Building Your Own Pet Gate
If you have a very large hallway opening, you may not be able to find a pet gate that is wide enough to fit that open space. Listed below are steps to create your own pet gate with a few simple items from a home and garden store plus one item from a fabric store.
What you will need:
3 wood garden trellises
1” hinges (amount needed will depend on the trellis style – one hinge per ‘arm’ on the trellis)
2 wooden hangers for the feet
screen door replacement screening sold by the roll (amount needed will vary based on contents of the package and the measurements you have taken)
staple gun and staples
Stain and polyurethane
*Or you can paint*
1 quart primer paint (oil or latex)
1 gallon semi-gloss, high gloss or enamel paint for topcoat
*Note if you use a latex primer you must use a latex paint. If you use an oil primer you may use latex OR oil based paint.
2 paint brushes (1 for primer and 1 for topcoat or 1 for stain and one for polyurethane)
1” decorative fabric binding to finish off the rough edges of the screening (amount needed will vary based on contents of the package and the measurements you have taken)
1 tube clear silicone and caulking gun
2 1” L brackets
wood screws (one or two 2” length - to go through the hanger and into the trellis and four ½ “ length - for the ‘L’ Brackets)
drill
saw
sand paper
scissors
tape measure
Garden trellises vary in size. When shopping for your garden trellises, take along a tape measure so you can measure and figure out how much screening and fabric binding you will need.
Begin by sawing off the legs of the trellis that would go into the ground making them even with the decorative portions of the trellis. These ‘legs’ are usually 1 foot longer than the trellis
Using sand paper, go over the surface where you removed the trellis ‘legs’ and lightly sand down the remaining surfaces of the trellises. Be sure to remove any dust particles before you start painting or staining.
Always paint or stain in a well ventilated area.
Prime all surfaces of the trellises and the wooden hangers then let them dry completely. Usually 24 hours to let the paint cure is best.
Once the primer has dried, begin applying your first coat of paint making sure to cover all surfaces of the trellises and hangers. Let it dry completely or overnight then apply a second coat. Let it dry completely or overnight. *Tip – use plastic wrap to keep the brush safe from drying out and place the wrapped brush into a plastic zipper bag. When you are ready for the next coat just unzip and unwrap and you are ready to go.
If you are staining, apply a coat of stain with a brush and then use an old rag to wipe off any excess stain. Let the stain dry for at least 24 hours before you put a coat of polyurethane on. When disposing of any rags or brushes, remember that some of these products are combustible and you should dispose of them properly. I have put used rags in a Ziploc bag and added some water then sealed it up.
Begin Assembling the Pet Gate:
On a clean dry flat surface, lay one trellis down so that you are looking at the back side. Roll the screening over the surface of the trellis to measure the amount you need and cut wish scissors. Repeat two more times or use the first cut screen as a template for the remaining two. *Note: leave enough overhang of screening so that you can use the staple gun to attach the screening to the trellis. In addition, if this gate is for a ‘small animal’ make sure that you carry the screen all the way down to the very bottom so they cannot sneak through any ‘holes.’
Position the screen evenly over the open areas of the trellis and begin anchoring the screen down using the staple gun. Try to keep the screen pulled tight so you do not create ‘wrinkles’. Each staple should be about 6-8” apart.
Putting it all together:
Lay two trellis panel’s side-by-side and screen side down so that you can begin to attach the hinges on the front of your new gate. You will be installing one hinge on each ‘arm’ of these panels. Repeat this step with the remaining hinges. Lay your last trellis panel down and repeat the whole process until all three trellises are attached.
To install the ‘feet’ you may need to have someone help you. Stand the 3 hinged panels upright. The wooden hangers will be anchored to the middle panel. Using a drill and wood screws, attach the hanger to the panel on a 45 degree angle. This will help avoid splitting the wood on the trellis or having the screw come popping out the other side. Secure the hanger to the trellis with an ‘L Bracket’ on the outside of the hanger. One on each side should be sufficient.
Final Touches
Measure the length and width where the screen rests. Measure out the length of your fabric binding, you will have four strips of fabric binding for each panel. You will be using the fabric binding as an overlay to hide the staples and finish off the edges. Place one long bead of silicone over the staples and screening. Place your first strip of fabric binding over the silicone and press down smoothing out the silicone underneath. Let the silicone dry completely. Repeat this step on all the panels.
Your pet gate is complete and ready to use. The hinges will allow the outside trellis panels to function as a door which will allow people to ‘get to the other side’. Having the screen will allow air flow and will still let your pet see you when you need to leave the room.
This homemade pet gate should not be used as a safety gate for infants and toddlers. Depending on what type of pet you own will depend on how you position the gate so that the animal can not get out.
Variations:
If you want to create your own ‘Japanese Screen’, then instead of using ‘screening’ use fabrics of your choice to compliment your room décor. Finish the edges off as listed above with fabric binding.
