DIY Baby Gate

Since several have texted for more info on the ‘baby gate’ I wrote about in my last post, I thought I would post more information and a picture.

We originally bought a baby gate that had a little door for adults to open and walk through. We tried everything to make it work, however the shape of the spindles along the banister do not allow a pressure activated gate to work. A gate that screws into the staircase would be impossible as well due to the narrow shape of the spindles on top. So I turned to Pinterest!

When I first told Nathan I was making a baby gate and needed plywood and duct tape, he said I would need to find a place to store this gate because I could only use it when I was home alone so no one would see it!! Luckily we had this piece of plywood in the garage that fit perfectly between the end spindles of the staircase. I went to JoAnn’s Fabric and bought 2 yards of a heavy upholstery fabric (54 in wide) – something other than cotton that would withstand sliding against plywood (other suggestions include duck, denim, and outdoor fabric).

I borrowed a staple gun and convinced Nathan to help me use it! I first covered the corners and bottom edge with duct tape to prevent the plywood from tearing up the fabric. Then we wrapped the plywood like a present, wrapping the fabric around the bottom edge twice, stapling only on the back side of the plywood. It only took part of an afternoon naptime to complete!

Jaden will crawl over and just look up at it. It is heavy (I need two hands to slide it over to walk around it- of course it can be done with a baby in hand, too!), but its weight makes it impossible for the boys to push it over. It is rather high for a gate, but since the piece of plywood was already a perfect width, I didn’t want to create a mess and extra work trimming the top down. It will withstand the boys pulling up to stand next to it, drumming it, etc. 

Here’s the link to Pinterest where the idea came from. Slight adaptations as they used PVC pipe for the frame and it was for a dog! The PVC pipe would likely not create a sturdy gate and could be easily moved by the boys – thus the plywood alternative.

The reason for the gate!