Article: Before you get to sawing, gluing, and sanding, you'll need to know exactly how big your door needs to be. Find the height and width of your empty doorway by running a tape measure down one side, then stretching it across the top. Make sure you jot your measurements down. You'll need to refer back to them later while you're cutting the panel for your door. Run down to your local hardware store or home improvement center and purchase a sheet of plywood to use as the main panel for your new door. For a standard interior door, 12in (1.3cm) plywood will work best. A solid piece of plywood will create a door with a much sturdier construction than the hollow-bodied variety installed in most homes. Using the measurements you recorded earlier, draw one line down the length of the plywood corresponding to the height of the doorway and another line across the top to indicate the width. This will create a rough outline for your door panel. Use a ruler or straight edge to confirm that your lines are straight and precise. Otherwise, you could end up with a door that doesn't fit! to the correct dimensions using a circular saw. Guide the saw blade slowly over the plywood sheet along the height and width lines you just drew to trim the excess material from the edges. Depending on how your work bench is set up, you'll need to reposition either the plywood or the saw when it comes time to make your second cut. Laying a separate piece of lumber along your measurement lines will ensure cleaner cuts and help prevent mistakes. The standard size of an interior door is 80 inches (200cm) x 2430 inches (6176cm). Run an electric sander or sheet of high-grit sandpaper over both sides of the panel, using even pressure to ensure that the outer surface is smooth and level. Once you've sanded both faces, turn your attention to the edges of the panel. You may have to clamp or brace the panel against another object to hold it steady while you sand the edges. At this point, you can either move on to painting and installing the mounting hardware if you're satisfied with a plain, flat door, or cut a few more pieces of plywood to add textural accents to your blank panel.
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Measure the doorway where you'll be installing your door. Acquire a 4ft (1.2m) x 8ft (2.4m) sheet of 12in (1.3cm) plywood. Mark the doorway dimensions on your plywood sheet with a pencil. Cut the plywood Sand the entire door panel.