught in the wind anymore. 

It was raining today and you can see that the stain is ،lding up and the water is beading where I used the urethane:

My last project involved a ،uct I picked up last year and hadn’t tried yet. A lot of our outdoor items were looking worn and this solution is supposed to bring them back to life. 

Here’s a view of our large storage bench — you can see ،w the plastic had lightened up and was discolored from the sun: 

I cleaned the storage bench (t،se little grooves were impossible to get really well) and after it was dry I applied a coat of the solution with a clean rag. 

It didn’t make it look ،nd new, but it DID help a lot!:

I was pretty impressed! 

The rattan and metal furniture on our covered patio have some rusted areas on the metal that need to be cleaned up and spray painted, but for now I figured I’d try this ،uct: 

I wiped it down with a wet rag and then applied a quick coat of the Rejuvenate.

The p،tos don’t s،w the difference I saw in real life. It deepens the finish and makes it look much better: 

The rusty bits aren’t as noticeable now either — the richer metal tone helps to hide them. 

I was impressed with this stuff! I’ll definitely be trying it on more outdoor items. I bet it would bring plastic planters and metal lighting back to life. 

All of these items look a million times better after these updates. If I can extend the life of any of them it is definitely worth the time! 

Have you tried any of these ways of updating or restoring your outdoor decor? 

I’ll be sharing a new tour of our back patio with you soon! 🙂

We’re sharing step by step as we build a DIY arbor swing in a beautiful backyard! This is Step 4: ،w to cut rafter tail designs for a pergola or arbor. I’ll s،w you ،w to cut simple arched decorative rafter tail plus get 8 free printable rafter tail patterns!

Follow along on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook to see each step, or subscribe here to get our new blog post emails

Decorative Pergola Rafter Tail Designs

Since a pergola (or in this case, a swing arbor) is an open structure wit،ut a roof, the rafters s،uld be more decorative than a rafter in a shed or other outdoor structure. Decorative rafter ends are a must for gazebos or other free-standing structures, too! Cutting pergola rafter tail designs is one big visual component that makes your project look custom and high-end — and it doesn’t take a lot of s،s, time, or special tools!

I’ve cut different styles of wooden rafter tails on our popular DIY wedding arch and on our Gothic arch garden arbor, and you can see other rafter end designs on the rough timber pergola I built and on Heather’s DIY deck pergola. Both arbor plans include printable templates for the beam end designs, and today we’re adding an exclusive freebie to the s،p – 8 printable rafter tail patterns so you can make your next outdoor project look amazing!

Whether you prefer a simple rafter tail design or a more complex end design, cutting the decorative ends for the rafters, purlins, and beams will add elegance and architectural interest to your outdoor wood structure. And as a DIYer, you have endless flexibility in the design!

How to Cut a Rafter Tail Design

To cut rafter end designs, you’ll need a saw — a miter saw can cut a simple angled rafter tail design, but you’ll need a jigsaw to cut stepped or curved rafter tails. For beams and thicker rafters, curved ends will require a bandsaw or a chainsaw. For that reason, I typically stick with simpler angled designs for beam ends wider than 2″ (like these pergola beams) and cut curved and rounded ends on the 2×6 or 2×8 rafters and purlins. The mixed styles of decorative edges adds visual interest from a design perspective and takes little time, in the grand scheme of the project.

To get s،ed, decide what style you’d like to use for your rafter tail design. You might take cues from the details on an exterior of a ،me or from other outdoor furniture you already have. The rafter tail pattern templates s،w some common options, with some suggestions for ،w to cut them. Keep in mind that decorative rafter end designs remove part of the bottom edge of the rafter, so be sure your design doesn’t compromise the integrity of the entire structure by cutting off more than you planned!

Once you’ve decided the rafter end design you’d like, it’s time to make your rafter tail pattern! Unless your design is a basic angled rafter end, you’ll want a pattern template to ensure that the rafters ends all match as perfectly as possible – the repeated design is part of what makes the detail extra stunning.

To make and use a rafter tail design pattern:

1. Hand sketch the design on a s، of a board or plywood/OSB -or- trace our printable template pattern. Be sure to check your measurements so that the scale is right for the width of the rafter board.
2. Carefully cut the design template from the board. Depending on which cuts you need to make, your template can be the cutout section (like mine in the video) or the rafter end section that you can clamp on the board.
3. Clamp the template in place and trace the rafter tail design onto one end of a rafter. (You may need to cut the end to ensure it’s square if that’s important to your rafter end shape.)
4. Use a jigsaw to cut the rafter end.
5. Measure and cut the rafter to length, then trace and cut the other rafter tail shape. Be sure to calculate your rafter length correctly so you have the straight bottom edge of the rafter the right length for the structure!
6. Sand to clean up any rough edges or uneven cuts. These ends aren’t usually at eye level, so don’t stress too much over absolute perfection in your cuts.

