Happy Friday everyone! Today I will be sharing with you an easy project that you can do over the weekend! It is a great way to fill up some space in a seemingly empty room. I crafted this ladder using the idea and the directions from one of my favorite blog’s Shanty-2-Chic. The bloggers are two sisters who use their creativity and great taste to make furniture and home accessories primarily out of wood. I love their style and the look of their homes, as well as every project that they post. Many of the projects that I will make throughout Project Remodel will be based off of theirs.
This was another project that I finished prior to beginning this blog so I do not have step-by-step pictures, but again the project is a great one for beginners, so you will be able to follow along using Shanty-2-Chic’s directions here. I will spell them out for you as well!
Materials:
- 2 – 2×4 @ 8′ (sides of the ladder) = $2.97 each at Home Depot ($5.94 total)
- 1 – 2×6 @ 8′ (rungs of the ladder)= $5.11 at Home Depot
- Wood Stain = $5.48 at Lowe’s
- Foam Brush = $.77
- 16 – Wood Screws (2″)
Cuts:
- 2×6 – Cut into 4 – 17″ pieces
Directions:
Step One: You will first screw the 17″ pieces onto one of the 2x4s. These four 17″ pieces will be the rungs of your ladder. First I measured three inches down from the top of the 2×4. This is where I had the front corner of the top rung. Now, angle the 17″ piece so that the bottom of the rung is flush with the back of the ladder. If you are having trouble visualizing, take a look at Shanty-2-Chic’s pictures of the process. I then used two wood screws to secure this side in place (you may want to pre-drill holes to make it easier and sturdier). Do the same for the remaining three rungs – I spaced my 12″ apart.
Note: The talented girls at Shanty-2-Chic used a great tool to create pocket holes called the Kreg Jig. I did not have this tool at the time so I did not utilize it but it is a great way to hide those screws!
Step Two: Now you can secure the other side of the ladder to the boards! Use two screws per rung once more and the ladder will be very sturdy.
Step Three: Whip out the wood stain of your choice and give this bad boy some color! I used Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut to give it a darker finish that will match the new media console and coffee table that are next on our project list! My favorite method for applying stain is using a foam brush (like this one for $.77 at Home Depot). Dip the brush in the stain and brush an even coat onto the wood. Be sure to brush it on in the same direction as the grain of the wood.
Note: Make sure you shake up your can of stain very well before application!!
Step Four: After your apply your coat of stain, go back 15-20 minutes later and wipe off any excess using an old rag. Anything that does not soak into the wood in that time frame will not soak into the wood at all and it will leave a slightly sticky residue. The stain I used dries in 1 hour, so after that hour goes by, move on to step five!
Step Five: If you are going for that worn/rustic look, take a sander (or I just used sandpaper by hand) and rough it up a bit! Make sure you sand going in the same direction as the grain of the wood.
Step Six: To be safe, I let this ladder dry completely overnight before putting my cozy blankets on those rungs. I have not had any issues with the stain rubbing off onto the materials, however if you are worried about the possibility of that happening you can use a coat of polyurethane like this Rust-Oleum Matte Finish Poly.
Once the night has passed, dress the ladder up and put it wherever you choose! Here is mine next to my fireplace (pay no mind to those random wires hanging in the fireplace).
How did yours turn out? Where did you decide to use your new ladder? Did you use it for anything besides blankets? Let me know!
Project Remodel 