How to DIY Single and Double sliding barn doors affordably

ikea barn door hacks

Did you know you can DIY barn doors using IKEA doors or a kitchen countertop. These IKEA hacks show you how to make your own sliding barn door affordably.

Or if you have old IKEA wardrobe doors, you can upcycle them into a single door or a pair of barn doors.

You’ll need to get barn door tracks and hardware to complete the project. One thing to check, since you’re not using regular doors, is the thickness of your proposed “door”. Most hardware kits accept doors with a thickness of 1-3/8″ ~ 1-3/4″.

1. IKEA Countertop for double sliding barn doors

I used the IKEA EKBACKEN worktop as sliding double barn doors. Using the kitchen worktops as doors kept the cost low. And they have a good solid finish.

The barn door tracks were from Gerrit Homes.

The reason was cost, to get this sort of quality veneer finish using regular door suppliers was too expensive. At first, I looked at using IKEA table tops as they are thicker and lighter. But I needed the height. So it had to be the worktops.

IKEA item used:

Installation was straightforward. I installed the barn door hardware according to instructions. I screwed in the worktop to the hanger using the screws supplied, first drilling pilot holes in the countertop. The rest went like clockwork.

I was worried they may warp but so far as they hang vertically not a issue. I had to trim a bit of the worktop to fit but so far so good. 

You’ll see the existing doors behind the barn doors. I didn’t want to touch the existing doors as then all the fire rating etc comes into play. So this IKEA hack was a very cheap and effective way of covering up existing the doors. 

The IKEA hack can be easily adapted for one door panel.

~ by Rick Maund, Architect  

IKEA Barn door hack using IKEA kitchen countertop

2. PAX Wardrobe Doors Get New Life as Barn Doors

For years, we had an IKEA PAX wardrobe with glass sliding doors. We used it as a closet, as a dining room storage unit and then again as a closet.

In our most recent move, our bedroom size did not allow for the armoire frame to be set up in the side by side configuration that allowed for the glass sliding doors. So we bought new doors for the closet and repurposed the PAX glass doors as barn doors for our two bedrooms.

PAX Wardrobe Doors Get New Life as Barn Doors

This was achieved by drilling holes in the top of the door frames and screwing large bolts into the holes. Then the bolts were pushed through the track in the barn door hardware (purchased from King Architectural Metals for about $150 for two sets) and secured with a hardware nut. Voilà! Barn doors.

Using pax wardrobe sliding doors as barn doors
sliding barn door hardware

Note that the barn door track came longer than we needed so we cut it to size. Also, please disregard the trim that has not been repaired above the door frame. That is a project for another day.

Other IKEA Barn Door Hacks you may like

Barn doors to close up an entertainment center

TV entertainment unit with DIY sliding barn doors

I don’t like my TV as a focal point in my living space. So, I decided to take 2 IKEA BRIMNES bookshelves and make barn doors for them in order to hide the TV. I googled many, many “How-To’s” and combined various ideas other people had. And here is my DIY barn door tutorial.

Mirrored barn door to separate room from ensuite

Sliding mirror door to separate room from bathroom

I converted a MONGSTAD wall mirror into a ceiling mounted mirror barn door, with the aid of the back panel from an ASKVOLL wardrobe.

DIY Barn Doors for IKEA cabinet

DIY sliding barn doors for cabinet

I bought some plywood and pine craft board to make barn looking doors for the BORGSJO shelf. See how I made it.

Jules Yap