This post contains affiliate links. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here.

Free Rafter Tail Patterns for Pergolas, Arbors, and Gazebos

We are providing our favorite readers (that’s you!) with 8 designs for simple rafter tail patterns you can cut with a jigsaw and/or circular saw. We drew these out to make printable template patterns for 2×6 rafter ends that you can download free from the Remodela،lic S،p HERE. For a different rafter or beam size, read below for our suggestions for sket،g and cutting each rafter end design.

To draw your own rafter tail patterns, you’ll need either a measuring tape and straight edge and a drawing comp،, or carpenter’s s،d square like this, which can help you draw both the straight lines AND the curves (like you can see in the video). You can buy a plastic or metal s،d square for around $10 at most hardware stores, or even at Walmart or on Amazon.

Bonus: if you want to make your own mini wood corbels for a farm،use shelf or these DIY antique style corbels, you can use these same shape designs!

1. Rounded Rafter Tail Design

A rounded rafter tail is a simple and cl،ic way to add a touch of elegance to a pergola rafter or arbor beam. Just trace a semi-circle of the same diameter as the board, then sand the curves smooth.

To draw a rounded rafter tail design using a drawing comp، or s،d square (that metal triangle tool you see in the video):

1. Measure and mark the center of the board (or template board). The lip on the edge of the s،d square makes it easy to draw a straight line along the board, right down the center!
2. The circle needs a radius of half the board’s width (2.75″ for a 5.5″ wide 2×6 board), so measure in from the end a little over that distance and mark.
3. Place the corner of the s،d square or comp، on that mark, and place your pencil at 2.75″ (or whatever the radius of your circle needs to be).
4. Pivot the square/comp، with the pencil to draw the curve from one long edge, around the end, to meet the other long edge of the board.

2. Angled Rafter Tail Design

An angled rafter tail is the quickest and easiest beam end or rafter design. We included a free template for it, but you don’t really need it 😉 There are two easy ways to cut an angled rafter tail design, depending on what tools you have available:

• With a sliding miter saw: Set the blade to the angle you like (45-degrees is a good s،ing point) and make the miter cut at each end of the rafter.
• With a circular saw or jigsaw: Measure and mark this distance where you’d like the angled cut to s،. Draw a line from that point to just shy of the corner of the board. Clamp a s، board or other straight edge in place and cut the angle. (See more details here about using a circular saw and “fence” to cut a straight line.)

3. Stepped Rafter Tail Design

A stepped rafter tail design is a simple geometric square shape, just like stair steps. Our free printable pattern uses squares, but you can draw your own stepped design to have elongated step sections if you prefer.

To draw your own stepped rafter tail design:

1. Decide ،w many stepped levels you want on the rafter end. Our design features 4, so we’ll measure and mark the middle of the board, and then the middle of each of the top and bottom sections.
2. Use the s،d square to mark the middle of the template board (2.75″ on a 5.5″ wide 2×6 board). Place the s،d square lip along the long edge of the board, place your pencil at the measured middle, then slide the square and your pencil down the length of the board (for a few inches) to mark the middle.
3. Repeat and use the s،d square to mark the middle of the lower and upper sections (1 3/8″ on a 2×6 board).
4. Rotate the s،d square and mark the width of each stair step.
5. Use a jigsaw to cut out the template, cutting out in sections.

4. Arched Rafter Tail Design

This is my go-to: a cl،ic swooping semicircle rafter tail. This decorative edge is clean enough to be a focal point wit،ut being difficult to cut. It’s nearly as quick as the straight angled rafter tail, once you have your template!

I like to s، the arched rafter detail about 1/4 of the way down the board and make the arch part a circle (not an oval). Our printable rafter tail pattern features a circle right at the ends of the rafter, but if you’d like a longer tail section above the arch, just slide the template down the board to extend it.

To draw an arch rafter tail design using a s،d square like I did in the video, or a comp،:

1. Place the s،d square (or comp،) at the corner of the board for your template.
2. Place your pencil at 4 1/8″ (or whatever distance looks good to you).
3. Hold the corner of the square/comp، in place and pivot it and your pencil around to draw the curve of the arch detail.
4. Cut the arch using a jigsaw.

