How to Build a Low Cost Sukkah
For those of you reading this who do not know what a sukkah is, here is a very quick explanation. Sukkot is a Jewish holiday that comes in the fall. It is celebration of the harvest and of remembering the forty years in the desert after Sinai when we lived in booths or huts. A sukkah is a structure that has walls, and the roof should be made of natural materials. The roof should shade you from the sun but you should be able to see the stars through it. There are rules about what constitutes a kosher sukkah. That is a topic for a different article.
PVC Pipe
You can build an inexpensive sukkah using nothing more than PVC pipe, inexpensive bamboo shades, and muslin cloth. How much pipe you need will depend on how large a sukkah you want to build. Strapping this to your deck or attaching it to a side of the house will make it sturdier. You will need 1-inch diameter or larger PVC pipe for the frame. First, assemble the roof using connectors so that the roof looks like a ladder. Make sure that at each corner you have a connector to put the poles for the walls. Greenhouse connectors work well. If you use regular plumbing connectors, you have to get creative with 90-degree corners. Try not to make the sukkah taller than 7 feet. Otherwise, the frame can be too wobbly. You may want to make a frame on the bottom for more stability. Once the frame is assembled, purchase unbleached muslin sheets. I had my kids decorate them with fabric paint and stencils. Attach these to the PVC pipe with curtain rods or you can sew a rod pocket into each sheet and slip the PVC pipe through it as you construct the walls. For the top, you can use cut limbs from your yard. If you have a small yard without trees, then purchase inexpensive bamboo shades. Try the local dollar store. It is easy to attach these to the roof with Velcro. This is the first type of sukkah we ever built and we had a blast. You need at least 2 adults to construct this. Attach to your deck with bungee cords or tie downs. To really hold it in place you can set the corner posts into cement filled coffee cans. The there will be no floor frame.
Lattice
Lattice makes a wonderful sukkah. You can build an inexpensive sukkah out of 8×4 lattice boards found at your local home center like Lowes or Home Depot. The only other thing you will need are angle brackets, wood screws, a cordless drill or screwdriver and 2 people for construction. For an 8 x 8 sukkah, you will need the following materials: 19 pieces of 8 x 4 lattice boards, 32 angle brackets, wood screws, branches or other material for the roof, plastic or other material for windows if desired. This will be much sturdier if you attach one side to a deck or to your house.
Start by putting together 2 sheets of lattice using 4 angle brackets so that they are perpendicular to each other and they form the letter “L”. Make a total of 8 “L” shapes. Next take 3 “L” shapes, lie 2 of them down on their sides with one lattice board on lying on the ground and the other sticking on end, take the third “L” an place it across the top of the other two pieces so it looks like 2 posts and a roof lying on its side, similar to this TT. Using wood screws attach the cross piece to the other “L” shapes. Make 2 of these. Now, with the help of at least 1 other person, stand up both of the shapes you just constructed. Take an “L” shape and place it across the tops of the 2 TT shapes to form the third wall. Do the same to the opposite side with the remaining “L” shape. Use wood screws to hold the unit together. You should now have what looks like 4 “posts” connected by 4 “L” shapes to create the frame of the sukkah. There should be 3 lattice boards left. Take one lattice board and place it lengthwise across the bottom of 2 of the “posts” to form a window. Attach with wood screws. Do the same for two more sides. Three sides should now have window pieces across the bottom and one side should be completely open as the door. Cover the top with lightweight branches or other natural material and then you can leave the windows as is or you can cover them with whatever material you desire. You can add stability by placing cinder blocks in the corners or you can anchor the whole thing down using the same anchors designed for swing sets.
These are just two ways to build an inexpensive sukkah. Even young children can help with some of the construction on either of these projects. Both of these low cost sukkah projects disassemble quickly for storage and they can be used again and again. The PVC will last indefinitely and the lattice will last for years. Have fun building and decorating your new sukkah this year.
