DIY Baby Stairs Gate for Around $10
I have stairs, and i have a toddler.
If i wanted to keep having a toddler, i needed a way to keep him out of the stairs.
So explored the local baby markets, and found a gate for $100+.
Well i thought that was a bit too much, so i started thinking how i can make one for less.
One stop to the garden shop later, i found everything i needed to make the gate happen.
And the best part is that it cost less than $10. I just saved $90+.
So let's get started with the parts needed for this:
1. Plastic straps. LOTS of them. Cost $2
2. Key chain rings (i dont know what these are called) Cost - Free, i had 2 old ones i wasnt using
3. Flexible wooden support (can get at your local garden shop). Cost - $8
4. Carabiner keychain. Cost $1
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First of all, make sure the wooden support is as high if not higher than your toddler.
Then you need to put 2 straps at the side of the wooden support.
Place them at the joints, but make sure to leave enough room for the wooden support to flex.
Add 2 straps on the railing, at the same height where the plastic wraps on the support are. Those you can tighten all the way.
If you did this the right way, the railing can now open and close. Test it a few times to make sure it can open and close properly. If it cant, test out a few positions for the plastic wraps, you may not get it right on the first run.
But now we need to make it lock, or it's useless the way it is.
My stairs are see through, and i was able to pull a couple of straps around the stair, and pull a keychain ring through it.
You do the same on the end of the wooden support.
A plastic strap and a keychain ring.
Now we need something to bind them together, but allow us to open it, but not the toddler.
The carabiner key chain allows us to do that. Strap it to the keychain on the stair, and now you can lock the gate.
One note, place the locking keychain on the wooden support as higher possible. If it's low, the toddler will be able to push it aside sufficiently enough to squeeze through. Taking it higher up makes this impossible.
Anyhow, this is the finished product. My toddler is 2 now, and to date has not been able to hack the gate.
Note: There is one downside to this, and that's when you open the gate there is a danger of you pinching your fingers (happened to me 2-3 times). But considering i saved $90+ i'm ok with that :)
If i wanted to keep having a toddler, i needed a way to keep him out of the stairs.
So explored the local baby markets, and found a gate for $100+.
Well i thought that was a bit too much, so i started thinking how i can make one for less.
One stop to the garden shop later, i found everything i needed to make the gate happen.
And the best part is that it cost less than $10. I just saved $90+.
So let's get started with the parts needed for this:
1. Plastic straps. LOTS of them. Cost $2
2. Key chain rings (i dont know what these are called) Cost - Free, i had 2 old ones i wasnt using
3. Flexible wooden support (can get at your local garden shop). Cost - $8
4. Carabiner keychain. Cost $1
____________________________________________________________________________
First of all, make sure the wooden support is as high if not higher than your toddler.
Then you need to put 2 straps at the side of the wooden support.
Place them at the joints, but make sure to leave enough room for the wooden support to flex.
Add 2 straps on the railing, at the same height where the plastic wraps on the support are. Those you can tighten all the way.
If you did this the right way, the railing can now open and close. Test it a few times to make sure it can open and close properly. If it cant, test out a few positions for the plastic wraps, you may not get it right on the first run.
But now we need to make it lock, or it's useless the way it is.
My stairs are see through, and i was able to pull a couple of straps around the stair, and pull a keychain ring through it.
You do the same on the end of the wooden support.
A plastic strap and a keychain ring.
Now we need something to bind them together, but allow us to open it, but not the toddler.
The carabiner key chain allows us to do that. Strap it to the keychain on the stair, and now you can lock the gate.
One note, place the locking keychain on the wooden support as higher possible. If it's low, the toddler will be able to push it aside sufficiently enough to squeeze through. Taking it higher up makes this impossible.
Anyhow, this is the finished product. My toddler is 2 now, and to date has not been able to hack the gate.
Note: There is one downside to this, and that's when you open the gate there is a danger of you pinching your fingers (happened to me 2-3 times). But considering i saved $90+ i'm ok with that :)