Easy DIY Blanket Ladder: A Pottery Barn Knock Off

This is the easiest DIY and it makes a big impact. Blanket ladders have been all the rage lately. They’re rustic and cozy. They add height and texture to a room. They are also ridiculously overpriced for what they are; pieces of wood screwed together.

Like most DIY’s this started with me seeing what I wanted in Pottery Barn and deciding that I could make it for (much) cheaper. If you have 20 minutes to spare you can make this too!

I love you Pottery Barn, but it’s just not happening at that price!

As far as materials go you just need a few straight boards. I used 1x3’s but you could definitely use 2x4’s if you wanted it to look more like a “real” ladder. 1x3’s run around $6 each near me and you will need 2-3 depending on the height and width you want.

The first thing you will do is measure and make your cuts. I wanted my ladder to be 6 feet tall so I measured two boards to 72 inches and drew a line. These will be the sides of your ladder

It’s totally optional but on one end of each of the side pieces you can create an angle at the bottom using your speed square. I did mine at 5 degrees just so the ladder would sit flush and be more sturdy. This part is not necessary but you may want to.

A good tip? Be sure your drill is charged so that you don’t get three quarters of the way into a cut only to have it die!

Next, you need your rungs. However long you cut them is how wide (plus two inches) that your ladder will be. Initially I measured out 12 inches but I felt that was going to be too small for blankets so I went with 16 inches. I cut 4 rungs at 1x3x16” but again you could cut more if you wanted more rungs.

The final step before you put it all together is to measure out where you want your rungs. I concentrated mine towards the top because it’s going behind my couch but if you are putting it against a wall you will want to space them more evenly.

Line up your rungs between the two side pieces and drill them in. I used self-tapping wood screws so I didn’t have to pre-drill but you may have to depending on the screws you have.

If you wanted to be all fancy-schmancy you could do pocket he’s to attach the rungs and then you won’t have any screws on the side. I didn’t, because let’s get real... I’m throwing blankets on this thing, no one will care about the screws. If the screws really bother you and you don’t have a kreg jig for pocket holes you can use wood filler to cover them. Again, I left them.

Once the rungs are attached sand it (you want to sand really well if you’re putting blankets on it) and stain it. You’re done! I told you that was easy! Seriously though, if you’ve wanted in on this trend then don’t spend crazy money on one (unless that’s your thing),just make it.

I used Minewax Stain in Dark Walnut. I just love how it highlights the natural beauty of the wood. I used a rag for most of it and occasionally a brush. If you have hard to reach crevices you can also use a q-tip!

I added a chunky knit blanket and some forsythia to mine for Spring. Sometimes I like to go on a hunt for something I like, sometimes I make it myself. Do you prefer to scour TJ’s for a knock off or make it yourself? Or I suppose if you’re like me, you like both! Let me know if you give this a try, I’d love to see what you do!