DIY $7 Rustic Blanket Ladder
If you are looking for an easy, beginner project, that will give you a lot of bang for your buck, look no further!
All you need to build this guy is 3 boards, 2 tools and less than $10! You can download the FREE Printable Plans HERE and then grab a coffee and come build this DIY Blanket Ladder with us in our shop!
Just click HERE or the box below to build with us!
Super easy! Right?
Rustic Blanket Ladder
The steps are simple. Mark off, according to the plans, where each ladder rung should be. Attach a rung with 2 1/2″ finish nails and wood glue. We used our Ryobi 16 gauge finish nailer. The rungs should be centered on each 2×3 board so adding a scrap piece of 1/2″ wood, under the rungs will make it easy to center them up.
Just work your way down the ladder, then attach the second side piece to the rungs.
We gave the ladder two good coats of Charcoal Chalked paint by Rust-Oleum! You can find it in most Home Depot stores or HERE on Amazon!
To give the ladder a more rustic look, we used our Ryobi Corner Cat Sander to sand the edges of the ladder, to reveal the wood. Watch our How to Get a Distressed Finish for more detail! Make sure to use a damp cloth to remove the dust left behind. You can add a poly if you would like. Rust-oleum makes a Chalked Matte Spray Paint poly.
That was it!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Building!
Thanks for always having such amazing resources for us. You’ve helped me shorten my learning curve tremendously!
Did you prime the wood before spray painting it, or was it just two coats of the charcoal color? Thanks!
Really that is great idea to build a ladder with in only $7. I love it and I must Use it.
In this article, you share more information, resources, and images.
Just awesome!!
Can you share with me how many types of finishing nailer out of market right now?
Keep it up
Hi,
Hope you are doing well.
sorry to say that I don’t want to stay anymore. Can you please, remove my comment and my backlink.
“James Collins on January 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm
In this article, you share more information, resources, and images.
Just awesome!!
Can you share with me how many types of finishing nailer out of market right now?
Keep it up”
Thanks and regards
For the finish, what grit sand paper did you use for the the distressed look?
I recently made a ladder out of 2×2’s to keep in my closet to use for tall shelves. It’s lightweight and doesn’t take up a lot of room. Now I’m concerned that it’s not sturdy enough. Could your ladder be used as an actual ladder? I weigh 125lbs.
If you used finish nails it probably isn’t strong enough. If you use screws or framing nails that would be much sturdier so the rungs don’t fail.
So cute! Where did you get the blankets? The one on the bottom especially.
When building this project, what type of wood did you use, or does it even matter?
When building this project, what type of wood did you use, or does it even matter?
If you have the Ryobi 18volt nail gun and it only allows up to 2 inch brad nails, what other suggestions do you have to attach the rungs?
If you have the Ryobi 18 gauge nail gun and it only allows up to 2 inch brad nails, what other suggestions do you have to attach the rungs?
2″ will work fine!
Doesn’t the airstrike have a maximum of 2 inch nails? Couldn’t find 2.5 inch nails, then realized it has max of 2.
We used the 16 gauge finish nailer and it allows for 2.5” nails!
Doesn’t the airstrike have a maximum of 2 inch nails? Couldn’t find 2.5 inch nails, then realized it has max of 2.
We used the 16 gauge finish nailer and it allows for 2.5” nails!
How far apart are the rungs?
That info is on the printable plans that are linked towards the top of this page 😀
The rungs in this plan are spaced 12″ apart, 3″ down from the top and 9″ up from the bottom which makes 12″ then each rung is 12″ from each other which equals 72″ which is 6′ but you can customize it if you wanted to. Not only can you finish it however you want with stain, paint, distressed, etc. but you can also make the ladder taller or shorter. You could space the rungs farther apart or closer together and you could use thicker or thinner wood. That is what is so great about having the plans because you can either build it exactly like the plan calls for or customize it however you like or depending on what materials you may already have!! You can use nails or screws, you can use pocket holes or any type of joinery that you want!! The possibilities are endless!
How far apart are the rungs?
That info is on the printable plans that are linked towards the top of this page 😀
It turned out lovely. These ladders are so expensive to buy. Love that this one is so cheap.
It turned out lovely. These ladders are so expensive to buy. Love that this one is so cheap.