Read the sequence from the top before cutting, painting, or moving pieces.
See step-by-step how to make a Handmade Dutch door from an existing door! This split door is the well fitted old door project to add charm and functionality to an office, mudroom, or laundry room door.
You can also turn that old door into a sliding barn door, or build a Handmade Dutch door from scratch with our walkthrough and plans.
Handmade Dutch Door From An Old Door
by Karla from It’s The Little Things
Last March I was lucky enough to spot a “Free Stuff” pile just outside of our neighborhood. And in it, was a solid wood, 8 panel door.
I thought it was well fitted.
Will thought I was crazy.
But he knew if he didn’t help me load it into the car that I would do whatever it took to get it in there myself. So, reluctantly, he helped me load the door, and it became mine!
You can read all about it, along with my original plan for the door, here:“Look What I Found”. And see all the readers’ opinions on the door here: “Your Opinions On The Door”
Related Reading: 100 Ways to Reuse Old Doors
So what did we end up doing with it?
Well, here she is…
We cut out the top four panels and replace them with glass AND we turned it into a Handmade Dutch door and I could not be happier with the end result!
The process for how to make a Dutch door was a bit tricky, since we also added the windows. We weren’t entirely sure how well the door would hold up to cutting out panels and sawing it in half, but luckily for us, it was in great condition.
How to Make a Dutch Door from an Old Door
Cutting the door in half to make a Dutch door was the easiest part of the process! Since we also cut out the panels and replaced them with glass, here’s the full process for adding glass pane windows to the door AND making the old door into a Handmade Dutch door.
We intermixed the steps for adding the glass to the door and cutting the door into a Dutch door – you could add the windows first and then cut the door in half, or do the entire Handmade Dutch door process before adding the windows.
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Materials & Tools
To make a Dutch door from an existing door, you’ll need:
- A door that fits the door frame (some adjustments can be made, see below)
- Optional, for shelf: Wood (2×4, 1×4, etc) the width of the door
- Door knob (if not already on the door)
- Sliding latch (to hold the 2 door sections together)
- 1 extra door hinge (for the second door half)
- Wood glue and nails
- Paint/stain
- Circular saw or table saw
- Jigsaw or miter saw (for the corners of the shelf)
- Chisel or router
Dutch door size: When finished, you want your Handmade Dutch door to exactly fit your door frame. Measure as accurately as you can, to the millimeter! Old doors tend to be less uniform in size than new doors. A solid door can be planed down a bit to fit if needed. As you can see here, if the door height isn’t exactly a fit, adding the ledge shelf can make up the needed height, or you can use that cut to remove inches from the height as well to make a well fitted fit.
And to add a window to the door you’ll need:
- Drill with spade bit
- Jigsaw
- Silicone/caulk
- Glass panes cut to fit
- Wood trim
Step 1: Cut out the door panels
We were lucky to find a solid wood door, which makes adding a window much easier. See step-by-step instructions here to add a window to a hollow core door.
Since we wanted glass windows on top of our Handmade Dutch door, we carefully removed the middle panels on the top half. You may be able to use a utility knife to cut the caulk on the panel and remove it that way — we cut ours out.
Use a spade bit to drill a hole in one corner of the panel you wish to remove.
Then carefully cut out the center of the wood door panel.
Repeat for each of the panels you want to replace with glass.
And you’ll be left with a hole-y door like this.
Notice the gap at the top of the door? We’ll fill that in with the Dutch door shelf addition later. If your door perfectly fills your door frame, you’ll need to remove a slice to add the shelf.
Step 2: Cut the door in half
We split the door into a Handmade Dutch door before adding the glass, since we weren’t sure how sturdy it would and we didn’t want to risk breaking the glass panes.
We sawed the door in half to create the split Dutch Door. You can use a circular saw or a table saw to cut the door.
With a circular saw, use a straight edge and clamps to ensure a straight and even cut.
How to Cut a Perfectly Straight Line with a Circular Saw
Be sure to check that the doorknob location will match up with your existing door latch and strikeplate BEFORE you cut the door in half, just in case you need to adjust. Ours was lined up perfectly.
This is also the time to cut a slice out of the door if it’s too tall for your door frame. Most old doors are actually a little bit shorter, like ours, and need a filler piece, which we added later.
If you’re using a door that already fits the door frame perfectly, you’ll need to remove a slice the thickness of whatever shelf or ledge or topper you are putting on the top half of the bottom half of the door (if anything).
