15 DIY Garden Gate Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
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A garden gate enhances the look of any garden—whether it is a small garden or a large one. If you’ve seen a gate at the entrance someone else’s garden or in a magazine and wished you could make it yourself, this article is for you.
A garden gate serves many functions. You can use it to welcome guests and family members, control vehicular traffic, and ensure privacy.
Making a DIY garden gate is a popular trend among DIYers. It’s because it not only saves you money but also allows you to customize its design. Below, we highlight some of the most popular garden gate plans. With this, you’ll make a stunning gate for your garden.
The 15 DIY Garden Gate Plans You Can Build
1. DIY Cedar Garden Gate by Four Kids and a Chicken
| Materials Needed: | Cedar fence boards, decking screws, 3.5-inch screws, cement, garden gate kit, planks of cedarwood, and hinges. |
| Tools Needed: | Tape measure, skill saw, a post hole digger, and a screw gun. |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’re looking for a DIY garden gate that stands out from the rest, this plan might be it. It’s a strong gate that will last for many years. Also, it’s a perfect solution if you have an area of your yard that you want to keep separate from the rest of the space.
A DIY cedar garden gate is helpful if you have pets or children you want to keep away from the garden. If you also love DIY projects, building one yourself can be an exciting challenge.
It’s also a rustic DIY project that will look great in your garden. You can complete this simple DIY project in only one weekend. But, it depends on the size of the gate.
2. Wooden Garden Fence Gate by Buck Horn Cliff
| Materials Needed: | Fencing nails, chicken wire, planks of wood, and welded wire. |
| Tools Needed: | Screw gun, hammer, and a tape measure. |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
A wooden garden gate is a great way to add a decorative flair to your yard.
You can use this DIY garden fence gate for several purposes. It can protect your vegetable patch from neighborhood cats, dogs, or other animals. Also, it can act as an entryway for guests visiting your home.
This gate has a simple design, but it’s functional. You can put it together using a few simple hand tools and pieces of lumber.
It’s one of the most common garden gates because it’s inexpensive and easy to build. However, it does not offer much security, but its sight is breathtaking.
3. DIY Rustic Garden Gate by Saws on Skates
| Materials Needed: | Cedar or pressure-treated wood, pocket screws, exterior screws, and exterior wood stain. |
| Tools Needed: | Kreg jig, circular saw, counter drill bit, a drill, tape measure, and a pencil. |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This DIY garden gate can be a simple way to add a rustic accent to your home’s exterior. The large garden gates are excellent for a driveway. On the other hand, the smaller ones are ideal for keeping critters out of the garden.
This DIY rustic garden gate will keep deer, rabbits, and any other animal that might munch on your plants. It’s tall enough to keep all animals out.
Also, it’s a great place to hang your favorite flowers. You can make it using any wood that you have around. So, if you see some cheap wood at a yard sale or thrift store, grab it if it’s in excellent shape because this is a great project for it.
This DIY rustic garden gate makes a statement and tells people that those who live there care about their home.
4. A Simple Wooden Garden Gate by Joy 2 Journey
| Materials Needed: | Pressure-treated wood, hinges, latch, nails, and screws. |
| Tools Needed: | Tape measure, pencil, hammer, miter or circular saw, and a screw gun. |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Garden gates enhance the appearance of a yard. Whether you are creating a garden gate on an entryway or a garden arch, it’s crucial to choose the best materials for your needs.
Consider this simple wooden garden gate if you have a small area in your backyard that you need to keep off-limits. This design only costs a few dollars to build and can be made in a short time. It’s the perfect afternoon project.
You don’t have to sacrifice much of the aesthetic quality.
5. Cedar Garden Gate by Acre Life
| Materials Needed: | Metal hinges, cedar boards, screws, and galvanized nails |
| Tools Needed: | Drill, jigsaw, cordless screwdriver, painter’s tape, hammer, and chisel. |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This is a timeless and classic gate that you can make using cedar fence pickets. It’s an excellent project for a beginner or someone wanting to add some curb appeal to their home.
This cedar DIY garden gate will provide privacy and beauty to your garden for many years. The material costs are minimal, and the simplicity of construction makes it economical. But you’ll need to buy a few cedar boards and some other materials before starting the project.
The design is simple and unique. You can make it from almost any kind of wood. But if you want a gate that will last, use cedar.
