I’m going to skip the cutesy preamble today because it’s been over a year since I finished this project and have yet to blog it! Yikes. So let’s cut right to the chase: this blanket ladder is simple, modern and you need it in your life.
Looking back through my “nursery” file from last year left a lot to be desired. I didn’t really take any a lot of good process pics for this project so I have to apologize in advance and do my best to explain everything in detail. I’ll go ahead and blame it on being 8 months pregnant and not really in the “blogging” zone.
This was my inspiration for the blanket ladder and I am really happy with how similar-but-different they turned out. (This was also the inspo for my DIY baby mobile.) The key here is definitely using very thin pieces of rounded wood. I really wish I could source the lumber I used for you guys, but it was just some scrap wood I had in our garage: I don’t even know where it came from. It was really roughed up half-round trim, which you can purchase at any big box home store. Along with the wood, you’re also going to need a mitre saw, drill and bits, small wood screws, and paint (optional).
For the sake of clarity, I’m going to use my measurements in this tutorial and you can tweak them as needed for your own space. Measurements may vary a little, so it will help to lay the ladder out on the floor to see how it will all match up and tweak here or there as you go along.
The above diagram gives a rough idea of how long each of my rungs are and how far apart on the ladder they’re spaced. IMPORTANT: Each rung MUST be cut at a 15 degree angle to form a trapezoid, that is what will make the ladder legs slightly angle out and widen as they go down. (I don’t have each 15 degree angle marked in the diagram, but all rungs need to be cut the same way.) Another tip: once you’ve cut the top rung, place it in between the ladder legs. Decide where you want your next rung to go, and then measure the distance between the legs and make your cut from that measurement. My diagram can be used as a basic guide, but it won’t be exact since all mitre saws are a little differently calibrated, etc.
Once I had all my rungs cut, I marked where the top of each run would go on each side of the ladder legs, and drilled pilot holes so that I wouldn’t split the wood.
Once the holes were drilled, it was just a matter of attaching the rungs with screws. I didn’t use clamps or anything: just held the rung in place and took my time. If you had someone around to help, it might make it a bit easier.
I loved the way the ladder looked natural, but there were a lot of different wood tones competing in that corner of the nursery, so I finished it off with two coats of flat black Rust-Oleum spray paint. I think it looks awesome. The end.
I know this isn’t the best tutorial so please hit me up in the comments (or DM me on Instagram) if you have any questions! I would be more than happy to help troubleshoot or address any issues you might run in to!
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