DIY Blanket Ladder

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Create this chic and versatile blanket holder for a fraction of what you can buy one for.

How’s your holiday shopping coming along? Are you finding something for everyone on your list? I just finished up my Christmas shopping last week, except for the few unexpected items Santa will bring (you know when you take your kids to see Santa and they ask for something completely different than what they told you they wanted). I usually have a hard time shopping for my husband but this year he was the easy one. My brother was the hard one to shop for. 

I usually get him a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant or store but since he moved into his first house a few months ago I wanted to give him something extra special. So I went to one of my favorite stores, Big Lots, and started browsing for ideas. When I got my first apartment Big Lots was my go to store for affordable furniture and home decor items. Since then I go there to shop for just about everything; toys, food, decor, gifts, you name it! My new favorite is their holiday section, where they have a better selection of items all for a lot less than what I can buy things for online or at other stores. 

 

I started my search there, in the holiday department, and found this super cute lantern. I thought it would be a fun way to add a little winter style to his home, and since they only other lamp he has was the lamp he had growing up I knew it would be a good gift. Then as I was perusing the aisles I saw the softest, cuddly-est (that’s totally a word!) blankets I have ever felt. There were a few different bins full of blankets and there were so many colors and sizes. Styles and assortment vary by store. Blankets are always great gifts to give because you can never have too many; especially living where winters can get really cold. That’s when I remembered this blanket ladder I have seen floating around Pinterest for awhile. How fun would it be to make him a ladder, because ladders are totally manly, for him to hold blankets on for Christmas?!

That’s what I was going to do! I picked a few of my favorite blankets (and a couple extra to wrap up for myself), a couple of toys for my boys and a few other things then was off to build my ladder. We had a few extra 2×4’s from a project we did at my mother in law’s house so all I had to do was pick the paint color (which I used some leftover paint we had from another project) and get to building. This was such an easy build, even for a newbie like me, it only took about 30 minutes to put together. Guests will never know though. The finished product looks like you spent hours (or hundreds of dollars) making it.

Supplies:

One 2x4x10 (cut in half so you have two 5′ pieces)

One 2x4x8 (cut in to four 17″ pieces. You will have leftover wood that you can use for other projects)

Sixteen 2.5″ Pocket Hole Screws

Paint (I used Mark Twain House Ombra Gray, it was leftover from a patio table we painted)

Tools: Paint brush, drill, Kreg Jig (optional but makes it so much easier)

Directions:

On your 5′ pieces measure where you want your ladder rungs to go. I put my first rung 3″ from the top and then spaced the rest out 12″ apart. Make sure to mark and measure both boards.

Draw a 45° angle down from the top of each mark.

Look over all four pieces of 17″ wood and decide which side is ugliest (has the most knots, is rough, etc.) That is the side you are going to drill your pocket holes in to.

Set up your Kreg Jig and drill two pocket holes on each short end of the 17″ pieces. You’ll drill 16 holes total.

Line up your first 17″ piece with the angle mark at the top of one of the 5′ pieces and attach using a pocket screw. Make sure to hold on tight so that the smaller piece doesn’t move. I made this mistake the first time.

Repeat with remaining three pieces.

Set second 5′ piece on ground and attach rungs and repeat previous two steps.

Now it’s time to paint! I love this paint because it dries really fast and the coverage is great. I could have done just one coat but I forgot to paint the back so I decided to run a second coat along the front when I painted the back. 

Lastly, hang your blankets and enjoy all your hard work. Since I was giving my brother a lantern too (which I loved so I went back and got a second one for our house) I made a little sign that reads “May Your Holidays Be Warm & Bright” and attached it with some bakers twine.

This may be my favorite gift I  have ever given and can’t wait to see my brother’s face when we walk in with this Christmas Day. He works long days and is hardly on the computer so I don’t have to worry about him seeing it before here. What is the best gift you have ever given? For more fun, affordable and unique gift ideas for everyone on your list head on over to Big Lots.