Arch Barn Door Tutorial

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Ready to build an arch barn door? Follow this step-by-step DIY arch barn door tutorial for all the tips and tricks to build one today!

How to Create an Arch Barn Door

Ever since the first barn door tutorial I showed you, I’ve been thinking about building another one in a different style. I thought it would be useful and fun to put one in the girls’ room as their closet door. Since I’m a bit obsessed with designs involving arches, and my girls love them too, I sketched out an arch barn door and brought it to life. To date, this is my favorite, and it can be yours too! 

While building a barn door may seem complicated or too hard for a DIY project, these step-by-step directions will help you accomplish it in no time! I think barn doors are pretty fun to build. 🙂

For more step-by-step DIY projects, be sure to follow us on Instagram at @howwedo208! 

Getting Materials

When it comes to any project you want to make sure you have all the supplies you need on hand. You don’t want to start your project only to realize you don’t have all the tools that you need. Although, it is pretty typical to have to make at least a few Lowe’s runs mid-project…

pin image with pink background, bold title that says "HOW TO MAKE AN ARCH BARN DOOR" and an image of the finished room

Supplies Needed to Build an Arch Barn Door

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Step By Step Guide to Building your Arch Barn Door

  • First, measure the size of your barn door. It should be large enough to cover the doorway where it will be hung. I needed my barn door to be 36” x 84”, so I cut the plywood 34.5” X 82.5”. I did this because I will have a piece of trim that goes around the entire door to give it a nice finished edge, which will add the additional inches. So when sizing your door, consider any trim you might be adding. For me, my trim will add 1.5″ to the final door size, so I subtract 1.5” from the height and the width of my plywood. 
  • Next, sand down your plywood, so it is nice and smooth. Sand the top, bottom, and sides. 
  • Set your piece of plywood to the side. 
  • We will be working with the piece of MDF that will sit on top of the piece of plywood. It should be the same size as the plywood piece, 34.5″ X 82.5″.
  • First, you will want to figure out the shape and size of your arch cutout. You will draw two vertical lines for the sides of the arch. I drew my vertical lines each 5 inches from the edge of the MDF. This made the distance between the two vertical side lines 24.5”.  
  • Once these lines are measured and drawn, it’s time to make the arch.  Make a mark centered between the two vertical side lines where you want the top of the arch to be. Take a long, thin piece of scrap wood and drill a small hole just big enough for a pencil in one end; this hole will sit at the top point you just marked for the arch. On the piece of scrap wood, measure down half the distance of your vertical side lines, so in my case 12.25 inches, and make a mark. With the pencil hole at the center of the top of the arch, screw the scrap piece of wood into the center of the MDF board. Again it will be 12.25 inches from the top of the arch. 
  • Once this is secure, stick your pencil in the hole and draw the arch. The arch will connect the two vertical lines. Decide how tall you want the arch cutout to be, and draw the horizontal bottom line of the arched box. My arch box is 33.5″ tall.
  • For my arch barn door I wanted it to kind of look like a Dutch door. So the top half is my arch box, and I drew a square box on the bottom half of the MDF. The bottom box is 24.5″ wide and 34″ tall. The distance from the edge of the MDF to the top of the arch is 5″. The distance between the two boxes is 5″. And the distance from the bottom of the lower box to the edge of the MDF is 5″.
  • I will then use a jigsaw to cut out the arch box and the lower box. You could easily change the size and number of your boxes to fit your personal design. One design I considered doing was a single tall arched box. I also considered doing three boxes, like a three-panel door, with the top box being an arch. See my tips at the end for using a jigsaw! 
  • Once you make your cutouts on the piece of MDF, you will need to secure the MDF to the plywood base.
  • Use wood glue to attach it to your piece of plywood. It is stronger than nails and screws. 
  • Clamp the pieces together and use weights, especially in those middle pieces. Reinforce with some nails.
  • I wanted my cutouts to have a fluted look. You can use fluted molding, but I opted to use dowels; I just preferred the look. I wanted my fluted pieces to be inset, so I used 1/2″ poplar dowels and cut them down to size. I am using wood glue for these as well. You will also want to secure these with some nails to make sure they stay in place. 
  • When it comes to the dowels in the arch, this can be a little tricky to get the perfect cut, so what I decided to do was cut my dowels a little long. I made sure they were all touching the bottom and then I taped them all together front and back. I then created a template of the arch with some heavy-duty paper. I used a little razor tool to cut around the entire top arched piece. Once this was cut out, I taped it to the dowels and used my jigsaw to cut around the template! See it here in IG Stories.
  • Fill your nail holes with wood filler. I like to use PlasticWood. 
  • Using your saw, you will trim out the barn door using 1x2s. I am mitering my cuts at the corners. 
  • Nail these to the edges of your barn door. 
  • Sand your door and wipe it down with a tack cloth. 
  • Prime the door. You will need a really small paint brush to get in the crevices of the dowels. (Or you could use a paint sprayer.) You will want to use 2 coats of primer. 
  • Paint the door! I used Tame Teal by Sherwin Williams per the request of my girls. 
  • Once the door is painted and dry, you will be ready to hang it! 
  • Place the header board up first. Ours is a pine 1×4. Make sure it is level. 
  • The track goes up next. 
  • Drill holes into the door to install your hardware kit. Be sure they are in the right spot! Our kit is from National Hardware, and it comes with a great template which I highly recommend. 
  • Install the door pull. 
  • If needed, remove the top piece of trim if it is too thick. 
  • Hang your barn door! 
  • Install soft close assemblies if you prefer as well as the floor guides. 

Tips for your Arch Barn Door Project

  • Have the hardware store cut your piece of Plywood and MDF. This will help save you so much time. 
  • When it came to the arch dowels, I only used nails. This is because I had to make slight adjustments and cuts as I went, and I was worried there would not be enough time to do this before the glue dried. 

Tips for using a jigsaw

  • Be sure to start the saw before you cut into the wood. 
  • Use a sharp blade and the right kind of blade. For this project, we are using a wood scrolling blade. 
  • Slow and Steady! 
  • And always watch your fingers when using this! 

There you have it! How to build and install an arched barn door! If you like video tutorials, watch the entire arch barn door highlight stories on Instagram. Be sure to tag me on Instagram in your finished projects so I can see how amazing they turn out! #howwedoandyoucantoo

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