20 DIY Barn Door Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
Barn doors have an attractive, rustic appearance that many people like to use to decorate their homes. These doors are durable and not that difficult to build if you have a good saw and some extra lumber laying around. If you want to save money and improve your skills by building a barn door, you’ve come to the right place. We are going to list several plans that you can follow or take inspiration from when building a barn door for your structure. For each one, we’ll provide you with a short description and a picture, so you have a better idea about if it will be right for you.
The 20 DIY Barn Door Plans
1. DIY Modern Sliding Barn Door from DIY Huntress
| Tools: | Miter Saw, Brad Nailer or Pin Nailer, Circular Saw, Drill, Sander/Sandpaper, Forstner Bit (Check Sliding Barn Door Hardware For Size), Paintbrush |
| Supplies: | DAP Weldwood Carpenter’s Glue, DAP Rapid Fuse, DAP Plastic Wood-X Wood Putty, Brad or Pin Nails, Polyurethane + Stain, ¼” 1 x 4 Board (used 20), (1) Solid Core Door (Door was 2″ Taller & 4″ Wider than Opening), (3) 1 x 2 x 6′ Pine Board Modern Chrome Sliding Door Hardware, (2) Sheet ¼” Plywood (Cut Into 4″ Wide Panels), (1) ¾” Fiber Board, (3) 1 x 2 x 6′ Pine Board, Sliding Barn Door Hardware |
The DIY Modern Sliding Barn Door is easy to build and even easier to use once you install it. The door attaches to a track to hang and slide open and closed without much effort. You can finish the door with a stain or paint to match your structure. They demonstrate each step on a YouTube video, so it is easy to follow and understand.
2. DIY Wooden Barn Door and Baby Gate from Remodelaholic
| Tools: | Table saw, miter saw, drill, brad nailer, sander, utility knife, framing square, tape measure, pencil, sander block, sandpaper, 4″ foam brush, old rag |
| Supplies: | 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, Extra Heavy Gate Hinge, Gate latch (the gate latch that was used requires a hole drilled in the door frame), Handle (pull) |
The DIY Wooden Barn Door and Baby Gate from Remodelaholic is an amazing door that features a retro split design. The top and bottom of the door work independently, allowing you to keep the bottom closed but the top open so you can see into the room while keeping pets and children contained. Since your measurements need to be extremely accurate, we put this plan in the moderate difficulty pile, but it’s not bad if you have patience and measure correctly.
3. Beautiful Barn Door from Hip and Humble Style
| Tools: | Staple gun, drill, circular saw, miter saw/box |
| Supplies: | 4′ x 8′ plywood and cut to the size of the door you are making, 1′ x 6′ pine boards- we needed 6 boards to frame both sides, trim of your choice, brass wood screws 1 1/2- 1 3/4, stain color of choice, barn door hardware |
The Beautiful Barn Door from Hip and Humble Style is an incredibly easy yet attractive barn door that you can build with only a few stools. You don’t need to make any angle cuts, so you can use almost any saw, and the resulting doo is durable and sturdy. It looks great painted or stained, and most people can have it finished in a single day.
4. Sliding Barn Door from The Decor Formula
| Tools: | Drill, nail gun with 1-inch nails, small trigger clamps, skill saw, table saw, 1-inch black screws, wood glue, rubber mallet, level |
| Supplies: | 7 pieces of 1 inch x 6 inch x 8 ft Tongue and Groove Pattern Whitewood Board, 1 piece of 1-inch x 6 inch x 8ft Square Edge Whitewood Common Board Cut, 1 piece of 1 inch x 4 inch x 10 ft Square Edge Whitewood Common Board Cut, 1 piece of 1 inch x 4 inch x 8 ft Square Edge Whitewood Common Board Cut, 1 piece of 1x4x8ft Square Edge Whitewood Common Board (optional) |
The Sliding Barn Door from The Decor Formula is another sliding door that is easy to use and works well in many situations, and the designer shows you how to build it for less than $100. The door hangs on a large pipe, so it’s extremely durable, and the door is thick enough to block noise, but the rail makes it easy for even a child to open it. Once you have the hardware, you should finish this project in a day or two.
5. DIY Barn Door from Gathered In The Kitchen
| Tools: | Handheld circular saw, brad nailer, air compressor (if you are not using a battery brad nailer), carpenter’s pencil |
| Supplies: | 5 – 8 foot long furring strips cut at the following lengths: 2 – 1×4 @ 4 feet long, 4 – 1×2 @ 4 feet long, 1 – 1×2 @ 39″ long (this length will vary depending on where you place your cross boards), 2 – 1×2 @ 17″ long. 1″ Brad Nails, 2 – D-Ring Hooks, Early American Stain |
The DIY Barn Door from Gathered In The Kitchen aims to help people without a lot of woodworking experience. This barn door only requires a few cuts and results in a barn door that is surprisingly sturdy. You can finish it with stain or paint, and since it is so easy, you’ll find yourself building a few of them.
