How to Build a DIY Baby Gate: Rustic Farmhouse Style
Use this tutorial to build a simple, affordable, and durable farmhouse-style DIY baby gate to keep your babe where he or she needs to be!
My husband & I received a nice set of butcher block knives for our wedding. I love having them out on the counter for easy dinner prep and aesthetics, but lately they have been hidden away in a laundry room closet.
Why are they tucked away, you ask….because my 2 year old has learned to climb on the counters so everything has to be hidden. She also likes to hide the television remote in the baker’s rack…
Needless to say, I wanted my kitchen back from the reign of Q2. I definitely needed a baby gate, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend ~$100 for one that she would tear down or climb over within the first month of use. Instead of purchasing a baby gate, I found some extra 2x4s and got to work on this simple, rustic, farmhouse style DIY baby gate!
DIY Baby Gate Tutorial
This plan makes a 3′ tall & 3′ wide baby gate. Adjust measurements to fit your door frame.
Materials & Tools Needed to Build a DIY Baby Gate
Materials
- 3- 2x4x12′ or 1x4x12′ boards… I used 2×4 boards because I wanted this gate to be super strong and I like a thicker look. 1x4s are fine to use as well.
- 28- Deck Screws
- 2- 3.5″ door hinges
- 1- gate latch
- Sandpaper
- Cardboard or Drop Cloth
- Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
- Stain of Choice- I used Minwax Dark Walnut and Minwax Classic Gray
Tools
Watch the DIY baby gate video tutorial here.
How to Build A DIY Baby Gate
1 . Cut
Use a table saw or miter saw to cut each of your 12′ boards into four 3′ pieces.
2. Arrange
Lay two of these cut boards parallel to each other 3′ apart. Arrange the rest of the 3′ cut boards vertically 2″ apart on top of the 2 horizontal boards. You will want the top & bottom of the vertical boards to be flush with the horizontal boards.
3. Connect & Secure
Now you can use an impact driver to put 4 deck screws in each vertical board. Place 2 screws on each top and 2 screws on each bottom.
In hindsight, I wish I would have placed a 2×4 or 1×4 across the top to give it a little more farmhouse flare…maybe I will add that on later.
4. Sand & Stain
Use a sander or a piece of sandpaper to even out the rough/splintered spots in your boards and prepare the baby gate for staining.
You will want to place something underneath the gate to keep your stain from leaking onto your floor, porch, or whatever surface you are working on. I used old pizza boxes to protect my porch from the stain, you could also use a drop cloth, tarp, old sheet, etc for this.
Now you can condition the wood with a pre-stain. I used Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. After the pre-stain has set and the excess has been wiped away, you can stain your DIY baby gate. I wanted a darker farmhouse finish so I used Minwax Dark Walnut with an overlay of Minwax Classic Gray. After each coat, you should use an old rag to wipe away any excess so you stain doesn’t turn out thick and goopy.
5. Attach Hinges & Latch
After the stain has completely set and dried, you can attach the 3.5″ hinges to the wall using the package directions. Make sure that you leave a small space between the gate and the floor so that it can swing without getting caught.
Now you can attach the safety latch to your diy baby gate. I like this simple hook & eye safety latch. It allows me to block the latch opening so my smart little toddlers can’t flip it open.
Congrats!! You are all finished with your Farmhouse Style DIY Baby Gate!
**DIY Baby Gate Update**
I have been using this baby gate for over 2 years now and it is holding up just as good as new! The child that I built this for is now 4 years old and I have another 2 year old running around with another baby due any day. I am expecting this DIY baby gate to last through our last bit of the toddler years (another 3-4 years from now).
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This is a cool way to make a gate that you can use in your garden. I want to get a fence and a gate installed around my home soon. That way, I don’t have to worry about my nephew when he is playing in my yard. However, I would want to get a professional to install and make the fence and gate for me.
I have a twenty-two year old wooden fence that is just falling apart. It is a daily occurrence that the horses get out. It would be great to consult with a fence company about a new fence to keep the horses in. Nathan
Inspiring! I always admire those who can make something useful out of almost nothing. (I mean DIY of course!)
OMG Love this! My daughter is past the stage of a baby gate but this is a great idea to keep my dog in!
Thank you for sharing this step by step procedure of making a gate. It looks wonderful by the way. All the best!
This is a great idea! Maybe I can make one of this for my dogs! Thanks for sharing!
It was really insightful.
Thanks for such a nice content.
Cheers
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Hi Jess, Great little gate. I am a fencing contractor and often see some DIY attempts that did not go very well but yours looks very professional! Great job!
Great post and totally useful info! We’re having a baby soon and kind of overwhelmed by all the planning and no idea what we actually need. Thanks!
Will need this soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Omg! Honestly, I am thinking of having this one, too. Luckily, I found your site! this is such a great one and I will take now of this one. Thanks!!
As a professional in the fencing industry, I like your DIY baby gate tutorial project. It turned out really great. Thanks for sharing.