DIY Wooden Barn Door Baby Gate
Build your own DIY barn door baby gate to keep your children and pets safe. This rustic wooden baby gate is a stylish indoor gate that can be used as a half door gate or as a full-height Dutch door baby gate.
For more barn door DIY tutorials, build a sliding barn door console, upgrade an existing door to look like wood barn door, and see our favorite DIY barn doors and hardware.
Our DIY Wooden Barn Door Baby Gate
In our new place, we have two young girls and a set of steep stairs, which is a bit of a safety issue. So, we decided to build our own wooden baby gate for stairs, so they wouldn’t fall and get hurt.
I designed this DIY baby gate to look like a rustic wood barn door (since we love barn doors!), so we get added safety *and* style in our living room with a barn door baby gate!
This indoor gate looks amazing, whether you pair it with the matching Dutch door or build just the half door gate.
And if you have pets, this makes a great DIY pet gate or dog gate, too! Build it for a staircase, hallway, or door to a room where you want to keep your little ones or fur babies from having access.
When I first sketched a plan back in 2011 to show Cassity, she immediately fell in love (like the first time she saw me! ha. ha).
There was nothing else like it that we had seen and we loved the unique look of our original barn door baby gate.
This split barn door baby gate really adds character to the finished room!
See the full Dutch door here, build the Swedish Mora clock here, install the thin floor-to-ceiling board and batten here, and build the console table here.
Over the years since we first built this half door gate (and Dutch door), we’ve heard that many of you love this DIY baby gate as well.
We love seeing photos, so if you’ve built our rustic barn door baby gate, please send us a photo here or tag #imaremodelaholic on Instagram.
DIY Wooden Barn Door Baby Gate
This is a sponsored post and may contain some affiliate links. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Please see our full privacy policy and disclosure here.
Thanks to our partners at True Value, we were able to get all the supplies that we needed for the job. The design of the wooden baby gate plays off of the rustic look.
We wanted it to be like a barn door and have a really rustic feel with some country charm, so read our tips below for the extra steps we used to achieve a more hand-carved look.
Ready to build you own barn door baby gate for stairs? Keep those kiddos safe and have fun building!
Click here to purchase the barn door baby gate woodworking plan.
The printable building plan includes additional instructions for adjusting the size of the gate, and for adding the top to make a full Dutch door, as shown here.
Tools
- table saw (for ripping cap to 2 1/4” — you could use a 1×3 if you don’t have a table saw)
- miter saw (for cutting the lumber to length and the angles)
- drill
- brad nailer (optional, for attaching cap)
- sander (we used the Dremel Multi-Max MM20 to reach the corners)
- utility knife (for shaving edges of pine boards)
- framing square
- tape measure
- pencil
- sander block
- sand paper
- 4” foam brush
- old rag
Materials
To build your own DIY wooden barn door baby gate you’ll need:
- barn door baby gate building plan
- (2) 1x6x96 pine boards (actual width is 5 1/2”)
- (6) 1x4x96 pine lumbers (actual width is 3 1/2”)
- (1) 1×3 pine board (actual width is 2 1/2″) – optional to use for top cap
- (1 box) 1 1/4” drywall screws (I decided to use screws because it pulls the two pieces together nice and tight.)
- Wood glue (optional)
- Wood stain or paint of your choice (I used Minwax water based stain in Charcoal Gray; we later adjusted the stain to match our painted doors by using this colorwashing technique)
- Extra Heavy Gate Hinge (see below for more details about hinge installation)
- Gate latch (the gate latch that I used requires a hole drilled in the door frame)
- Handle (pull)
Our wooden baby gate measures 35 3/4” tall and 35” wide, to fit a 35 1/4” opening.
The woodworking plan includes instructions for adjusting the baby gate size. Be sure to measure your space and take into account the type of hinges and latch you want to use.
The gate hinge and latch hardware that we purchased is hardware that you would use on an exterior gate, but you can use it on an indoor gate as well.
Total material cost was around $60, including the hardware and stain. Your costs will vary depending on the type of wood, hardware, and stain you choose.
Note: Even though the latch we used was quite tight, we added a locking carabiner (a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate) to make the gate latch toddler-proof and extra safe for our kids.
Important Notes About Building a Barn Door Baby Gate
This gate was designed for a 35 1/4” opening. The width of the opening where the gate is needed will determine the width of the gate. Generally you want your gate to be 1/2” to 3/4” less wide than the door opening. This will allow it to swing freely and give room for hinges.
I used 3/4″ thick common pine boards with lots of character for a good rustic look. But you can use any material you like.
After all the pieces were cut the length, I used a utility knife to shave off the factory edge on all corners. This gives the wood a more hand carved look.
After shaving off the edge use a sanding block to soften the edges from any slivers.
For more photos and building tips, see the DIY Wood Dutch Barn Door tutorial.
