Snow Day DIY - Blanket Ladder

There's nothing quite like a soft, cozy blanket on a cold winter's day. Throw in your hot beverage of choice and a binge-worthy book or TV series, and we'd say that day is darn near perfect!

When you live in a climate where the temperature dips below freezing, it's not a bad idea to have an excess of blankets on hand. But where do you store them? Draping too many blankets over the couch can begin to look cluttered, and bins and baskets can often be difficult to shuffle through. Blanket ladders have been rising in popularity over the last few years - they offer a stylish and convenient way to both store and display your blankets that make them easily accessible.

1. Measure

First, measure your wood pieces. You'll need two pieces measuring 6'. and four pieces measuring 18". Mark your cut lines with a pencil, pen, crayon, or whatever writing utensil you have on hand- we'll be sanding away any imperfections later! Remember what your dad said, "measure twice and cut once!" 

2. Cut

Once you have all the measurements made, it's time to cut! Use whatever type of saw you're most comfortable with - we used the Genesis Circular Saw with Rip Guide.

3. Sand

Now it's time to get sanding! Let your sander do the grunt work - smooth out any imperfections in the wood or rough-cut edges. Sanding is vital because it creates a smooth base for your stain to be applied to. 

*This step can also be done using sandpaper or a sanding block. 

4. Drill

Get excited - assembling your blanket ladder is the next step! Measure and mark your drill points to ensure all your "steps" are the same distance apart. 

*To prevent the wood from splitting, make sure to pre-drill holes. 

5. Stain 

Staining is the fun part! Put on your gloves and grab the Minwax Wood Finish (we used Jacobean), a brush, and a rag - an old t-shirt does the trick! Dip the brush into the stain and dab it over a section. Use the rag to evenly distribute the stain over your working section - a little goes a long way! Continue this until your entire ladder is covered! Give it a second or third coat if you think it's necessary. 

6. Protect

After the stain has dried,  protect all your hard work with a few coats of Minwax Clear Aerosol Lacquer. The finish is completely up to you - we used Clear Satin! 

***Give your blanket ladder some time to dry completely! We know you're excited, but don't use it prematurely - you could end up with wood stain or lacquer on your favorite blanket! 

Lastly, once your ladder has had time to dry, to prevent it from slipping or damaging walls or floors, add some wall grips and felt strips to each end. 

Admire your hard work! A blanket ladder is perfect for displaying your favorite blankets or handmade afghans and would make an excellent, unique gift! Make a smaller version for the bathroom towels, or maybe a PVC pipe version for drying pool towels - but those are DIY's for another day!  

All the tools and materials used for this project can be found at your nearest Valu Home Center. Tried this or another DIY? Tag us on social!