Step 3: Add the Dutch door knob
We also added a new doorknob since our old free door didn’t have one. Some salvaged doors will come with a doorknob, but most around here don’t.
Step 4: Add the Handmade Dutch door shelf
We added a shelf ledge onto the top of the bottom half of the door. The original door was a few inches shorter than the doors in our house, so we had to fill that gap. Nothing a direct 2×4 couldn’t fix… Now it’s a well fitted fit.
Depending on the door size you need and the look you like, you might need a thinner 1×4 filler piece. We cut the 2×4 to length and rounded the corners so it wouldn’t interfere with opening the door. Then we secured it in place with wood glue and nails. We added some trim beneath the shelf for support and a decorative touch.
You could also use this process to make mini corbels from wood scraps like Sara did for her Handmade farmhouse shelf.
Step 5: Add Dutch door hinges
No pictures, but once both halves of the Handmade Dutch door were fit for the door frame, we added the hinges to the upper half of the door. Use a pencil to trace the additional hinge location, then chisel out the section so the hinge fits perfectly. Be sure to use long screws to attach the hinge to the door jamb!
Step 6: Add glass panels
Originally, we thought we would use plexiglass to create the windows in the top half of the door, but the more we thought about it, we knew that we could find a piece of glass that not only suited our aesthetic, but one that would make the door that much more unique.
Note: If you are working with a hollow core door instead of solid wood, read How to Install a Glass Window in a Hollow Core Door
We headed to Tacoma and found the coolest glass shop. My only requirements for the glass were that it let every bit of possible light through and that it have texture.
We settled on a piece of glass called “Falling Rain”. You get the picture – a little streaky and bubbly. I decided to flip the glass sideways so that the streaks run from side to side, instead of top to bottom.
The glass fit perfectly and we held it in place with a bead of silicone.
Will cut strips of wood and stained them to frame in and secure the glass on the back side of the door.
The wood strips are held in place by a dot of glue and some carefully placed brad nails. You can also caulk or add more trim depending on what you like/need.
Step 7: Handmade Dutch door hardware and finishing touches
We stained the ledge on the bottom half to match the glass trim pieces and also re-positioned a small piece of hardware that was on the door when we first picked it up. I have no option what this latch was used for, but it’s old and aged and I like it!
We also added a sliding lock on the back of the door to keep the top and bottom together, when wanted.
Read more about Dutch door hardware options in our Handmade Dutch door + baby gate walkthrough
Step 8: Enjoy!
I was giddy when it was all said and done!
And 8 months later…I still am!
The Handmade Dutch door with windows lets light into our hallway, which was what I had always wanted. What is the point of having a window in a bright, light-filled laundry room if you never, ever see it anyway?
Now, we see the light!
I can have the top door open when I’m in the room without letting pets/kids in, or close both for more privacy (aka peace and quiet).
And isn’t the bubbly streaky detail just well fitted!
I definitely owe Will a big, huge Thank You for helping me make this happen!
And, for the record, he loves it too.
Handmade Dutch Door FAQs
Can you make a regular door into a Dutch door?
Yes! Follow the walkthrough above. Basically, you’ll add an additional hinge, cut the door in half, and re-hang the two half doors with some extra hardware and latches.
But can you make a Dutch door out of a hollow core door?
Also yes! The walkthrough above shows how to make a Dutch door from a solid wood door, but you can use the same option to for how to make a Dutch door from a hollow core door. The hollow core door will require some extra reinforcement since it is (wait for it) hollow inside… but that’s a great place to attach the shelf to the reinforcement board inside the door.
Why do they call it a Dutch door?
Dutch doors originated in the Netherlands in the 1600’s — yes they really are Dutch! They were commonly used on farmhouses or stables to keep the animals out or in, or for kitchen doors to accept deliveries without opening the entire door.
What is the difference between a Dutch door and a stable door?
A Dutch door and a stable door are the same thing, just terms from different regional dialects (in this case, American English and British English). These split doors are also called half doors or double-hung doors.
Want to build a Dutch door from scratch?
We’ll show you how to build a wood farmhouse Dutch door from scratch using regular pine boards. The bottom of the doors makes the well fitted barn door baby gate.
Get the walkthrough + plansMore Handmade door update options you won’t want to miss:
- Make an existing interior door into a wood barn door for $25
- Step by Step: Flat panel door into 5 panel door
- How to turn an old door into a rolling barn door
- Turn bypass closet doors into sliding faux barn doors
- 40 Ways To Update Flat or Bifold Doors
Originally published 12.28.2010 // Last updated 02.07.2024