The natural resistance to rot and decay makes it ideal for the outdoors. Also, cedar is easy to work with and has a lovely grain pattern that gives it character.
6. Garden Gate with a Window by Confessions of a Serial Diyer
| Materials Needed: | Screws, pickets, pieces of wood, and hinges |
| Tools Needed: | Jigsaw, pencil, drill, screwdriver, and handsaw |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
A large garden needs more than one entry point. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on an elaborate gate, this DIY garden gate with a window can be a fantastic option for you.
Everything about this gate is cost-effective and easy to make. It’s a basic garden gate that would be easy enough for a beginner to build with only a few tools.
It also offers plenty of room to modify. You can add materials such as stained glass or other decorative windows, hinges, and more.
This gate is awesome because of the window. It adds character and functionality to just any ordinary garden gate.
7. Rustic Garden Gate by Whole Fed Homestead
| Materials Needed: | Heavy-duty gate hinges, treated cedar-tone, coated deck screws, and a 3-inch latch. |
| Tools Needed: | Drill, carpenters square, ratchet lopper, tape measure, and a pencil. |
| Difficulty Level: | Beginner |
You’ve been working hard on your garden and outdoor space. You’ve planted some beautiful flowers, added a new bench, and tilled up a spot to grow fresh veggies.
But now you need a way to keep the critters out of your flower bed. This rustic garden gate is just the thing to finish off your garden area. It’ll add security to all your hard work!
A rustic garden gate creates a warm and welcoming feeling for every gardener and visitor. You can make it from scrap wood or old fence pickets. So, you don’t need to spend much money on it.
This garden gate features a minimalistic design. It’s easy to build and will look great in any yard. Even novice woodworkers can tackle this garden gate project easily.
8. Wooden Garden Gate by Two Feet First
| Materials Needed: | Deck screws, wood glue, nails, gate hinges, cedar boards, gate latch, and cedar pickets. |
| Tools Needed: | Table saw, clamp, miter saw, air compressor, square, drill, pencil, circular saw, tape measure, and Kreg jig. |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This garden gate plan will be a perfect start for beginners in woodworking. The design is super simple and uses basic tools to get the job done.
The only parts you will cut are the frame pieces and the pickets. A wooden garden gate can be the perfect finishing touch for your yard.
It’s not only a way to keep unwanted intruders out but also an excellent way to keep children and pets in. They’ll be safe from the busy streets and other hazards.
A wooden garden gate is the best gate if you are looking for a more traditional look. You can also add this garden gate to other types of fences. It’ll add a little bit of character.
The only downside is that you have to maintain wood to keep it in good condition. If left untreated, wood will rot and rust easily.
9. DIY Double Garden Gate by Howarth Timber & Building Supplies
| Materials Needed: | Softwood of choice, wood glue, hinges, tongue & groove (optional), deck screws, pickets, concrete/gravel |
| Tools Needed: | Saw of choice, spirit level, pencil, post hole digger, power drill |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
If you want a larger accessway into your garden, this double garden gate is a great project that can be adapted for regular garden gates as well. It doesn’t explicitly talk about cutting the wood, so you can use whatever saw you have on hand that works for the job.
This plan also gives advice on how to approach feather edge gates and aesthetic ideas like lattices and floral arches. Even if you’re just planning on painting it white, this DIY plan has some good ideas you might want to write down for later.
10. Cedar Post Gate with Arbor by Rock-Oak-Deer
| Materials Needed: | Chainsaw, drill w/ bits, wheelbarrow, shovel, digging bar, stepladder, spirit level |
| Tools Needed: | Cedar posts, cedar cross members, concrete, gate |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
If a simple garden gate needs some vertical interest, this cedar post gate is constructed with cedar wood and an old iron gate. You could certainly add a wooden gate if you’d like, but that makes the plan more involved.
Designed to keep deer away, this gate arbor could also be used as a trellis or stake support for climbing roses or other plants that need vertical support. This beautifully natural cedar post gate is gorgeous for rural gardens but could be finished for a smoother modern appearance.
11. Classic Slatted Wooden Garden Gate by Francois et Moi
| Materials Needed: | Jigsaw, miter saw, sander/sandpaper, drill, tape measure, level, pocket hole jig, clamps |
| Tools Needed: | Wood boards, pocket hole screws, exterior wood screws, wood stain, hinge straps, knocker/handle, wood glue |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This DIY garden gate has a classic slatted look that provides ample privacy for any garden or backyard. It uses plain wood boards, but you could probably adapt scrap or even pallet wood to do the job for much cheaper. Still, you’ll need some considerable hardware as far as power tools to do this project.