All screws in this gate were drilled in through the back stiles. This made it look better on the side with the cross x to not show any screws.
For additional support, wood glue can be applied in-between all the wood joints where screws are used.
The angles listed on the cut list are approximate. The printable plan includes instructions for measuring and adjusting the board lengths and angles to customize the wood baby gate to your door or opening.
For full instructions, including a cut list and assembly diagrams, please purchase the barn door baby gate woodworking plan HERE.
Click here for more building plans.
Customized Wooden Baby Gate or Pet Gate
We’ve heard from many readers who have loved this farmhouse rustic baby gate style and customized it to fit their doorway opening and needs. All it takes is a few tweaks of the building plans to have a custom sized wooden pet or baby gate!
See what our readers have shown us they’ve done to resize the gate and adapt it to their specific needs. (And if you’ve built one, please send us a photo here!)
Sliding Baby Gate for Hallway
Reader Brian built a double-wide barn door baby gate to make a wonderful sliding baby gate across a hallway in his home. He says:
“I doubled up everything to make it wide enough to go across my hallway. I added a wheel on each end and a track in between with a wheel upside down on the floor to ride in the track. This keeps the bottom from sliding out and keeps the gate straight while rolling back and forth.”
This makes a great adaptation for a hallway baby gate — wonderful year-round but I bet it’s especially helpful keeping kids and pets away from the Christmas tree!
Bifold Hinged Baby Gate
Jessica from Sew Homegrown had a small stair landing that wouldn’t allow for the full-sized gate to swing open, so she adapted our building plans to a bifold baby gate.
Wide Wooden Baby Gate with Caster Wheel
Reader Kurran built a wide version of the barn door baby gate for their nursery school and added a caster wheel to help support the added weight as it swings.
Tips for Installing an Indoor Wooden Baby Gate
Since every baby gate installation is unique, we’ve collected a few of our best tips from experience, readers, and comments here for your convenience. When installing this barn door baby gate, keep in mind that the strong wood construction makes it heavier than traditional plastic baby gates. You’ll need heavy duty hinges and a firmly secured post, door jamb, etc.
Installing a Half Door Gate in a Door Frame
To install our baby gate in the door frame, we used heavy duty gate hinges in black. We wanted the hinges visible since they match the farmhouse rustic aesthetic, so we installed the hinges on the outside of the door and on the door jamb. Read more installation details HERE in our post about the split Dutch door section of the baby gate.
Installing a Baby Gate with a Metal Stair Banister
Another reader, Chelsey, sent this pic over to show her beautiful rustic baby gate and how they installed it between the wall and a metal banister. Chelsey says:
“We had to get clever with attaching the latch end to a metal banister but I think we executed it well. (We agree 100%! Wow!) And we ended up changing the X into 1 single cross beam. Other than that we kept it the same.”
Installing a Baby Gate without Damaging a Wood Newel Post
Even though this wooden baby gate is beautiful, it’s nice to have the option of removing it later without having to replace or patch a wooden newel post or stair banister, too.
One creative reader shared this simple solution for their adapted gate: using zip ties to attach a matching stained board to the post. The latch is attached the the board, which is zip tied to the banister, and the gate hinge is attached to another board that is screwed into the wall (and the studs) along the stair wall.
Lesley W Graham used a similar approach with the same type of sliding latch as we used:
Additional Tips for Installing a Wooden Baby Gate
No studs to attach the baby gate? We recommend using a couple toggle bolts (also called molly bolts) to secure the board to the wall, to attach the gate.
Looking for a simpler baby gate latch? Jessica from Sew Homegrown used a hook and eye latch, which requires fewer screws in the wall than many latches. And isn’t that turquoise color beautiful!
Ready to build it? Purchase the DIY baby gate plans here.
You’ll also like these building plans:
- DIY Outdoor Baby Gate
- DIY Rustic Wall Storage Bins
- Simple DIY Barn Door Tutorial
- Garden Wedding Arch Arbor
plus check out our entire collection of Farmhouse Furniture and Decor Plans!
I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Originally published 09.12.12 // Last updated 10.16.19
Love this. We do not have little ones, but we do have dogs. This would look a lot better than what we have been using to keep them in a central location. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love this! I have dogs and use baby gates to keep them off the stairs and out of the laundry room. I am going to make the gate for the stair way and the Dutch Door for the laundry room! Thanks for the info I needed to make this a reality!
Tanya! We are so glad, we LOVE ours, it is the favorite feature of our new house so far!
Love this! We are actually going to make it for our Great Dane “baby” and add a sign with her name hanging from the front and then also add a sign that says “Stables” over the top of the door. She has her own room under the stairs that currently houses her crate. This is much better and open. Thank you!
We loved this plan! I posted our gates on my blog – along with a link to your plans 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing! https://www.sewhomegrown.com/2013/03/barndoor-baby-gate.html
Jessica, I checked out your gates i love them! Great colors, and I love how you cut the one in half! Smart!