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Faux Painting
One technique that adds dimension to walls is creating texture. A simple way to add texture to your wall is by using joint compound that general contractors use when taping walls and prepping the walls for paint. It can be found at your local hardware store, Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Some of the tools that you need are a trowel and a putty knife that is at least 2 inches wide or wider. The application process I am going to describe below is one that I have used. It was fun and I had many people ask me ‘who did this?’ or ‘how much did they charge you to do this?’ I was inspired to do it myself after receiving an estimate of 10K just to prep the 3 hallways and 15’ foyer.
If there is wall paper on the walls it would be best if you removed it prior to starting a texture project. A combination of water and vinegar works really well and is safe for the environment. Using a spray bottle apply a liberal amount of the mixture on the wallpaper to saturate and then let it sit for a short time before you take a putty knife and begin scraping it off. There may be a residue of wallpaper paste beneath but it is not necessary for this project to remove it.
If you do not have wallpaper and it is just paint, you can begin the process right away!
To begin, open the joint compound and using your putty knife begin to mix it up not in a stirring motion but more like moving it forward and backward a bit to make it smooth and creamy. You will need to do this each time you open the joint compound.
Using the putty knife of choice, scoop up a generous portion of joint compound and place it on your trowel, then close the joint compound so it doesn’t dry out. Take a small amount of the joint compound from your trowel and place it on your putty knife. Pick a corner to start the application and begin smearing it on your walls in different directions to create your desired pattern. Don’t worry about getting it ‘all’ in one shot. It would be best to make the initial application, let it dry and see where you may want to add more texture later. As you move out from the corner you can work down and across or across and down. It really doesn’t matter only remember that each wall you start on it should be in a corner. Remember, the whole point you are trying to accomplish is texture not smooth walls. Make it fun not a chore! Turn on the music of your choice and have ball!
When you have completed your texture, let it dry for a couple of days. Some of bumps of joint compound that may be thick will need lots of air dry time. The next step is priming. Use an oil base primer, not latex. This is the desired choice because of the possible wallpaper paste that may have been left under the joint compound and will work great to keep your hard work intact. I recommend that you prime the ceiling and walls where this application has been done to create a seal with the paint where the ceiling and walls meet.
You need to repaint your ceiling with ceiling paint now rather than later because splatters of ceiling paint will land on the walls from using a roller. Two coats should do it however some paints these days are one coat applications. Read and determine which is best for you.
The next step is adding color of choice. Latex paint can be applied on top of the oil primer and I recommend that you go that route for ease of clean up. You can select as many shades that are related to each other to create a deeper faux paint finish like ragging, sponging or color washing. If you choose to just go with one shade, then you are ready to begin by applying two coats of color over the primer to complete. If you are looking for a decorative wall on top of your texture, then it is best to select a light color base coat (make sure you get enough) and you will only need quarts of additional colors to add your faux finish. When you are creating a faux finish with several colors of paint, you need to purchase a ‘glaze’ that can be added to your color. The glaze can also be found in any paint department of the store of your choice. Additional supplies that you will need to create these colors are: mixing pails, stir sticks, disposable foam brushes and a plastic cup that you can throw away when you are done. Follow the directions on the glaze, but what I have done is usually one part paint to 3 parts glaze. Mix it well! The glaze looks like school glue when you open it. The glaze works to deter the drying time for the color you are using so that you can work with blending if that is the technique you chose. If you choose to sponge paint, you will need a sea sponge which you can also purchase in the paint department. If you choose ragging, find a rag at home that you don’t care about anymore and dedicate that for your painting supplies. You will also need disposable gloves for this so you can avoid clean up.
Use the foam brushes to load your color onto the tool or choice such as your sea sponge. Do not dip your sponge into the paint directly! This will cause too much paint to appear on the wall the first time the sponge makes contact with the wall! Loading the tool of choice with a foam brush is the best way to go to avoid globs of paint in one place.
Start in the corners again as you did when applying the joint compound and work your way across and down in small sections. The glaze is your friend and helps you to work with your paint! If you are using a sponge, remember to keep turning the sponge so that you do not create a pattern. You should sponge randomly in sections rather than in a line. The next major advice I want to share: if you start a wall you MUST finish that wall before you call it quits for the day. If you were to stop half way then start again the next day, your application technique will change! It will not look the same!! Check the clock and time you have before you embark on faux painting.
When you have applied all the colors that you have selected, you can soften the look by using that base coat again and mixing it with some glaze. Use a roller and apply to the walls in sections. Using a cleaned sea sponge that is just damp (not wet!!) begin to sponge off some of the base coat to let the colors underneath shine through.
Remember it is only paint! Have fun with it don’t stress out about it. You can always paint over it anytime and you will have saved yourself thousands of dollars by doing it yourself. Need some ideas? Looking for a little more inspiration? The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes (Crafts Highlights)
Additional tips: If you are working on a large area, use cellophane to wrap all your tools and brushes up separately, then store in a zip lock bag until you can get to it again. Each time you are done using your joint compound, be sure to thoroughly wash the compound off your tools and dry them and make sure the lid for the compound is completely sealed to avoid drying it out. Do not let your tools air dry or they may rust.
If you have any questions about this technique, please leave your question(s) in the comment section below.
