I might be a little behind with these blanket ladders as I feel like they are everywhere now. But today, I’m showing you how to make a DIY blanket ladder with cheap 2x4s.

I’ve seen these blanket ladders selling in stores from anywhere from $50 all the way up to $600! Absolutely insane considering I made one for like, $10 with just TWO 2x4x8 pieces of wood. And I didn’t even use all the wood.

This one from Pottery Barn was really inspiring to me and I wanted to try and replicate that look as best as possible. I liked the wood color, the height, and the overall skinny look.

I didn’t want a thick blanket ladder with wide rungs. Just something simple looking. And old looking. And I think my blanket ladder turned out pretty good for the most part!

Are Blanket Ladders Out of Style?

I’m getting on my soapbox for a minute. I’m a big believer in following your heart. I don’t really adhere to what’s currently in or out or what’s considered “trending”. I go by my heart – what I’m inspired by, what makes me happy, what I like (and my husband, it’s his house too). If my designs inspire you too (and I hope it does) – then that’s amazing!

So back to the question, are blanket ladders out of style? No. Pottery Barn, Amber Interiors, Lulu & Georgia etc. still SELL blanket ladders. And I personally like blanket ladders. They are serving a purpose, making me happy and filling an empty void of a wall. The question should be – do you like blanket ladders? If you do, you should get/make one. If you don’t – then pass on this one.

Alrighty – let’s get to this DIY!

Things You’ll Need

2- 2x4x8 pine wood
Drill
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (I’m now using the 520 – here is a good tutorial)
Pocket Hole Screws – 2 inch
Table Saw that can rip 2x4s (or you can buy 2x2s at the store)
Orbital Sander and Sandpaper
Wood Conditioner
Wood Stain – I used Early American first and decided it wasn’t quite dark enough, so I covered it with Special Walnut
Polyurethane

Note: This ladder is not for standing on and is decorative only! I had to tell my kids this about three times (so far). This is not meant to hold weight other than blankets and hats and light wreaths. You get the picture.

DIY Blanket Ladder Tutorial

diy blanket ladder against a navy wall with a basket

how to build a stylish blanket ladder with 2x4s.

Total time: 1 day

Rip down 2x4s

The first step is cutting your 2x4s in half to make them 2x2s. I used my DeWalt table saw for this. If you don’t have a table saw that can rip a 2×4, then you can just buy a 2×2 from the hardware stores. Most major ones sell them.
Cut 2x2s to 7 feet long

Now you should have two 2x2s of wood from One 2x4x8. I wanted my blanket ladder to be 7 feet high, so I cut a foot off of each one. These pieces are going to be the sides of the blanket ladder.
Cut Wood Ladder Rungs

Now that we have our sides, we need to make 5 rungs. I took one of the 2x2s and cut it in half again. But you can just use the 2x2s for these rungs as well. I made 5 rungs that were 18 inches long each.
Drill Pocket Holes

I drilled a pocket hole on each end of every rung. So every run has 2 pocket holes. Since the ladder is leaned up against a wall, you won’t see the pocket holes from the front.
Attach Rungs to Ladder

Use 2-inch pocket hole screws to attach each rung to the ladder. I started 4 inches down from the top and then spaced them each 13 inches apart.
Sand the Ladder

Use an orbital sander to sand the ladder smooth and prepare for staining. Be sure to remove all the sanding dust with a vacuum or tack cloth. I also roughed it up a bit using some of the techniques from this post.
Pre-stain and Stain Ladder

Apply pre-stain conditioner and then follow with your favorite wood stain. Allow everything to dry completely.
apply Polyurethane

Final step! I applied a satin polyurethane for a bit of shine and let it dry for about 24 hours before moving it up to our bedroom.