Farmhouse Blanket Ladder DIY Free Detailed Instructions

4 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy
A Farmhouse Blanket ladder is simple to make even with beginner woodworking skills. This DIY blanket ladder adds so much character to your space, you may want to make more than one!
Have you seen these blanket ladders all over the place? I have been noticing them for years. They are so perfect for storing those extra throws that you may have out this time of year. I usually keep throws in a basket, but that takes up precious floor space. These are great if space is limited.I couldn’t help but notice the price on these ladders! Yikes! Having that DIY spirit, I knew we could make one for cheap or better yet FREE!
Step 1: Gather materials


As always you need to gather your materials. For this project I shopped our garage. I was lucky enough to find three 10 ft long 1×2 oak boards! I am not sure what they were left over from, but there they were!! If you don’t have a surprise in your stash like that, you could use pine and make these for cheap!
  • You will need a saw, or you could have your boards cut to size at the lumber store.
  • You will need either screws or nails to attach the boards together.
  • Wood glue is also helpful for making it more rigid.
Step 2: Figure Dimensions


Of course you can make this whatever size you like. I will share my dimensions with you. I decided to make it 6 feet tall. 18″ wide and 12″ between each rung. The space at the top and bottom is around 6″.That means I cut the side boards to 6′, then I cut six boards to 18″.
Step 3: Cut the Boards


Now you need to measure and mark your boards. Using a mitre saw, you can easily cut the boards to size.
Angled tops and bottoms


Angled tops and bottoms
Step 4: Angled Rungs or Not?


I like the look of the rungs being angled. To do this, I asked my husband for help…because, well…math. Here is how we decided to do the angles. I showed him approximately how I wanted it to look, and he drew a pencil line to mark that angle on the board.
Hold it flat
This is pivoting out to 26 degrees to match the initial line.


Mark the lineHe then used this handy little tool called a  speed square to make sure each angle was exactly the same. To do this, he hooked the speed square up like he was going to make a perpendicular line. He then pivoted the bottom part of the square until it matched the line we marked together, and then made note of the angle reading on the square. All he had to do then was move to the positions I had marked for rungs, pivot the speed square to that same angle, and mark the line.If you don’t want to angle them, just attach them straight.
Step 5: Assembling the Blanket Ladder


To assemble the farmhouse blanket ladder, you can either use 2″-3″ finishing screws or you can use nails like we did. We have a finish nailer, and that worked really well for assembling the blanket ladder. It went quickly and easily.Before you nail or screw it, a bit of wood glue is a good idea. I used way to much on this first rung, but used less on the next ones. If you use too much, you can just wipe it away. If you don’t wipe it away, it will affect the finish of your stain.
Step 6: Finish Your DIY Blanket Ladder
For the finish on this ladder, first give it a good sanding. I then stained it with minwax dark walnut stain. This finish looked very pretty, especially on the oak wood. However, I wanted a bit more depth to the finish.I decided to give this farmhouse blanket ladder a limed wax finish. This is easily achieved with  Briwax Liming Wax. One can of this will cover many many projects! I have done two tables, and this ladder with one can, and I have about half of the can left!
I hope you give this diy blanket ladder a try! It is so rewarding to make something out of things that you have lying around! It’s also very fun to learn to use tools and make something all by myself…well almost!!
Resources for this project:
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The Everyday Farmhouse
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 13 comments
  • Darlin Darlin on Mar 08, 2021

    I know that this is an older post, but it's one of the best that I have seen, your post is clear and I understand all the info... most do so much talking and talk about stuff that doesn't even relate to their post. So Thank you very much... 😊😊😊

    O and it maybe old news to others but its new news for me...lol Thank you 😊😊😊

    • The Everyday Farmhouse The Everyday Farmhouse on Mar 08, 2021

      Thank you so much for the encouragement! I love and use the blanket ladder! I hope you make one for yourself! I never did understand that “old news” comment! When I follow instructions for something, I like to read three or four tutorials and take the best tips from each! The more the merrier! Have a great week!😊

  • Linda Moore Linda Moore on Sep 25, 2022

    I love it!!!

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