Inside: Make a wall-mounted wood ballet barre in this easy step-by-step tutorial.
Bend, squat, kick and dip…as long as you can do all that you have space to install a ballet barre in your home. If you don’t have a home gym you can put it in a bedroom, office or in a laundry room and have it double as a way to hang wet clothes.
I installed a ballet barre when we did our industrial home gym remodel in our current home, and in my small home gym makeover in our last house.
The cost of a wall-mounted ballet bar including the handrail mounting brackets costs around $20
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*Before you get started make sure you have your Safety Gear. For this project, I recommend safety goggles, ear protection, and a P100 mask.
How to Determine the Height, Length and Diameter of a Ballet Barre
The height to hang a ballet barre varies based on the height of the person using the barre. Therefore the height for a child will be lower than for an adult. Also, consider if it’s for a short vs. a tall adult. Mount the barre at about the height of the main user’s elbow/lower ribs area. To see more specifics check out this post on barre height installation.
I installed my barre at about 41 inches high and I am 5′ 3″. My suggestion is to install it at the height that feels most comfortable to you that fits with your specific exercise routine.
The length of the bar should be no shorter than 24″ and as long as the available wall space. The diameter can vary between 1″ to 2″.
Related: $3 DIY Workout Ball Holder
Here is what you need, and the steps to make and mount the ballet barre.
TOOLS NEEDED FOR DIY BALLET BARRE
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR DIY BALLET BARRE
- Wood dowel 2 inches x 48 inches long
- Painter’s tape (optional)
- Wood stain – I used Minwax Dark Walnut and Weathered Oak
- 220 grit sandpaper
- 2 – handrail brackets
CUTS FOR DIY BALLET BARRE
*Base your cuts on the space available and desired length. If you don’t have access to a saw, have the hardware store cut the dowel for you.
- Dowel – 44 inches
*Tip wrap painter’s tape around the wood when sawing to help prevent the wood from splintering.
STEPS TO MAKE DIY BALLET BARRE
Step 1) After the cuts are made apply your chosen stain. I chose two stains and layered them starting with dark walnut then Minwax weathered oak and one more time with dark walnut. This layering effect gave the wood a gray-brown color. Lightly sand the dowel to give it a more rustic look if you prefer.
Step 2) Use a stud finder to locate the studs on the wall. Mark the holes for the handrail bracket screws. Since studs are usually placed 16 inches apart I was able to place my brackets about 32 inches apart. Drill holes for the brackets and install the screws.
Related: DIY Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
Step 3) Mark and drill the holes for the handrail brackets.
Step 4) Center the wood dowel on the handrails and screw the brackets in place to attach the wood dowel.
Now bend, squat, kick and dip til you can’t dip no more!
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I have a DIY ballet barre in my home gym as well. I love what you did to maximize the space in yours. I am lucky now that I can use my garage instead of a room in my house as before, so there are a lot of options.
Hi Morgan,
It is such a great addition to a home gym! I am hoping to find some barre classes online that I can get some good use out of it. Thanks so much for checking out the post!
Hi !
I’m just wondering if you have enough space between the barre and the wall …. I really want to build myself a ballet barre but I don’t know if a wall-mounted one is the best idea.
What is your opinion on the depth of your barre? Is it tight/enough ?
Hi Audree,
I would say I have around 4-5 inches from the barre to the wall. I feel like I have enough room. However keep in mind I am no ballerina here… I do the barre videos from online. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you for your post! Just installed my barre today! I’m starting an adult ballet classes on Monday & this was such an economic alternative to a “real” ballet barre ($70+). It really does cost only $20 & works just as well.
Hi Tiffany,
Thats awesome! Happy to hear it will work for you. Good luck with your ballet classes.
Where did u get the brackets to mount the barre?
Hi Hannah,
I am sorry I didn’t realize that I didn’t put a link to the brackets. I bought them at The Home Depot.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Can’t wait to install. 🙂
Katie,
So glad to hear this. Enjoy the project.
I’m trying to install one in my basement but it seems like I’m hitting cement on the inside behind the drywall. Would drywall anchors work or would they not be enough support if using the bar for barre classes?
Hi Anna,
I think it depends on how much weight you would put on it. To hold the bar or rest your leg for stretching will probably be fine. I would advise to just use caution until you feel comfortable with seeing how much weight it will support. I found an article that talks about how much drywall anchors can support here.
I bought the exact brackets and dowel from THD that you listed, and I’ve only held the bracket to the dowel to get an idea (haven’t tried to install yet) but the part that screws into the dowel doesn’t sit flush to the dowel once the bracket is between them? Will the screws pull these together once I drill them? Thanks so much for the DIY!
Hi Tory,
To help you better I emailed you some pics of a close up of the dowel and brackets. Let me know if you need anything else.
This looks great! Do you find these brackets strong enough for doing barre chair positions?
Hi Rebecca,
As long as the brackets are in a stud in the wall then it’s strong enough to hold the weight in a chair position. However, I do notice with these particular brackets although they are solid in the wall, the bar does move a little bit back and forth on top of the brackets. If this is a problem you might want to consider different brackets.