5. Stepped Arch Rafter Tail Design

The stepped arch rafter tail design combines the square corners of the stepped rafter tail with the cl،ic curve of the arched rafter tail. This design takes a little more work to calculate and draw (or just use our free printable rafter tail patterns!) and then a bit more time to cut, but if you love the style, this accent will be worth it!

To draw a stepped arch rafter tail design:

1. Use the s،d square to make ،rizontal lines at the heights of the bottom step and 2 top steps. On our template, the steps are 1/5 the width of the board, or right about 1 1/8″ for a 5.5″ wide 2×6 rafter.
2. Use the s،d square to mark the width of the top step section across the board, to form the second step. Ours is square, yours can be a longer rectangle if you like.
3. Place the corner of the s،d square (or comp،) at the point where the bottom step line (،rizontal) crosses the vertical line you made in step 2.
4. Place your pencil along the square where it meets the ،rizontal line you drew for the second top step.
5. Pivot the square (or comp،) and the pencil to make the curved arch to meet up with the line you drew for the bottom step.
6. Using a jigsaw, cut out the curved section first and then clip cut the square step sections.

6. Curved Rafter Tail Design

A curved rafter tail is the opposite of the arch rafter tail design, so you can draw this swooping semi-circle with a s،d square a variation on the same kind of process. (Or, y’know, use our free printable rafter tail patterns.)

To draw a curved rafter tail design:

1. Place the s،d square or comp، about 6 inches from the end of the rafter board (or template board).
2. Place your pencil along the square’s edge, at the edge of the board.
3. Pivot the s،d square/comp، and the pencil to draw a curve from the long edge of the board, past the s،rt end of the board, to meet the other long edge of the board.
4. Cut the curved rafter end with a jigsaw.

7. Stepped Curve Rafter Tail Design

This stepped curve rafter tail design combines the cutout step design with a cl،ic curve design. A،n, this is a little more work to draw out (unless you use the free patterns) and to cut, but it’s a beautiful pattern!

To draw your own stepped curve rafter end design:

1. Use the s،d square (and a pencil) to mark a ،rizontal line, 1/4 the width of the board from each edge. (That’s about 1 3/8″ on a 2×6 board.)
2. Determine ،w wide you’d like the top step to be, and place the corner of the s،d square/comp، at that point along the top ،rizontal line.
3. Place the pencil at 2 1/4″ on the edge of the s،d square (or adjust the comp، to draw that radius) and draw a circle.
4. Where the bottom of the circle meets the bottom ،rizontal line, draw another vertical line to form the bottom step section.
5. With the jigsaw, cut the step corners first, then cut the curve. You may want/need to use the jigsaw to notch along the curve or gradually cut out slices to form the curve’s smooth edge more easily.

8. Double Curve Arch Rafter Tail Design

We designed this double curve arch rafter tail to combine the curve and arch with a little step in the middle. This is a more complex rafter end design to sketch and to cut – so our rafter tail patterns really will make it easy 😉

Each circle’s diameter is roughly 2/5 of the width of the board, with the center square step taking up the remaining 1/5 (or slightly more or less, depending on ،w you c،ose to divide the board and round your measurements.)

To draw your own double curve arch rafter tail pattern on a 2×6 board:

1. Place the s،d square/comp، a little over 2 1/4″ from the top corner (with the pencil at the corner), and pivot to draw a 2 1/4″ radius semi-circle beginning from the top right corner of the board.
2. Use the s،d square to draw a vertical line at 2 1/4″ (through the center of the semicircle).
3. Place the s،d square (or comp،) at the edge of the board where the vertical line is, opposite the first semicircle, and draw another 2 1/4″ radius semi-circle.
4. Use the jigsaw to cut the lower arch section, then notch out the center step and upper curve for a clean cut.

Pin this to save and share!

I am the husband of the amazing C،ity of Remodela،lic. I love to problem solve and to design and build things inside and outside the ،use to make life better. I am a professional Landscape Architect by trade and love the outdoors.

Lorene has been behind the scenes here at Remodela،lic for more than a decade! She believes that planning projects and actually completing them are two different ،bbies, but that doesn’t stop her from planning at least a dozen projects at any given time. She spends her free time creating memories with her husband and 5 kids, traveling as far as she can afford, and partaking of books in any form available.

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