30-Day Crafting Challenge – Pottery Barn Inspired Blanket Ladder -DIY

Welcome back to my 30-Day Crafting challenge! And I want to show you how easy it is to make a Pottery Barn inspired blanket ladder for your home. For this project, I was using scrap lumber that I already had.

I think it goes without saying. Pottery Barn has beautiful home furnishings. However, it can be a little expensive to shop there. But you can create your own Pottery Barn look for less. And if you’re looking for a stylish and practical way to store your blankets, a DIY blanket ladder might be just what you need. This simple and inexpensive project can add a touch of rustic charm to your home decor while also providing a convenient way to keep your blankets organized and within reach.

Easy DIY Decor Made By You

Whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or a beginner looking for a fun and easy project, building a blanket ladder is a great way to unleash your creativity and improve your home’s functionality. In this post, I’m going to show you step-by-step how to make your own Pottery Barn inspired blanket ladder, including all the tools and materials you’ll need to get started. So, let’s get started!

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Pottery Barn Inspired Blanket Ladder DIY

To make this ladder, you will need a few power tools, but other than that, there are only a few materials you will need for this project:

• 3 Pieces of 2 x 2 x 8 foot lumber – you can find this at Home Depot or Lowes (you can also use 1×2′ lumber for the rungs, that’s what I did because that was what I had.)
• 2 1/2″ Wood Screws
• Wood Glue
• A wood stain of your choice
• Orbital sander (and sandpaper)
• Saw – you could use a jigsaw or circular saw for this project
• Wood clamps or an air nailer
• Drill and 1/4″ drill bit
• Tape measurer

And that is about it! Yes, there are a lot of power tools that will make this project easier. But I have included some links to different tools that work well and are affordable. And once you have them, you won’t need to buy them again, and you will be able to use them for so many different projects! I love having power tools. It makes DIY projects so much easier!

Now let’s make a ladder, shall we?

How to DIY a Blanket Ladder

Once you have gathered your supplies. You will start by taking 2 on the 2×2 lumber, and setting them up next to each other. These will be the legs of your ladder. Make sure they are even! I cannot stress this to you enough. If your legs are not perfectly even, your ladder will be crooked.

Once you have the two sides (legs) equal, now you need to measure and cut the rungs for your ladder.

For my ladder, I am making my rungs 15″ long. And they will be 13″ apart. This means for my 8-foot ladder, I will have five rungs. You can add more or less, depending on your preference.

After all of the rungs are cut, sand them smooth. You don’t want your blankets getting caught on the rough wood!

Once all of the sanding is completed, then it is time to assemble the ladder. Again, make sure your feet (sides) are equal so that your ladder stands evenly.

Now you are going to measure where the rungs will go on the ladder. To replicate the Pottery Barn ladder, have your first ring be 6 inches from the top. Then measure off 14 inches. This will be where to place the next rung. Continue this process until you have placed all 5 rungs.

Check Out My DIY Farmhouse Style Seaglass Blog Post!

It helps to visualize your ladder before securing each rung in place. This way if you need to make a change, you can, BEFORE attaching the rungs.

Once you are happy with where your rungs are, it is time to secure them to the sides of your ladder. I started this by adding some wood glue to each side of a rung and then putting it in place. You can use wood clamps to secure the rungs in place until the glue dries. But the glue is not going to be enough – you really need to make sure the rungs will stay where you put them. This is where the screws come into play.

Once your glue is dry, you will be securing the rungs with screws. 2 1/2″ screws work best if you are using 2×2 lumber. It does help if you pre-drill holes through the sides where the rungs are attached to the ladder. Otherwise, when you screw in the screws, your wood will split.

I cheated on this part and used a nail gun. If you have a nail gun – this will make fast work of securing the rungs. If you don’t, use a drill and go slowly.

Staining the Wood

This is the fun part! You can really see your ladder as a ladder now and not just random pieces of wood. For the staining, apply the stain with either a foam brush or even a small rag. Make sure you get all of the nooks and imperfections of your wood.

Then allow your ladder to dry overnight, and it’s ready to be used. If you want, you can apply a topcoat of polyurethane. I chose not to. I left it a-la-natural.

When I made my ladder it was Fall, hence the fall decor. But this ladder is not only helpful, providing storage for blankets, but it also adds a little something extra to my decorating. And I think it can do the same for you!

Pottery Barn Inspired Blanket Ladder

And as always, I have a video for you showing you the step-by-step process of how to make your very own Pottery Barn Inspired Blanket Ladder for less than $10.00 in supplies.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. And I really hope you are enjoying all of the crafting projects for my 30-Day Crafting Challenge! I have been a little lax on getting the articles up, but more are coming I promise!

Happy Crafting!