20+ DIY Deck Railing Ideas

Having a deck area is a privilege for those who are lucky enough to own country or beach houses.

Whether it is located in the front or back of the house, the deck is a fantastic space for all kinds of activities, from enjoying the views, to having conversations or hosting a small event.

Decks are quite similar to porches in some ways, but while they may serve comparable purposes, decks aren’t nearly as sheltered, so it is important to have some kind of railing around yours, not just for style but also security.

If your house does have a deck but not a railing, or you are planning to build one from scratch, then you might want to look at some ideas of how to build your railing and make it work seamlessly with your deck and house.

This article will show you many DIY deck railing options you can build yourself, so it should provide plenty of inspiration. Here are some great DIY Deck Railing Ideas.

DIY Gutter Garden On Deck Railing

This project is not about building a deck railing, but rather enhancing it. In this case, a “gutter garden” was added to the outside of the railing to make use of the space. via jennifermaker

Sunburst Deck Railing

Here’s an actual deck railing that is quite beautiful and easy to make. All you need to create the sunburst effect are pieces of wood of different sizes, which you will secure to your regular railing in an oval shape, where the larger pieces point to the top edges and they get smaller towards the middle and lower edges. via martysmusings

Cross Style Deck Railing

This is pretty much a typical railing, with its white color and shape. It is quite easy to build, as all you need to do is create the crosses, then add smaller pieces of wood in between to make the squares. via pinterest

DIY Wire Railing

This railing is purely functional and definitely not hard to build. All there is to it is a typical railing, to which the owner added rows of wire. They filled up the open space on the original railing, making it safer, if not better-looking. via sarahmdorseydesigns

The Lattice Porch Panels Makeover

This full lattice porch was likely a little boring and antiquated, so it got a subtle makeover. Instead of adding new elements, this project consisted of creating an open diamond shape in the center of each panel by cutting sections of the wood off, leaving only the outer shape and main crossing. via forsythiahill

Stainless Steel Cable Deck Railing

This railing is, once again, more functional than pretty. The main structure is made of rich woods, but the opening in between the pieces was filled in with rows of stainless steel wire screwed onto the side posts. via suburban-bees

DIY Chippendale Style Railing

A Chippendale style railing is both beautiful and very secure. It is also easy to build once you understand the pattern. All you need to do create your basic cross on each panel using thin pieces of wood and then use small pieces to intersect each section, making the beautiful asymmetric pattern. via areaguides

Classic Deck Railings

This is indeed a very classic railing, as it all white and picket-fence like. Columns divide each of the panels, which are filled in vertically using decorative spindles. via aconcordcarpenter

X Cross Railing

This railing was built from scratch, but it’s as simple and typical as they come. The first thing to do is secure the posts for each section vertically on to the deck. Then, connect the sections with a diagonal piece of wood and another going in the opposite direction. You can add a handrail to finish it off and make it even more secure. via howtospecialist

DIY Railings

This railing is on a porch rather than a deck, but it is quite a typical design. The owner took advantage of the existing columns and connected them, creating a hand rail, then added spindles vertically to fill in the space. via justmeasuringup

Chinese Chippendale Balustrade

This Chippendale pattern is built much like any other, except it was installed off the ground, only supported by the short columns on each side. The other big difference is that each section has vertical pieces on either end, which connect to columns, instead of using the Chippendale pattern continuously. via thisiscarpentry

DIY Classic Look Porch Railings

This porch railing may not be a “white picket fence”, but it is pretty close. Each section is made of a long white piece of wood at the top, and another at the bottom. The two are connected by matching shorter pieces, mounted parallel to each other. Each section is connected to one of the porch’s columns. via doverprojects

DIY Inexpensive Deck Rails Made From Steel Conduit

This is a typical railing, as it is supported by wooden posts that rise from the porch itself and are connected by a matching handrail. The space in between was filled with steel conduits, which were screwed on to the side posts, creating parallel rows. via grandmashousediy

Horizontal Railing On The Porch

This horizontal railing has a very traditional look to it, even though it was built in an unusual way. Three pieces of wood were added horizontally between the porch columns to create the railing sections, and then painted the same white as the house. A matching set of stairs gives access to the porch and the house. via newlywoodwards

Wagon Wheel Railing

This railing’s main structure is pretty much your usual wooden frame, but each section was then filled in and decorated with the addition of a vintage-looking wheel, which gives the railing a uniquely sophisticated look. via pinterest

Safe But Simple Durable Rope Railing

This railing looks just like one of those old wood and rope bridges, as there are several ropes knotted onto the wooden hand railing, which create a sort of netting for safety. The ropes are crossed and then tied again at the bottom, thus fully occupying the space.

DIY Classic Porch Railing

This is, once again, quite a classic porch railing, connected by the white columns as well as the building’s walls. Each section is made of two wide white boards, which are connected by thinner pieces which were nailed in vertically like plain spindles. via handymanhowto

DIY Cable Deck Railing

This is another one of those easy decks, which have a simple, sturdy frame as well as some cables nailed in horizontally for extra safety. via cabinlivingmag

DIY Woven Wire Railing

This is different from previous examples of wire railings because the blue wire was woven into a grid for each section, creating a more visually appealing and even safer railing. The doubled top bar is also quite unique to this project. via hamsterdreams

Lattice Deck Railings

This railing is absolutely beautiful, and it makes a fantastic background for plants and decorations. The lattice sections work very well with the decorative columns and they are very safe as well as beautiful. via bhg

DIY Rope Railings

Our final project is another rope railing, but the crossing pattern of the ropes is more open in this one. The ropes are also framed by distressed wood, which secures and hides the ropes’ends. via doityourself