10 DIY Blanket Ladders You Can Build Today (With Pictures)

A blanket ladder is a simple way to store blankets and throws so that they are easily accessible. The ladder can be placed in any room but is commonly put in the bedroom or living room within easy reach of the bed or sofa.

Typically made from wood, blanket ladders take up little space and can be put anywhere in the room where there are a few inches of floor space next to a wall. While you can buy blanket ladders, making one is a really easy DIY project. And because it won’t have to take the weight of a person, it doesn’t need to be as structurally sound as standard ladders.

Below are plans for 10 blanket ladders, some of them using purpose-bought pieces of timber, others upcycling timber that has already been used for another purpose, and all offering a means of enjoying one of these convenient and attractive pieces of home décor without having to pay a hundred dollars or more.

The 10 DIY Blanket Ladders

1. DIY Rustic Blanket Ladder for Under $10 by Sammy On State

Blanket ladders don’t get fixed against the wall; they just lean up against it, and because you’re making the ladder yourself, it means that you can choose the height, angle, and number of rungs that will hold the blankets.

This DIY rustic blanket ladder tutorial is really simple to follow, and because it uses a walnut stain, it gives a rustic-looking finish to the piece. The whole thing can be made for less than 10 bucks.

2. DIY Blanket Ladder by Sawdust Sisters

This DIY blanket ladder uses 2×2 and 2×3 wood, which means it has a sturdier and heavier finish than the first piece, but it is still lightweight enough that moving it around is easy. It also benefits from the use of a driftwood stain that really makes the piece look rustic and means that the finished piece is suitable for the bathroom as a towel ladder. The tutorial is still easy to follow, and the corner guards look good and decorative but are entirely optional.

3. $5 DIY Blanket Ladder by Her Tool Belt

If you thought the $10 blanket ladder at the top was cheap, this $5 blanket ladder costs half the price, is just as easy to make, and looks just as effective. It has six rungs, which should be enough for even the heaviest blanket users, and it uses optional felt pads, which are used to protect the paint on the wall and prevent damage caused when the ladder gets moved around.

4. DIY Wood & Metal Pipe Blanket Ladder by Shanty 2 Chic

This DIY wood and metal pipe blanket ladder does cost a little more, between $30–$40, depending on how many metal pipe rungs you want, and it does require making round holes for the metal pipes to fit through, making it a slightly more difficult build. But the combination of metal and wood gives a real rustic, almost industrial look to it that is really effective. And $40 is still cheaper than most good quality blanket ladders.

5. DIY Blanket Ladder for Just $10 by Life Storage

The DIY blanket ladder costs just $10 to make and takes around 30 minutes to finish. It is farmhouse design inspired and has five 18-inch-wide rungs to hold your blankets and throws. The tutorial uses glue to bond the rungs to the sides, and it uses clamps to hold everything in place while you wait for the glue to adhere.

6. How to Make a Blanket Ladder by Hello Hayley

This tutorial teaches you how to make a blanket ladder, and rather than gluing rectangular slats that can be flimsy although should support the weight of a blanket, this one uses oak dowels. The meat tenderizer in the tools list might seem odd but is an effective means of banging up the wood to give it an aged look. It’s strong, sturdy, and looks more like an authentic ladder than most others.

7. DIY Blanket Ladder for Less Than $5 in Lumber by Domestically Speaking

Assuming you have a decent collection of tools around the house, a blanket ladder really only costs as much as the lumber that is needed to make it. You can upgrade it and improve the look with the addition of some aged gray stain or another finish, but if you have some left over from another project, this DIY blanket ladder costs less than $5 for the lumber.

8. How to Make a Rustic Blanket Ladder by Lamberts Lately

Having previously used a meat tenderizer to age the wood for a blanket ladder, we turn our attention this time to a screwdriver. The screwdriver is used to essentially put pot marks in the wood so that it doesn’t appear brand new. The rustic blanket ladder tutorial also shows you how to apply the stain so that the ladder has an even more aged look. The whole thing costs less than $15 to make.

9. DIY Blanket Ladder by Tastefully Frugal

This DIY blanket ladder tutorial uses 2×4 wood for the whole thing, including the frame and the rungs, which means it is an especially good choice if you have a lot of this size left over from an earlier project. Alternatively, you can get it from DIY and lumber stores at a reasonable price. The rungs on this one are also angled so that they are horizontal when the ladder is angled against the wall.

10. DIY Barn Door Pull Blanket Ladder by Shanty 2 Chic

This DIY barn door pull blanket ladder is a little different because while it has the same basic structure as all other blanket ladders, it uses pulls rather than rungs. The blanket hangs over one pull and sits behind the next, which prevents your blankets and throws from draping down. The pulls also obviously give the piece the look of a country barn door.

Conclusion

Blanket ladders are convenient and offer a great way to hold blankets, towels, or throws. They can be used in the bedroom, spare room, bathroom, or even the living room and offer easy access to an extra layer of warmth.

Using the tutorials above, you can create your own blanket ladder for a fraction of the cost of buying a readymade one, and you can create something that perfectly matches your décor and your tastes.

Featured Image Credit: Woodworking for Mere Mortals