How to Make a Simple Farmhouse Door

Looking for a unique way to add farmhouse charm to your porch or interior decorating? Farmhouse doors are a great way to bring character into any space. Learn how to make your own, and find out how you can use this simple door in your farmhouse decor.

How to Make a Simple Farmhouse Door Backdrop

This decorating door idea turned out so well, I absolutely love it.  I actually made two farmhouse doors, using one for front porch decor, and the second one is currently hanging out in our family room.  They are unexpectedly fun to have and make, and are both smaller and lighter decor than the full sized door decor is.  

DIY Farmhouse Door for Farmhouse Decor

This DIY door backdrop idea turned out so well, I absolutely love it. I actually made two and placed one on the front porch, and a second is currently hanging out in our family room. They are unexpectedly fun to have and made, and don’t stand out as much as a full size door does. I hope you love them as much as I do.

In making the faux farmhouse door I allowed the wood materials ( and my need for cheap) to dictate the final size of the door. 

Materials and Sizing

Let me go through the reasoning for the sizing but inn short you will need to cut for each door.

1-tongue and grove panel 24 by 32 inches

1- piece of 1/4 inch plywood 24 by 24 inches

2- 1″by 4″ pieces 22″ on the inside with a 45 degree angle
2- 1 by 4″ 54″ on inside 45 degree angle
1 cross brace 22″ wide with square ends.

Tongue and grove panels come in a smaller size that’s 48 by 32 inches, much cheaper and easier to handle than the full  4 by 8 sheets.  In order for the stripes to run vertically cut the piece in half with the vertical stripes so you get two pieces that are 24″ wide and 32″ tall.

 I chose to have the upper plywood section smaller, so I cut the 1/4 plywood to 24″ by 24″ square.

So there is a one inch overlap cut 1 by 4″ lumber with 45 degree mitered corners 22″wide. I let the outside dimension take care of itself. Just make sure all the cuts are at 45 degree.

Using a 1 by 4 cut two short frame pieces.  Measure 22″ from the inside cut outwards.   Cut the other end in the opposite direction at  45 degrees.  For the second piece I like to use the first one as a template to make sure the two pieces are identical.  

Using a 1 by 4 cut the two long frame pieces.  Repeat the same process but measure 54″ from the inside and cut outwards.

Building the Faux Farmhouse Door

I find using mending plates makes building the faux farmhouse door so easy.   Lay all your 1 by 4 down on a flat surface.  Make sure the corners are even and square and screw the corners into place using the mending plates.  My Pyrenees is never far away and this day he decided to sit right in the middle of my door frame.  I don’t like disturbing him, so he’s in the pictures.

Lay the tongue and groove sheeting across the bottom, and the plywood across the top.  Make sure the two pieces are square and attach with small nails.  

Flip the door over and add the cross piece to cover up the seam between the tongue and groove and the plywood.

Painting the Farmhouse Door

As this is obviously bare wood, I began priming both the front and the back with Binz primer.  I let dry for an hour.

Then using white latex paint (SW-Bright White) I applied to coats allowing it to dry between coats.

Our front porch is covered so I did not add a coat of polyurethane.  If your door will be out in the rain I recommend adding one.

Some Thoughts on Using Power Tools

If you read the blog often you know I am slowly learning to make simple DIY wood projects on my own.  If you are like me and leery of the loud power tools take heart, it gets easier with practice.  In today’s post you will see where I used a small dremel cut saw I bought for Hubs several years ago and he rarely uses it.  It doesn’t intimidate me like the big table saw does, so that’s what I used to cut the plywood.  To keep it straight I used clamps and a square as a guide.  If you don’t want to do that, get someone to cut it for you while you stay nearby and learn how.  

I cheat and use those mending plates instead of fiddling around with a jig for the corners.  I figure I got it built, and love it so good enough.

I am now absolutely comfortable using electric drills and screw drivers.  They are pretty easy to learn and after you do one or two by hand with a screwdriver, you will be well motivated to try the larger power tool.  Sometimes I have issues picking the correct size bit for the screw driver, but I keep coffee nearby and if I get frustrated I go have a few sips before trying it again.

These handmade doors are very functional, so functional that I made two of them. Since they are white I can use them anytime of year and they back a great place to hang wreaths or DIY art without damaging the walls. I also find them handy for blocking the open space of our back patio to prevent pup from looking out. The bright white also works like a lamp, it can brighten up a dark and gloomy corner. Finally in the picture with the eucalyptus wreath hanging on the door I have hidden our dining room table extra leaf behind it. Its so handy.