I thought a great way to kick off our new blog would be to showcase some of the fantastic DIY projects we came up with for our beautiful outdoor wedding. We planned our wedding in just ONE WEEK, but by how perfect everything was, you would think we had been planning for months (or even years). We had incredible help from family, and the wedding went off without a hitch.
The first project we thought we would teach you how to replicate uses repurposed old doors. Keith owns a home that was built in 1939. It really has some cool things about it, including these awesome vintage doors. Keith stripped the paint off the doors, sanded them, and put on clear semi-gloss polyurethane. They have been hanging out, ready to be hung back on the jambs when I found a fun wedding use for them. I kid you not when I tell you that Keith built this gorgeous vintage wedding arch on the morning of our wedding!
If you have any old doors kicking around, spot them at a junk yard, garage sale, thrift store, etc. then create an arch for any occasion, or even just as a fun garden piece. Here is what you will need:
- 2 old doors
- (1) 8 ft 2×6
- (2) 8 ft 2×4
- 3″ wood screws (approx. 18)
- Skilsaw or 10″ chop saw
- Drill or screw gun – bit to fit whichever screws you buy
Begin by laying one door on a table or saw horses. Proceed by prepping your 2x4s for becoming feet to hold the doors up.
Measure and mark your first 8 ft 2×4 into 4 equal pieces. Each piece will be just under 24″. This will create two feet/braces for each door. Make the cuts using a skillsaw or 10″ chop saw.
Measure and mark the center of each cut 2×4 piece, so it can be attached centered on the bottom of the door. Using a drill or screw gun, pre-drill two holes in the center of each piece, with one of the wood screws. You will end up using two screws per piece of wood when attaching to the door.
Because there will be two feet on each door, you are welcome to measure for exactness, but we just eyeballed it. You can attach each foot about 3″ in from either edge of the door bottom. Go ahead and use (2) 3″ wood screws to attach the first brace on the bottom of the door. Use the pre-drilled holes as your guide.
After the first foot is attached, attach the second about 3″ in from the other edge of the door. Repeat with second door.
Now that the doors have feet and can hold themselves up, prepare the header. You can be the judge of how large of an opening you would like between your doors. Adjust doors to be at a slight angle, while also creating a 3-4 foot opening. Place remaining 8 ft 2×4 flat across the top of both doors. Mark the piece of wood with a pencil, where it hits each door. Make cuts where you marked the 2×4, corresponding to the same angle of the doors.
Take the 2×6 and place it centered on top of the doors. You will want about 6-inches of overhang on each side, so mark the 2×6 at 6-inches out from both doors. This is where you will make the cuts. You can make a straight cut, or give it some style as we did. Keith just eyeballed it, creating one short straight cut, then one angled cut in. This was the look we liked. Have fun with it!
Remember that long 2×4 you just cut? It doesn’t get seen, but gets attached to the 2×6, and is what holds the header onto the doors, creating that archway. Find the center of the 2×4 and the 2×6, and line them up with one another. The 2×6 will stand up on edge, with the 2×4 laying flat behind it. Using the drill or screw gun, attach the 2×6 to the 2×4 with approximately 6 wood screws. Now the header is ready to be attached to the doors.
Place the header atop the doors, centered. Then using a ladder, stand up above the header and install 2 screws through one end of the 2×4, and into the top of the door. Repeat with the other side. The vintage wedding arch (or garden arch) is now complete! Use as is, or decorate to fit your theme.
We placed vintage letters and hanging flower baskets over each door. It was the perfect place to stand for our ceremony. We also used this spot for a funny photo booth during the reception.
Enjoy, and comment if you have questions, or if you want to share your completed repurposed door project!
Do you have direction for doing this so the doors can open and close? I am having my daughter’s wedding at our home property and have two beautiful old doors I would like to use as the ceremony entrance! Any instructions, tips or advice would be GREAT! 😉
This sounds like a lovely idea! I don’t have any instructions on this currently, but I’ll definitely look into adding this. Good luck with everything!