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DIY Blanket Ladder

Build your own stylish blanket ladder with this easy DIY guide! Perfect for organizing throws and adding charm to your home decor.
Yield: 1 Blanket Ladder

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

  • The first step is determining and measuring the blanket ladder length you want to create. The beautiful thing about this blanket ladder is that it is customizable. Use a measuring tape and mark the measurements of the pine wood with a pencil so you know where to cut when ready.
    My exact measurements for my ladder are as follows:
    • 5 feet (60 inches) in length
    • 16 inches in width
    • 12 inches between each rung.
    I cut two pieces of pine wood at 60 inches and four pieces at 16 inches. There were four vertical rungs up and down the ladder. Since this is customizable, you can make the ladder taller (with 6-foot pieces) or shorter and add or remove rungs based on your needs.
  • The next step is to cut the marked pieces of pine wood for the blanket ladder. Take the miter saw or circular saw and safely and precisely cut along the pencil lines.
  • Position and assemble the wooden blanket ladder pieces on a flat surface so you can see how the wooden ladder will look when complete.
    Place the two 5-foot-long pieces 16 inches apart from each other. They will serve as the ladder sides. I then positioned my first rung about 6 inches from the top and 12 inches apart, descending the ladder. This allowed about 18 inches from the bottom of the ladder. Mark where the rung will intersect with the sides of the ladder.
  • Grab your wood glue and add some wood glue to the end of the rung to hold the ladder together. Try wiping away any excess wood glue with an old rag. Then, let it dry for at least an hour. If you have a clamp available, you can use it to hold your rungs in place while it dries.
  • Now, gather your screws and begin to drill the screws into the wood, starting with the first rung at the top. Since the wooden blanket ladder is already held together with a little wood glue, it will be easy to drill the screws into the wood.
  • Now, it’s time to sand the wood to smooth the rough edges and prep it for staining. I used a 220-grit sanding sponge and sanded it by hand, but if you have an orbital sander available, use it. The orbital sander will sand the wood much faster, requiring less elbow grease.
    Sanding will remove imperfections, create a smoother finish, and allow the stain to adhere more easily. When finished sanding, take a cloth and quickly dust the ladder to remove any dust left behind from the sanding.
  • Use a paintbrush to apply the stain to the pine wood. I chose a darker wood stain color to make it look more rustic. With the type of stain used, I only needed one coat. However, depending on the look that you are going for, additional coats of stain will result in a deeper, richer color.
    Wait for the stain to dry before displaying your clean blankets. Drying times for stains can vary. The dry time for this particular coat of stain should take a couple of hours.
  • This is an optional step if you want to prevent the walls from scratching. as it is likely that the blanket ladder will scratch the walls. To protect the wall, use a small nonslip furniture pad on the edge of the ladder that leans against the wall.
    This will provide a soft, protective solution to prevent the walls from scratching. It will also keep the ladder in place and stop it from moving.