The Ultimate Throwmance: How to build a blanket ladder

Published: January 24, 2017 | Updated: October 5, 2018

Curling up on the sofa with a warm throw is my go-to after work and a must during movie night. It’s also an added bonus that my boyfriend’s mom loves quilting. I’m obsessed with all of our different throws and quilts, but I don’t have a place to display and store them. So I thought what better way than to build a blanket ladder. I found these super easy-to-follow rustic ladder plans here

Depending if you have the wood stains, this project could cost as low as $40 and shouldn’t take you more than a few hours. I think it’s the perfect Saturday morning project. See the steps I took below to create this adorable blanket ladder.

Supplies List:

Wood saw (or see if you can make the cuts at your local hardware store)
2- 2″ x 3″ at 8′ (legs)
1- 1″ x 48″ round dowel rod
1- 1″ x 36″ round dowel rod
120-grit sand paper
Measuring tape
Pencil
Painter’s tape or duct tape
1″ spade bit
Safety glasses
Drill
Pre-stain wood conditioner
Stain (I chose 2 stain colors: American Walnut & Desert Sand)
Cotton T-shirt or staining brush
Wood glue

Steps:

Cutting and Sanding:

When you’ve gathered all your supplies you’ll need to cut the 1″ x 48″ dowel rod into 3 equal lengths. Each will be 15½”.
Cut the 1″ x 36″ dowel to 2 equal lengths. Again, 15½”.
Cut 2″ x 3″ wood legs to 7′.
Sand the dowel rods and legs with the 120-grit sand paper.
Once completed, wipe each piece with a damp rag to remove dust.

Measuring and Drilling:

Starting from the top (or bottom) of each leg, use a pencil to mark 14″ intervals (you will end up with 5 marks).
At each 14″ interval, mark the middle of the leg (this is where you’ll drill holes for the ladder rungs).
Before drilling the holes, wrap painter’s tape around the spade bit—½” from the flat lower part. See pic for details. This helps you visually gauge where to stop drilling.
Using the wrapped spade bit, drill 5 marked holes in each leg and sand down edges when finished.

Staining and Gluing

First, wipe down all of the wood pieces with a damp cloth. Using a cotton T-shirt or staining brush, pre-stain each piece and let dry approximately 30 minutes.

Next, dip unused portion of T-shirt (or use clean brush) in darker stain and apply to all wood pieces (I had to take a small paint brush to get in the cracks of the wood). Let dry for approximately 30 minutes. (Repeat these steps if you apply a lighter stain on top of the darker stain, like I did.)

(See pics below for help with this section) Once the stain is completely dry, add wood glue to pre-drilled holes of leg #1 (glue will be about the size of a nickel). Insert the dowel rods in the holes. Add glue to the holes of leg #2. Set leg #2 on top of leg #1 and press firmly so the dowel rods are well connected. Let dry for 30 mins and voila! Your blanket ladder is complete.