You can use a hinge of your own liking and skip the ornate knocker, but it lends a nice gothic touch to the gate. If you’re unsure how to finish your gate, the plan provides some invaluable tips on supplies to use and how to keep it drip-free too. Lastly, there’s also information on converting a chain-link fence to a gate.
12. Tall White Picket Fence Gate by dreambookdesign.com
| Materials Needed: | 2x4s, gate boards, bolts, washers, cement anchors, cement, wood screws, hinge, latch |
| Tools Needed: | Circular saw, power drill, level, tape measure |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Among the easier projects gathered here, this tall white picket fence gate lends privacy to your garden with a picturesque paint job to boot. Because it requires longer pieces of wood, you’ll have an easier time buying the wood rather than using scraps.
The fence frame is super simple to set up and only requires a couple of cuts with a circular saw, but you could certainly use a handsaw instead if that’s all you have. You can opt for the gate hinge and latch in the plan or select your own, depending on if security is a significant issue for your garden gate.
13. Custom Garden Gate by Wagner
| Materials Needed: | Boards, wood glue, paint, screws |
| Tools Needed: | Saw, power drill, paint sprayer (optional) |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
We’re big fans of this straightforward and easy-to-build custom garden gate, which is customizable to fit nearly any dimensions. Want more privacy? Get longer boards, or cut them short if you just want a waist-level garden gate. To make things easier for beginners, this DIY plan has very clear pictures you can follow along with to ensure your gate looks about right.
A paint sprayer is recommended for finishing your end result, but it’s not mandatory. You could also leave it bare for a rustic look or hand-paint it with a brush or roller.
14. Ledge and Brace Garden Gate by DIY Doctor
| Materials Needed: | Feather edge fence slats, concrete/cement, deck screws, wood glue, hinge, latch, knob (optional) |
| Tools Needed: | Saw, tape measure, spirit level, power drill |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
For a classic ledge and brace-style gate with visually interesting zig-zig struts, consider this DIY plan. It calls for regular old pressure-treated sawn timber boards, but you could substitute with cedar boards for better weather resistance. That’s especially a good option if you don’t plan on painting the gate.
Feather edge timber adds a nice touch to the zig-zag pattern on the front of the gate, but you could cut costs even further by using scrap wood boards you already have at home. It all depends on how much work you’re willing to put into this project because it’s rather basic at heart.
15. Simple DIY Garden Gate by Instructables
| Materials Needed: | Wood, nails, hinges, latch, wood glue |
| Tools Needed: | Chop saw, power drill, hammer, spanner |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Novices that would still like to build their own garden gate will have an easy time with this simple DIY garden gate plan. A chop saw makes your cuts easy, but you could ditch power tools and just use a handsaw. Another note is that while the plan calls for a spanner, a wrench works just fine too.
Although this DIY plan doesn’t mention anchoring the posts, we strongly recommend setting them in cement or concrete to make the whole structure more stable and permanent.
Benefits of Installing a Garden Gate
Garden gates are used as a practical decorative device. Apart from that, below are other benefits.
Keeping Off Unwanted Entries
A garden gate is a perfect way to keep off unwanted entries into your garden. This includes children who may step on plants unknowingly, as well as pets such as dogs and cats.
Improving Home Security
A garden gate will add a layer of security for your garden. With one, you are assured that your garden and the plants in it are safe from thieves.
- Adding Curb Appeal
Installing a garden gate is one of the easiest ways to improve curb appeal and add value to your home.
Besides, it also serves as an eye-catching entry point for guests or potential buyers. They may be interested in buying the property in the future.
Conclusion
You can build a garden gate that works for you regardless of your skill level. You don’t need to know much to create something that functions. The key is finding the right design for your backyard.
What we’ve identified are simply the best of the rest. These designs will most likely fit into whatever space you have. And, as always, don’t forget to measure twice and cut once.
These garden gate plans will be helpful for first-time homeowners. They’re also for helpful experienced construction experts. Not only is it perfect for the yard, but it is an excellent addition to any front entryway as well.
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Featured Image Credit: Peter Mason, Unsplash
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