Inexpensive DIY Gate Latch/Lock

A little while back we had the problem jump up in front of us of our youngest tot being able to unlock the gate lever walk himself right out the backyard.  Not good!  So after looking up good gate latch locks that were easy to access from both sides and realizing the expense, I figured there had to be a way to create the same function with stuff I had around the house.  Tada!!!

With some scrap 2x4 lumber I had around and some small wood shims or thin pieces sandwiched in between, it's easy!  Just mount the new "apparatus" to the top of your fence so it drapes over the fence boards adjacent to the gate.  I used some thicker copper tubing a had laying around with some bolt screws and washers on both sides to secure the copper tube pin.  For a good snug fit if using a piece of copper tubing, pinch both ends down on the bolt screw once you insert them to give the screws a good grip on the interior of the tubing so it won't slip out over time.  I thought this was a pretty good fix for us and it's easy enough for the older kids and any city worker checking utilities to use.  And the best part is that it's out of reach of you know who for several years to come.