6. DIY Barn Door from Cabana State of Mind
| Tools: | Circular saw, level, carpenter’s square |
| Supplies: | Tongue and groove boards, 1×6 poplar boards, wood glue, adjustable straps (if none, bungee cords or rope will do), roller guides |
The DIY Barn Door from Cabana State of Mind is another fantastic plan for people without a lot of experience woodworking. There are no angled cuts, so you can make it with a hand saw if that is all you need, and most of the lumber is easy to get pre-cut at your favorite home improvement store. It’s the same size as a standard door, so it is extremely versatile.
7. DIY Modern Barn Door from A Great Traveled Life
| Tools: | Circular Saw, Trigger Clamps (multiple sizes), Metal Straight Edge, Level, Brad Nailer /Nail Gun, Drill with multiple sized bits, Tape measure |
| Supplies: | (1) 3/4” Plywood cut to Door Size, (1) Sheet of 1/8” Eucaborard, (4) 1”x6” Pre-Primed Trim Boards, Wood Glue, Wood Filler, Silicone Caulk or Trim Sealant, Brad Nails, Primer / Paint / Spray Paint, Barn Door Hardware, Door Pull |
The DIY Modern Barn Door from A Great Traveled Life is another plan to help beginners create a professional-looking barn door for their home. This design results in an attractive and durable door that’s suitable for any room in your home. Finishing with paint helps ensure it doesn’t distract from the rest of your home. Instructions are in video form, so they are easy to follow.
8. DIY Z Barn Door from MJC Hardware
| Tools: | Clamp set, saw horses, miter saw, electric finish nailer with 1″ to 1 1/4″ finish nails (optional but will speed up process), paintbrush |
| Supplies: | 1×6 tongue and groove board, 1×6 outer trim pieces, 1×6 or 1×4 board for the inner “Z” brace, gorilla wood glue, wood filler, choice of wood paint or stain, sandpaper, drill bits, wood screws, barn door hardware |
The DIY Z Barn Door from MJC Hardware is a fun-to-build project that we put on the moderately difficult pile due to the challenging angle cuts required on the center support board, but with patience and careful measurements, beginners shouldn’t have any problems. The resulting door is about the same size as many standard doors, and it looks great as a bedroom or garage entrance door.
9. DIY Barn Door from Jenny Weg
| Tools: | Miter saw, sander, square, jigsaw, air nailer, drill, tape measure |
| Supplies: | (2) – 1 X 8 X 8, (5) – 1 X 4 X 8, (2) – 1 x 6 x 8, Box of 1 1/4 inch screws, medium grit sandpaper, air nails (I used 1 1/16) |
The DIY Barn Door from Jenny Weg shows you how to complete your project for only $50. The instructions include a full list of supplies, and the instructions are easy to follow and well written. There are no difficult angle cuts, and we finished our door in a single day.
10. Double Pantry Barn Door from Designing Vibes
| Tools: | Table saw, wide foam brush, rag for stain |
| Supplies: | 1.25” wood screws (12), Tongue and Groove Pattern Stock Board (8), 1”x 4”x 6′ Common Board, Chrome Square Door Hinges (4), 18” Chrome Handles, stain, paint |
The Double Pantry Barn Door is one of the more complex projects on this list so far, but we are confident that most of our readers will be successful. This project provides you with a great way to close a wide area like a closet, pantry, or growing room. The doors swing open, and you operate them with large steel handles. We found a huge selection of handles at the local hardware store to customize the plan and make it even more fun to build.
11. Surprisingly Simple Barn Door from Domestic Blonde
| Tools: | Chop saw, skill saw or miter saw, |
| Supplies: | Liquid nails , igh grit sandpaper (at least 250), primer , paint color of choice, barn door hardware kit, barn door handle, wood for door/trim |
The Surprisingly Simple Barn Door from Domestic Blonde is a great project that allows you to build a barn-style replacement door using very few tools and materials. A large sheet of plywood replaces many individual boards so you can complete this project in just a few hours.
12. Pallet Wood Barn Door from Ana White
| Tools: | Reciprocating saw with a 12” demolition blade |
| Supplies: | Old pallets, 2x3s |
The Pallet Wood Barn Door from Ana White shows you how to make your barn door from recycled pallets that you can often find for little or no cost. It’s an easy-to-build project that will only take a few hours once you locate a few pallets. We painted ours, and it looked amazing and cost almost nothing.
13. DIY Slat Barn Door by The Orange Home
| Tools: | Detail sander, nail gun with small 0.5 inch finishing nails |
| Supplies: | 1 plywood sheet – i got mine cut to fit my hardware: 76″ x 36″ at 0.5 inch thick, 10-12 pine trim slats – thickness was 0.75″ w x 0.5″ h, ours came in 10 ft form that we later cut, minwax wood filler, stain of your choice, wood glue |
This DIY Slat Barn Door is an excellent and effortless way to add charm to your living room or bedroom. Crafting this project requires only a few essential tools and materials and can be finished in a day. Even if you are a beginner, you will be able to manage this tutorial fairly easily.
