DIY BABY STAIR GATE

SO, WE JUST MOVED INTO OUR NEW HOUSE + WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT, OUR OLD BABY GATE DOESN’T FIT THE WIDTH OF THE STAIRCASE…BUMMER. IT WASN’T ANYTHING FANCY, JUST A TYPICAL, RUN OF THE MILL, METAL BLACK GATE YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE. BUT MAN ARE THOSE THINGS PRICEY!

ANYWHO, SO I DECIDED, WHY NOT MAKE ONE RATHER THAN BUY ANOTHER ONE? I WANTED SOMETHING PRETTIER ANYWAY + I ALREADY HAD A FEW SUPPLIES ON HAND. SO I WENT FOR IT + FINISHED IT IN 2 DAYS!

I WANTED SOMETHING SIMPLE + CLEAN, BUT ALSO NOT BORING. ALWAYS THE DILEMMA RIGHT HAHA SO I POPPED OVER TO THE HOME DEPOT AND PICKED UP A FEW THINGS.

MY SUPPLY LIST INCLUDES:

-ONE 2 FT BY 4 FT SHEET OF 1/2 THICK PLYWOOD, I PICKED THE RADIATA PINE BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY BUT NOT TOO $$

-1 1/4 INCH WOOD SCREWS

-A SET OF HINGES

-TWO 1 X 4 X 8 MDF BOARDS

-BLACK EGGSHELL PAINT

-A 4 INCH ROLLER BRUSH + SMOOTH FINISH ROLLER HEADS

MY STEPS:

-START BY CUTTING DOWN THE PLYWOOD SHEET TO THE LENGTH + WIDTH YOU NEED, BASED ON THE SIZE OF YOUR STAIRCASE OR DOOR OPENING (WHEREVER YOU ARE PUTTING THE GATE). I USED MY COMPOUND MITER SAW, BUT A JIGSAW, TABLE SAW OR CIRCULAR SAW WOULD WORK WELL TOO.

-THEN, MEASURE OUT THE LENGTH YOU NEED FOR THE MDF PIECES. I STARTED BY CUTTING MY TOP PIECE, THEN A SIDE, THEN THE BOTTOM, THEN THE OTHER SIDE. I CHOSE TO ONLY PUT TRIM ON ONE SIDE OF THE DOOR BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WOULD NEVER REALLY SEE THE OTHER SIDE UNLESS YOU WERE COMING BACK UPSTAIRS. I ALSO USED WHAT I HAD ON HAND, SO I SKIPPED THAT SIDE. I USED MY COMPOUND MITER SAW TO ALSO CUT THESE DOWN.

-NEXT, I SECURED MY MDF PIECES, AFTER THEY HAD BEEN CUT, TO MY CUT SHEET OF PLYWOOD. I USED MY DRILL TO PREDRILL THE HOLES AND THEN THE DRIVER TO INSERT THE SCREWS

**IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PREDRILL YOUR HOLES BEFORE YOU INSERT YOUR SCREWS TO PREVENT WOOD SPLITTING. IT HELPS CREATE A CLEANER LOOK AS WELL AS IS MORE SECURE. WHEN PREDRILLING, PICK A DRILL BIT THAT IS JUST SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN YOUR SCREW. I COMPARE THEM SIDE BY SIDE AND WHEN I FIND A BIT THAT WILL WOR BEST, I GO WITH IT. IF YOU PREDRILL A HOLE TOO BIG, THE SCREW WON’T BE ABLE TO GRIP THE WOOD WHEN YOU TRY TO SCREW IT IN

-THEN, AFTER EVERYTHING WAS SECURED, I USED SOME CAULK I HAD LEFT OVER AND FILLED IN ALL THE CRACKS AND CREVICES

-THEN, WHEN IT WAS DRY, I ROLLED ON TWO COATS OF BLACK PAINT

-LASTLY, I ATTACHED MY HINGES TO THE GATE IN THE PLACE I NEEDED AND THEN I ATTACHED THE WHOLE THING TO THE STAIRCASE NEWEL ITSELF SINCE MY WALL DIDN’T HAVE A STUD IN THE RIGHT PLACE. I COULD HAVE USED WALL ANCHORS, BUT I DIDN’T HAVE ANY ON HAND

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! A GATE LIKE THIS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED ANYWAY YOU WANT IT TO LOOK BASED ON YOUR STYLE AND PREFERENCE!

ALL MY STEPS ARE SAVED TO A HIGHLIGHT ON MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, @THETAYLORSTYLE_, IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG!

HAPPY DIYING FRIENDS!

-XOXO TAYLOR