Love the gates! When you cut yours in half to do a “saloon” style, did you have to alter your measurements at all or did you just simply cut everything in half? thinking of doing that saloon swing style and putting a center latch to open/close and then hinges on both walls.
Wow! I love it! I need to make a couple of these before my newest starts crawling, way sturdier than the sore bought plastic ones!!! Cutie too.
Good luck! I miss having tiny little babies around!
How did you do the hinges? We have a similar issue, and figuring out what kind of hinges/latch to use, and how to install them, given the way it’s flush with the wall on the sides, is the part that has me stumped.
Rachel, you can see in this post how I attached the hinges to the back of the gate and the wall.
Thank you1
You are so welcome!
Great idea and plan. Do you have instructions or pics of how you attached the gate to the wall?
Thanks!
Jason
Jason we don’t because our situation was a little abnormal since there wasn’t a door or even a door casing where we put the door. But it is basically like any old door hinge, there might be some good you tube tutorials that you could watch. Or I could talk to my hubby about doing a tutorial but it might take some time. Sorry for not being more help!
Awesome.
My husband and I were planning on putting in a 1/2 door for a gate but I like this so much better.
you guys are so awesome!! thank you SO much for the amazing tutorial. we love our new gate! https://www.lesleywgraham.com/2013/09/barn-door-stair-gate.html
Lesley, I love the look of your new gate! Very nice. It turned out great!
I was wondering if you can send me a picture of the type of hinges you used please.. This is a great gate and we are using the idea for keeping our dogs out of the basement.
Thank you Farryn
Farryn, I added a link in the post for the hinges that I used. You can get them on amazon.com. Thanks for asking.
How do you mount it to the door jam or wall? is it swinging or stationary? is it spring loaded to tension on wall or is it mounted to the wall? Thank you for such an awesome project.
Jacque, it is hinged to the wall. You can see how I did it here as well as make a dutch door out of it.
I have just found this blog thru Pinterest and I love the design of this gate but I was just wondering…how does it open? It appears to be flush with the wall. Is there enough room for it to swing open or do yall just unlatch it and pick it up when yall need to go up the stairs.
It swings open and is flat to the wall…
hi there! love the baby gate idea! quick question, what stain did you use on the gate? ive been looking for this color for some time now. please let me know if you remember! thanks!
Hi Stephanie! I used Minwax water based stain and had it mixed to a gray color… hope that helps!
LOVE IT !!!! Redoing my bedroom & bath would love this. Not able to print off theh instruction only get on page. Try to copy & paste you don’t get teh pictures. Can you send me the whole thing to my e-mail Please I love this idea.
Thanks! We built a similar gate and made it 56″ long for our nursery and added a wheel on the end for added support just in case it was too heavy. Probably will stain it. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/425871708487770136/
Love it! Thank you so much for sharing!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! We used your plans to keep my 95lb beasts out of the office. I love it.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1499426_993441780670041_3991711061322009471_n.jpg?oh=d09cb3f3f298c8813eca8707b95db0ef&oe=550EAA19&__gda__=1425989924_438e0c201641d9a8730a7bbe344bf831
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10846486_993441817336704_603933055061362487_n.jpg?oh=c7e040e0369d6610b39f366a1a0d6227&oe=5500E1BE&__gda__=1423181047_91c438a4d8909132453f3b5002b19512
Those are REALLY cute beasts!!!
Thanks so much for the well made gate and the well made plans! I’m going to be making the gate tomorrow for the top of our staircase. This post makes me realize how much i need to give back to the internet and to people like you who are willing to take the time to post your good work.
Thanks, Aaron!
We made one! Absolutely love it! Thanks for the plans. Wish we could post a picture to show how cute it is! Easy to follow directions. We had to make slight measurement changes for our space.
Thanks for the comment, April! So glad you found the directions easy to follow. And we would love to see a picture! You can email us at hello@remodelaholic . com or message us over on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Remodelaholic. Thanks!
You really need to make your plans printable! I can’t read the directions in my shop lol 🙂 I love this design, we recently got a puppy and need to hinder his activity on the carpeted area of the house!
We do! Consider it on our list… although I can’t even tell you how long our list is right now! I’ll do my best to bump it to the top for ya 😉 Thanks for the comment, Jill!
Hello!! I would love to make one of these for my son (it would make me feel so awesome knowing that I created this for him, especially since my hubby travels a lot for his job- so I want to build this!!). The doorway I am looking to make one of these for is unfortunately 47″ (46 1/2″ to allow for hinges). I am trying to modify your instructions to account for the length I am needing to cut for. Are you able to help me out in regards to measurements for the the cross pieces?!?! I have never done this before! Thank you for all your help!!
Susan, The best way to to get the cross braces right would be to build out the frame first, then lay a diagonal piece across from corner to corner, then draw a line on the piece you would cut.