DIY A Budget-Friendly Blanket Ladder For Stylish Storage

Comfy throws need smart storage to stay organized and accessible, but you should think twice before tucking them away in the nearest closet or drawer. When they aren't keeping us cozy on the couch, blankets are essential decor, offering pops of pattern, color, and texture you'll want to show off. Of course, you may have more throws than furniture to drape them over, so how do you keep the extras in the design scheme? With a simple blanket ladder, that's how!

Blanket ladders are one of the best DIY living room storage ideas to give the home a customized look. Throws get the prominence they deserve on an attractive rustic feature any amateur builder can try. Making a blanket ladder is as straightforward as screwing wood rungs into a pair of long supports. But using ¾- or 1-inch wood dowels from your local home improvement or craft store, the process gets even easier by removing any need for screws.

YouTube channel Cozy DIY Home showcases a clever use of pipe fittings to join wood dowels in a stylish blanket ladder, no drill required! Assess the space where you want to put your ladder to determine a custom length and width, and buy your dowels accordingly. In this approach, a pair of long supports (e.g. 48- to 72-inch dowels) connect to shorter dowels (~12 to 14 inches) that make the rungs. Pipe tee fittings are the connectors, spaced every 12 to 14 inches or so along the supports to hold the rungs and complete a simple yet stunning design.

Cut your support dowels to equal lengths, and do the same for the rungs. At this stage, you can lightly sand the dowels and apply stain or paint as desired. Measure and mark identical rung placements on the two supports so the pipe tees will line up flawlessly between them. Start the rungs several inches up the supports to keep the bottom-most blanket off the floor.

Get enough pipe tee fittings (two for each rung) to make your ladder, sizing them to match the dowels (e.g., 1-inch tees for 1-inch dowels) for a snug, secure hold. Metal pipes, such as copper or galvanized steel, add an elegant luster and color to contrast the dowels' natural wood textures. You could also get creative using PVC options. With these, you can work with the dowel finish and choose a wood stain and paint a color combo that will look stunning in the home. Sand and clean the PVC fittings before applying a couple coats of spray paint.

When you're ready to install the tees, apply glue to the support at the bottom-most rung marking. Polyurethane or super glue may work, but epoxy or construction adhesive are your best bets for a strong hold regardless of the fitting material. Slip the first tee onto the dowel and over the glue, lining it up with the marking. Place the subsequent tees at the remaining rung positions. Then, apply glue to the tee openings, and install the rungs, connecting the supports to finish the ladder. After gluing matching pipe caps to the ends of the supports, you can start thinking about how to style your blanket ladder for the room.