14. Easy Barn Door by Living Letter Home
| Tools: | Table saw, tape measure, nail gun |
| Supplies: | 1x6x8 tongue and groove boards (x6), 1x4x10 boards (x2) for the trim around the edges, 1x6x6 board (x1) for the piece in the middle, Stain color of your choice, Wood glue, Barn door handle, Wall mounted barn door guide, Barn door hardware, Wood conditioner (optional), Full length mirror (optional), Command strips if you’re going to hang a mirror like we did (optional) |
If you have some experience using power tools, you can manage this Easy Barn Door tutorial. It is pretty simple, requiring you to make several basic cuts and assemble everything. As an addition, you can add a mirror to the structure, which will combine the style with functionality. By the end of this helpful tutorial, you’ll have a gorgeous rustic barn door perfect for any room.
| Tools: | Circular saw, Rip-cut circular saw guide (optional), Miter saw (hand-powered or electric), Random orbit sander, 220-grit sanding discs, Tape measure, Brad nailer, Clamps, Iron or Cricut EasyPress Mini, Paint sprayer (optional), Jigsaw |
| Supplies: | 3/4-inch birch plywood, (1) 1 x 4 x 8 pine board, (8) 1 x 2 x 8 pine boards, 12-inch pine round, Veneer edging, Primer, ,White paint, Pre-stain wood conditioner, Stain, Construction Adhesive, Sliding barn door hardware kit |
If you want to add a distinctive style and elegance to your bedroom, this Simple and Beautiful Sliding Barn Door is just the right tutorial. This tutorial includes using power tools to cut and refine the materials, but the result is worth it. If you enjoy being creative and innovative, use this tutorial for your inspiration.
16. DIY Barn Door on a Budget by Lily Ardor
| Tools: | Miter saw, kreg jig, small clamps, drill |
| Supplies: | 1x – 1″x4″x6ft, 6x – 1″x4″x8ft, 1x- 1″x6″8ft, 1x – birch plywood or to match your pine, stain, screws, small nails, hardware |
One of the easier barn door plans you’ll find is this DIY Barn Door on a Budget. You can save plenty of money and time by crafting these elegant minimalistic barn doors. This tutorial contains all the sketches and measurements that might work for your space as well, or you may need to modify them a bit to match your home. You’ll need several power tools to complete this project, but you can do it in a day with proper organization.
17. Original Door DIY Sliding Barn Door from Hometalk
| Tools: | Sander, marker, saw, drill |
| Supplies: | Wood filler, paint, 2×2 and 1×2 boards, wood glue, brad nails, |
If you are looking for a unique door that will impress all your guests, consider using your original door as a base for the barn doors. Since barn doors are generally taller and wider than normal doors, there will be some modifications you’ll need to make, but the result will surprise you. Use this Original Door DIY Sliding Barn Door as a guide on how to style the plain doors and make them into something much more unique and stylish.
18. DIY Geometric Barn Door from House on Longwood Lane
| Tools: | Drill, kreg jig, clamps, brad nailer, pencil, sander, damp cloth |
| Supplies: | Hardboard door slab, plywood of MDF board, wood glue, spray paint |
A perfect way to add dynamics to a simple space is by implementing a unique door design. Sliding doors already add a lot of new energy into a room but adding geometrical forms into their design creates an entirely new and fun effect. This DIY Geometric Barn Door tutorial requires the use of power tools which might be an excellent challenge for the DIY beginners out there.
19. Modern DIY Double Sliding Door by Cara Newhart
| Tools: | Miter saw, nail gun, box knife, Kreg Pocket Hole Jig |
| Supplies: | 1×4″ boards, pole wrap, DIY Half Moon Handles, Barn Door Hardware (for double doors), Clean Metal Primer, Gold Spray Paint, primed 1×4 header board, wood glue |
Plenty of ways exist to experiment and create a barn door customized to your liking. This Modern DIY Double Sliding Door is an amazing tutorial for an elegant sliding door, perfect for a softer bedroom look. The tutorial itself is not hard at all with the right tools and materials.
20. Rustic Sliding Mirror Barn Door by Swift Wellness
| Tools: | Power drill, 220 Grit Sanding Paper |
| Supplies: | (1) – 2 in. Polyester/Bristle Blend Flat Stain and Polyurethane Brush, your stain of choice, (1) – 36” x 60” Mirror, (1) – Barn Door Hardware Kit, (1) Tube Liquid Nail |
Creating a functional and visually stunning barn door is possible with this Rustic Sliding Mirror Barn Door tutorial. This relatively easy tutorial will be easy for all DIY lovers, regardless of their skill level. Following this tutorial carefully gives you a perfect result that will look stunning in your bedroom.
Related Read: 56 DIY Wood Pallet Ideas (with Pictures)
Summary
There are several great plans on this list, and the vast majority of them are easy enough that someone without a lot of experience or tools can build them. We recommend starting with either the Beginner Barn Door from Gathered in the Kitchen or the Surprisingly Simple Barn Door Plan from Domestic Blonde for most people as a first project to test the waters. If supplies are a problem, you can find pallets behind many grocery stores, and the manager will likely sell them to you or let you take them. Once you have pallets, you can practice by building the Pallet Wood Barn Door from Ana White.
You might also be interested in: 15 DIY Pantry Cabinet Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: shannonrphillips, Pixabay
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